The latest music group to swing into town gets youngsters moving with the jungle beat
Whether your tot is the next Ringo Starr or just loves moving and shaking, Music Monkeys is a great way to get your little one into the groove. Take a walk through the jungle, go on a bear hunt, and bang on your drum.
New to the Abu Dhabi scene, Music Monkeys is already making waves with its group of prancing primates. A handful of dedicated expats act as the Jungle Janes of the classroom where they encourage children to express themselves through music and movement.
Set up by primary teacher Lisa Irwin, Music Monkeys seeks to provide youngsters with a fun and lively music group to help them develop and grow.
“Music is accessible to every child,” says Irwin. “Music contributes to what experts call a ‘rich sensory environment’. Music or sound is just one of the wide experiences that can forge pathways between cells in their brains (others are taste, smell, texture and colour). This can stimulate the brain, which will aid with other areas of learning. Exposing babies to music at a very young age can make these connections, however the biggest impact is when the baby or child is actively participating in musical activities.”
The use of bright instruments and colourful props including parachutes and scarves as well as songs using follow actions keep the monkeys on their toes. The teachers take pride in holding relaxed sessions where the students are given the chance to develop motor skills while moving at their own pace.
“We don’t just put on a CD to follow!” Irwin emphasises. “The adults are encouraged to join in with their little ones and have song sheets provided for each term. We have bright, colourful, appealing and age-appropriate instruments, which the ‘monkeys’ use in every group. We also involve parachute play, balls, bubbles and other props to stimulate gross and fine motor skills.”
The classes are kept small and intimate with no more than ten babies so the children receive plenty of attention. The sessions are catered to children from three months to four years of age with five tailor-made groups.
The youngest group, ‘Baby Monkeys’, caters to children from three months to walking. The session encompasses various sensory elements. Here it’s all about baby and carer bonding through songs and rhymes so the youngster is exposed to tempo and pitch.
Children up to two years can join the ‘Mini Monkeys’ where they will be introduced to a selection of instruments while playing with bubbles and hiding under parachutes. Two to three-year-olds can join the ‘Swinging Monkeys’ so they can develop skills through the use of instruments and props. The toddlers in this group are a lot more independent and work on both gross and fine motor skills. ‘Jumping Monkeys’, the pre-school group, will get more active with plenty of singing and dancing. Finally, the mixed-age ‘Jungle Monkeys’ group welcomes siblings for a fun and interactive music session.
Music Monkeys offers three terms – Movement and Me, Creature Comforts, and Colour and Weather – with each focusing on a different theme. As the term progresses, the teachers introduce new instruments and create new challenges for their ‘monkeys’.
Sessions are held in the mornings for 30 minutes for the younger groups, and 40 minutes for children two years and up. Classes take place at three locations: Arabesque Ballet Studio, Khalifa City B and Mangrove Village.
Classes start from AED 35 and the teachers hold an ‘open door’ policy, welcoming parents, nannies, or anyone who wants to join in on the fun and games.
To find out how you can take your child on a musical safari, visit: www.musicmonkeysad.com
