kids classes

music | crafts/creative | nature | ice skating | sports | gyms | swimming | dance | ASL |

general

Bean Sprouts Cafe in Middleton has many innovative programs and classes for kids and their grown-ups. Be sure to visit their website for the latest classes, story times, and special events. There is always something happening! Some of the latest offerings include:

Sing and Sign Playtime - Talk with your baby before he can speak! Join us for ASL-based sign language instruction that incorporates interactive play, songs, and stories. Each week, we will explore a new theme while learning new signs. Brought to you by Baby Signs ® with Tamara.

Bitty Bakers - Bean Sprouts’ most popular class will now feature your child in his own television food show! This six-week course lets your child play with her food and create delicious culinary delights. Themes include: Silly Snacks, Munch Box, Film Food Fun, Fruitti Tutti, Chow Baby, and Pea-Casso. We will shoot and edit a ½ hour Bitty Bakers TV show that will air on WYOU at the end of the course. Each family will receive a DVD copy of your child in the Bitty Bakers TV show!

music

Rhapsody Arts Center
271 S. Main St, Verona, WI 53593 (608) 848-2045 www.rhapsodyarts.org

Rhapsody Arts Center is a comprehensive community arts school serving the Verona and West Madison areas. Group classes include early childhood music, beginning piano, guitar, and voice, acting for children, and much more! We offer private lessons in piano, strings, winds, brass, percussion, voice and composition as well. Rhapsody employs a board-certified music therapist, who provides private therapy sessions in addition to group music therapy. Our separate art gallery building at 109 Main St hosts art classes for kids and adults, and displays new art exhibitions each month.

Find out why 400+ families have chosen Rhapsody for fine arts instruction-call us or visit our website today!

Music Carousel, LLC is a music program which offers playful and creative music and movement classes for children ages birth through four years and their parents or care givers. Classes are led by a dedicated professional musician and feature the acclaimed Music Class™ songs and activities. Your child will be introduced to a wide variety of musical scales, rhythms, instruments and styles that help stimulate their musical growth. Additionally, your family receives our CDs and songbook to help your child continue to develop his or her musical abilities at home. Call Martha Vallon at 852-3800 or email musiccarousel@tds.net. Call today to participate in a free trial class!
Class location: Asbury United Methodist Church, 6101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin

Let's Play Music (ages 4+) is an introductory music & piano course. This age-appropriate school-year curriculum is packed with full-body movement and fun games, but wondrously introduces advanced theory concepts. In Year 1, your child will learn to match and sing on pitch, recognize and transcribe simple melodic patterns, read and play simple musical patterns on tone bells, recognize and enjoy themes in favorite classical pieces, and so much more! Parents attend the 45 minute class every other week to enjoy and learn the activities, while initiating the road to independence on the off-weeks. Well-designed homework and assignments help students prepare for future practice routines.

Enroll NOW for 2008-9 Classes (begin September 9th). Parents may sit in on a live class in April, 2008. SPECIAL: Mention this MIM ad and get a free T-shirt when you enroll in a fall class.

Enroll NOW for SUMMER CAMPS: 1 week and 2 week sessions of 60 minute classes, emphasizing rhythm and note-reading (with lots of fun and motion). These camps are an excellent introduction to children entering the Let's Play Music piano program, or for ANY child planning to begin musical instrument instruction in the fall.

Let's Play Music - weibelfamily@gmail.com - Home studio near Old Sauk & Gammon Road, Madison

Kindermusik with Laura
Classes taught in Oregon and Stoughton by Laura Kronser, certified kindermusik instructor.
Come share the fun of helping your child discover the music in themselves. Each class is full of activities that are designed to meet your child at his/her stage of development. With award winning music, dances, books, and games you will help your child to develop his/her cognitive skills, listening skills, motor skills, language skills, and social skills as well as the bond between you, at the same time that you are both having a great time. What a great way to chase away those winter blahs!
Contact me to find out how you can come preview a class! Kronser6@charter.net or call Laura at 608-692-8821

Kindermusik with Debbie- The Kindermusik® program is a developmentally appropriate series of four curricula created by a team of early-childhood and music specialists. Each Kindermusik program step uses the latest research on music and child brain development. Kindermusik's award-winning CDs, books, games and instruments nurture skills in the whole child: physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language. Call to come and visit a free class and experience the joy! (608) 274-6635, www.youngstir.com/debbie, e-mail: dyoung2u@hotmail.com

Madison Academy of Music - Offering music classes for children of all ages, including Kindermusik® classes, for parents and children ages newborn through seven. These classes use the curricula from Kindermusik International, which has more than 25 years of experience creating curricula based on new and proven research in child development. Kindermusik's award-winning books, CDs, games, and instruments nurture skills in the whole child: cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and language.

*updated! Music Together
772-1522 - www.musicaltots.com
Black Belt America - 6701 Odana Road
Sun Prairie Park and Rec Dept. - new building on West Main Street and corner of County C

Music Together is an powerful action-packed, research-based music curriculum for kids 0-5 w/parents that children love. Families gather together once a week for 45 minutes in a 10-week semester that goes all year long. We sing, dance and use a myriad of musical instruments. The Center Director, Jo Severt plays guitar and piano, has a degree from the UW (BA-Piano), comes from an intense musical background and also teaches piano in Madison. First class is free. Call Jo at 442-0519 or e-mail jokat@tds.net to set up a demo class.

