UPDATE 1/28/16: This post was written in 2012 and while it should still give you a good idea of the overall experience of this activity, it is possible that some information may be out of date. Please be sure to check the Farmington Library’s website for the most up-to-date information, especially concerning things like hours and schedules. And if you see something in this post that needs updating, please feel free to leave a comment on this post or email us at outandaboutmom@gmail.com and we will be happy to make those updates. It takes a village, right? 🙂
For the 2016 winter season, Tots and Tunes meets Friday mornings, 9:30 – 10:00 & 10:30 – 11:00 (January 8 – March 4) and Tuesday evenings: 6:30 – 7:00 (January 14 – March 3)
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2012 Post
It was a rainy Friday in Connecticut and I needed to get out of the house. What better destination for a gloomy day than a visit to a comfy, cozy local library!
A friend had mentioned to me that the Farmington Library has a program called Tots and Tunes that runs on Fridays. I looked it up and the description for the class is . . .
Music, movement, play and socialization for ages birth-3 years and a caregiver. No registration required.
Sounded fun to me.
There are two class sessions that run on Fridays, one starts at 9:30 am and the other at 10:30 am. Given my two are still napping from 8:30 – 10:00, I knew we would have to try out the 10:30 class. Given that the library is a good 30 minute drive from my house, I actually just put my kids in the car a little after 8:30, drove over to the library, and caught up with some social media while they snoozed in the back. My husband was off from work that morning, so he joined us and we were able to have a fun family outing.
When we got to the library, we asked at the main desk and were pointed in the direction of the Community Room which is where the class takes place. When you enter the front door, go down the hallway to your right and you can’t miss it.
The room was full of people when we arrived and there were kids in a variety of ages from teeny tiny babies to bouncing off the wall three-year-olds. Given that my husband was with me, I didn’t bring the stroller in, but there were certainly plenty of parents with their strollers in the class.
The parents seemed to get settled in a loose circle around the room and the teacher started the class just by turning on the music.
I am assuming they play the same music every week because many of the parents and kids were singing along. The teacher stood at the front and would act out the movements that went with each song.
After a few rounds of tunes, the teacher got out these egg-shaped noise makers which the kids loved. I they moved them to the beat of the music. Well, maybe not quite on beat, but they were having fun.
Next it was time for the parachute. The teacher took it out and many of the parents immediately moved to the front and grabbed a corner to hold. {I volunteered my husband for that job} For the first go round all the kids danced (or sat) underneath the parachute as the parents moved it up and down and around.
Then the parachute was moved to the ground and the kids loaded on top for a spin. Make sure to dive under that parachute and grab your non-walkers. Bruiser and Sparkles were in some type of trance from the parachute and just sat there as it lowered down on top of them.
After parachute time, the teacher brought out a big bucket of musical instruments for the kids to play with.
Bruiser and Sparkles grabbed their selection and had lots of fun making their version of music.
Then it was time to clean up and the class was over.
The class didn’t last the full 45 minutes, but all the kids seemed to enjoy themselves. There were lots of kids and parents in attendance and the music had them all dancing. After the class, many of the parents headed over to the children’s section for some more playtime (more details on that next week).
THE MOMSENSE
The Farmington Library Tots and Tunes Class
Main Library
6 Monteith Drive, Farmington, Connecticut
860.673.6791
http://www.farmingtonlibraries.org/
Description: Music, movement, play and socialization for ages birth-3 years and a caregiver. No registration required.
Get directions here:
Hours & Admission
Hours:
For 2015, the program runs at 9:30 am and 10:30 am most Fridays. Check out their full events calendar here.
9:30 am – 10:15 am and
10:30 am – 11:15 am
Session 1 Fridays: 2/10, 2/17
Session 2 Fridays: 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/13
Admission:
FREE
COMING UP:
Isn’t it about time to give your kitchen another night off? We’ve got the next installment in our Tiny Diner Series.