Baby's Musikgarten@ Meriter - Discover music in a playful way with your baby, age 0-16 months! This innovative class will teach parents songs and rhythmic chants that babies love. Half hour music,and 15 minutes mom's conversation time. Family materials, instrument kits, and CDs will be available for purchase.

Music & Movement @ Happy Bambino, Ages 0-18m
Explore rhythm, melody and movement. Each week centers on a different theme and incorporates music from around the world, movement exercises, improvisation, and interaction between babies, toddlers, and parents. Everyone has a part to play in this class that will stimulate parents as well as children! Instruments provided!

BCG Music - Our classes help you and your child develop a strong musical bond through singing, chanting, moving, dancing, listening, and playing simple instruments. Musical play activities are designed to increase your child's curiosity about music, to develop listening skills and a sense of beat, and to establish the foundation for singing and musical thought.

Musical Pathyways of Waunakee - Kindermusik ®, the premier music and movement program for children newborn to seven years of age, is a developmental music program which through joyful music-making between the parent, child and teacher seeks to promote cognitive, physical, language, social and emotional development in young children. While geared toward your child's developmental stage, each class offers participants the opportunity to sing, play instruments, dance, explore literature and learn to listen in an active, intent way. The program is based on the belief that all children are musical and that the parent is the child’s most important teacher.

crafts/creative

PARENT/CHILD ART
A great introduction to art featuring simple, easy to do projects for children and parents. Wear a paint smock or old clothes. Parent must enroll and participate with child(ren). Fee is per person.
MSCR @ Warner Park

The Monroe Street Fine Arts Center is a nonprofit community school of the arts. We will turn 10-yrs-old this February! We are well known in the community for offering high quality classes in art, drama and music for children. We have private and group classes, wonderful professional artist instructors, small classes, and the mission of being accessible and inclusive. We are located on the near west side of Madison, in the lively Monroe Street shopping district. We have accessible parking, are right across from Wingra Park (and Michael's Frozen Custard!) and our fine arts center is bright and cheery and filled with light. 2526 Monroe Street (608) 232-1510

nature

Aldo Leopold Nature Center. Public programs, teaching training programs, interpretive trails for families. 300 Femrite Drive, Monona. (608) 221-0404.

ice skating

Capitol Skating School. Ice skating classes/private lessons, tots through adults; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Tuesdays; hockey/powerskating clinics and daily figure skating sessions. Summer sessions through August. (608) 833-3922, (608) 244-5593.

sports

The BLAST Functional Martial Arts and Fitness is the only martial arts school that teaches Jeet Kune Do in Wisconsin. Our school offers parent and child martial arts classes, which allows you as a parent to not have to be a spectator but to fully engage and be apart of what your child is learning, and you will learn along the way as well. We provide a fun atmosphere and they will learn something new every time they come! The Blast offers classes for children as young as 2. The youngest class is for children ages 2-4, with a parent. The LIttle Warriors classes are for children ages 5-8.
Here are some of the benefits to Martial Arts
- Increased Confidence
- Increased Self Esteem
- Self Control
- Exercising and getting in shape
- Working as a team
Call us at 445-6176 or email us at info@theblastma.com and sign up today! The BLAST Functional Martial Arts and Fitness 207A. Cottage Grove Rd. Madison

Keva Sports Center - My First Sports. My First Sports (Ages 2-6) are a series of age-based classes focusing on key early elements of participation, like teamwork fundamentals and most importantly…having fun! Featuring multi-sport and sports specific classes, our “kid-friendly” instructors make classes a great first time experience, helping encourage early enthusiasm. Keva also offers classes ages 7-14 as well as youth leagues- Call for information regarding, flag football, basketball,soccer, and volleyball.

608.662.PLAY

Sunshine Yoga @ Happy Bambino -Designed for children ages 3-5, this class is a fun introduction to the practice of yoga. Breath awareness and warm-up exercises are combined with nature and animal-themed yoga postures, games and stories. Moving playfully through poses, children develop physical balance, strength and coordination, as well as inner stillness, focus and self-confidence. Parents are encouraged to participate!

gyms

The Little Gym of Middleton
7780 Elmwood Ave Suite 101
Phone: (608) 836-3028
Email: tlgmiddletonwi@thelittlegym.com

My Gym Class at YMCA West. 10-11 a.m., drop-in class for ages 2-5, includes structures and free-play time with dances, games and songs. Child care groups welcome. $4.50 per child. YMCA West, 5515 Medical Circle (608) 276-6606.

swimming

Kittelson Swim School - Kittelson Swim School provides swim instruction for infants, toddlers and youth in a positive, nurturing environment. Our Little Dippers classes start as young as 6 months old and provide a wonderful bonding opportunity for you and your baby in the water. Classes are held in our warm water pool which allows for a comfortable and relaxed environment for everyone. At age 2, children can enter our Tadpole Swim Program with is led by an instructor in a class size of 4 children. These small classes enable each child to have more individual time and attention. Dan Kittelson has developed this research-based swim program in which children can build on their skills and progress through each swim level. The program is based on a confidence building curriculum so that children feel successful about their accomplishments. We are located on the westside in Fitchburg , 5200 Anton Drive and on the eastside in Sun Prairie, 605 Chase Blvd. Both locations can be reached at 441-KITT (5488).

PARENT-TOT Class @ Swim West
Parent-Tot class at SwimWest is an excellent opportunity for parents (or grandparents) and baby to participate together in a fun, nurturing, and safe environment. The class is accented with songs, stations, and games while introducing baby to the basic skills necessary for a firm foundation in swimming. Parent-Tot classes start when your baby is 6 months old, and it’s a great way to meet other moms and dads with new babies. We offer a 90* warm water indoor pool, family-friendly changing rooms and baby changing stations, American Red Cross certified instructors, ongoing registration, and a friendly staff. If you are a new family to SwimWest, we encourage you to come try a class for free to see how much your baby loves the water! We have two great locations; West Madison and Fitchburg . Please call us at 831-6829 ( Madison ) or at 276-SWIM ( Fitchburg ) for more information on these great classes. We can’t wait to see you and your baby splashing in the pool! (Don’t forget to ask us about our refer-a-friend bonus!)

YMCA of Dane County - Offering a variety of parent/tot and kids swimming classes at locations throughout Dane County.

Madison School & Community Recreation Center - For most parents, having their children learn how to swim is a high priority. For years MSCR has met this need by providing swim lessons and open swims for the public at the 5 indoor facilities owned and operated by Madison Metropolitan School District, plus our summer outdoor pool site. From tots to seniors.

Prairie Athletic Club, Sun Prairie - Prairie Athletic Club swim lessons are American Red Cross certified and taught by Water Safety Instructors. Classes for kids of all ages.

dance

CREATIVE MOVEMENT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN with Donna Peckett - A nurturing introduction to dance, movement, and drama using storytelling, song, and music to spark a creative physical response FOR AGES 3–6 • CALL FOR CLASS INFORMATION
@ TAPIT/new works -- 1957 Winnebago Street p: 608.244.2938 e.info@donnapeckettcreativearts.com

Winter 2008 Schedule now available, including classes for ages 3-6. Be sure to visit her online.

updated! Move Out Loud Studio is an exciting new creative movement, yoga and dance studio for toddlers through age 15 on Madison's west side. It was created out of our love for children and our passion for expression through movement, and is an environment where music and movement are used to contribute to cognitive, physical, social-emotional and language development of children. Check out our website at www.moveoutloud.com or call us at 508.513.MOVE (6683) for more information on classes or to register! 6506 Schroeder Road

Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, the most widely recognized Irish Dance School in the world, is currently enrolling students ages 4-12 yrs in Wisconsin area! We have class locations in Madison , Kenosha , Waukesha , Menomonee Falls, Whitefish Bay , Oconomowoc, Milwaukee , North Shore (Grafton) and Appleton (coming soon). SPECIAL OFFER—Complimentary Irish Dance Lesson! To redeem, please call 877-326-2328 or visit our website: www.trinityirishdancers.com. Trinity is dedicated to excellence in Irish dancing and encouraging students to triumph over challenges both on and off the dance floor. The Trinity program centers on the empowerment of each child, with lessons focused on self-confidence and choice, allowing each child to decide their own level of participation in the program.

ASL - American Sign Language

BABY SIGNS® with Tamara!!!
- Sign, Say, & Play™ Class is a six-week series-offering parents & babies a fun environment for learning all the basics of signing! The combination of rich classroom experience and the proper tools for learning at home give you & your baby a great start in a loving and supportive way. For children ages birth to three years and the parents/caregivers who love them. Price includes the Sign, Say & Play™ Kit, which includes 8 Baby Signs® Resources to make signing at home fun and easy !
- BABY SIGNS® Parent Workshop is a one-time class especially designed for expecting parents, & parents of children from birth to 24 months. You will learn all you need to know to begin signing with your baby at home. Early childhood educators, parent educators, social workers and health specialists are also welcome. The price of this hands-on, fun workshop includes the Baby Signs® Parent Kit, to help you incorporate what you learn in class into your daily routines with your baby.

For more info. or to register, contact:
Tamara Smith, Independant Certified Instructor - TryBabySigns@Gmail.com 608-831-2068

SIGN & SING' sign language class by Kindermusik (in conjunction with Signing Smart') From babies/children 6 months old through 3 years, and their caregiver
-A mini-ASL boot camp for caregivers and child(ren)--who would like to quickly learn and use signing.
-Learn over 50 ASL signs through familiar songs, toys, and loving playtime with your child.
-Communicate with your child before she can form the words.
-Ease your child's frustration.
-Enhance long-term learning (i.e. Hearing children who know signs, learn language almost twice as fast.)
Sign & Sing part A and Part B (both sessions are 5 weeks) Call 274-6635 Kindermusik with Debbie www.youngstir.com/debbie, dyoung2u@hotmail.com