Musical Folk: Our Music Together Experience

Living in the greater New Haven/Waterbury area, we have access to some amazing family-friendly programs. Music Together through Musical Folk is one of them. And it is the best activity we have done for our son, hands down. 

Coming up next month will be FOUR years since we began Music Together classes. We couldn't be more grateful for the impact it has had on our son's life. He is creative, thoughtful, imaginative, and simply LOVES music. He can hold a beat, he has been exposed to numerous types of musical genres and instruments, enjoys the theatre and concerts, and carries a tune better than my husband. And I accredit these characteristics to his time in Music Together program. 

We started when Ness was barely 3 months old in a Music Together babies class. As a parent of a premie, I was very skeptical of taking him out and about but this was the first program I wanted to try and I am so grateful I did. My favorite part of that class? The moms have all become very good friends AND the kids have as well. They're all turning 4 right about now and we're all celebrating their milestones together STILL four years later. Incredible.

Music Together has 9 collections and once you make it through all nine, you can continue and simply repeat. In the 4 years we've been a part of this incredible program, we have participated in 13 full sessions. We have done all 9 collections, repeated 2 of them, done 2 summer sessions (usually a "Best Of" or "Greatest Hits" collection), as well as a few short winter sessions provided by Musical Folk. 

Music Together is a music AND movement program. So don't you think you're going to just sit back and watch.... NO WAY! This is not a drop off program. You'll be just as involved as your kids, being a role model to them as well as the other kids in the class. And it is marvelous! Research has proven that this involvement helps your child learn and grow developmentally appropriate skills as well as creates an ideal learning environment where it is open and accepting. The children learn and grow together with their parents, other children, and teachers. 

Music is truly priceless and it bring a magic to children's faces that is truly immeasurable. Stop and take a step back in one of their classes. The kids are having FUN. They are enjoying themselves. 

And also, the PARENTS have fun too. 

It is an incredible way to have bonding time with your child as well. You learn songs to share together as well as methods to calm and soothe your little ones. We have often said our Music Together CDs are magic in the car. I know many of my friends can agree on that one too! 

Ness learned to sing and dance right along side learning to walk and talk. It doesn't matter the age of your child to enjoy and learn from this program. You can be a baby up to starting elementary school. It is truly remarkable and the impact it has on children all ages is just astonishing. 

The teachers at Musical Folk are simply THE.BEST. Each and every one of them has a unique talent that transcends into their teaching. While they all teach the same collection, they each have their unique spin and methods to come across and bond with each and every one of the children in the class. 

Spring registration is now open and the session begins the first week of April. I truly cannot recommend this program enough, regardless of how old your child is. 

Want to try out Music Together with Musical Folk in the greater New Haven area? Sign up and use code NAOMI40 to get $40 off your semester! 

Thank you to Jamie Morel for the beautiful snapshot photos of our experience! 

CT Hidden Gem: Hannah's Dream

Finding playgrounds for toddlers - heck, for kids in general - can be a full time job sometimes! We are always on the lookout for a great playground and park. Connecticut has tons of them but it's so hard to find them if you aren't familiar with the area. 

In New Haven, we literally stumbled upon Hannah's Dream and it was such a fun find!

We had all intentions of hitting up Lighthouse Point Park one late afternoon before grabbing dinner and we were baffled by the charges to get in. So, we had to go on the hunt for another playground. Hannah's Dream is literally around the bend from Lighthouse Point Park. 

Now, it is on a relatively busy road and it is not fenced in. HOWEVER, the playground itself is pretty far back from the road so that helps a lot. 

It is a HUGE park with a good sized playground. It is totally in the sun so be sure to bring sunscreen or a hat for your little ones. 

Tons of climbing contraptions, lots of slides, tunnels galore, and lots of smaller playscapes making up the big playground. 

There's also a big sandpit for kids to play in. It's not build-a-sand-castle kind of sand, more like dirt, but the kids didn't care. There are no sand toys anywhere so if you want to utilize this part, be sure to bring a bucket and shovel! 

Overall, this park was a pleasant surprise find for us and we'll totally be visiting it again in the future. 

Have you ever been to Hannah's Dream in New Haven?

CT Gem: Lake Compounce

This year was the third year I got a family pass to Lake Compounce. To say it's worth every penny is an understatement. My son is 3 1/2 years old this year and I've brought him while 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and now 3 1/2. Each year, it gets better and better for him. 

Here's my tips for taking toddlers to Lake Compounce.

First and foremost, if you're going to go at least twice in one season, buy a season pass. It's worth every penny. I buy the pass over Thanksgiving weekend while it's on crazy sale (and also get the parking pass!) and then it's all set for the upcoming season. Plus, the season pass includes their Halloween special and their Holiday Lights display. Totally worth it.

Bring your stroller. It's a haul to get to the park from the parking lot and there's plenty of space to park your stroller for rides. Plus, you can store your bag on it and not have to physically carry anything around.  

Pack snacks (or lunch) for your toddler. You can't bring food for yourself, adults, or even big kids. But you can for toddlers. 

Bring a water bottle for yourself and your kids. When you are a season pass holder, you get beverages for free so you can just refill your own bottle. 

Ride the train. It's about a 30 minute ride all the way around the lake but it's a nice little break to take. Bring a drink and snack and enjoy the breeze as well as the view. 

The toddler ride area has so many options for little kids. There's not usually a wait and the people who work these rides are usually great with little kids. Plus, they can usually ride them repeatedly since it's not overly crowded. With that being said, I don't go on weekends so I cannot give crowd control advice for weekends... 

You have to be 36 inches tall to ride most of the toddler rides. If your child is CLOSE to that height (like exactly 36" or even a teensy bit over 36") I suggest getting a formal measurement from guest services or the bungee ride. They'll give you a card to use for the season that lists your child's exact height and then you can show it at each ride so they don't have to take time every single time they ride getting measured. My son tends to duck under the measuring stick so I'm glad we got the card this year. 

Probably the biggest perk of visiting Lake Compounce for toddlers is the Daniel Tiger Live stage show. It's every day at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. The kids can even come sit and watch for every show if they want (it never changes, FYI) After the show, they do a meet and greet and the kids can take their pictures with the characters too. 

We have had days where we go at 3:30, see the live show at 4:00, ride a few rides, and head home at 5:00 for dinner.  

There are a few rides that you can bring your toddler on with you as well. There's the test track car driving ride and an airplane ride. Our two favorites are the large carousel and the ferris wheel. 

There's also a good size water park that is very family friendly. Bring your own floatie that is coast guard approved too. They have some you can use but the ones you have are likely better and more comfortable. 

As you can tell from his face, Lake Compounce is always a hit! Have you been yet? 

CT Hidden Gem: Josh's Jungle

Josh's Jungle in Hamden is an amazing little playground right next to the public library in Hamden and next door to the middle school and entertaining pavilion. 

Every time we go, my son gets extra excited to say hi to the animals, especially the giraffes when we enter. Check out why we love it: 

One way in, same way out. Totally fenced in and enclosed. Mom WIN! 

It actually looks much bigger than it is, but is always keeps the kids entertained for at least an hour if not more! 

The ground is this manufactured soft cushiony material which is great because it doesn't get too hot plus it's sturdy and soft for when they fall. 

There is a water fountain, a huge perk for toddlers!, but there are not bathrooms. It is next to the library though so you can go in there (which we have). 

There's tunnels and tubes and pathways and ramps and stairs and plenty of areas to climb. It's great for all ages! 

And the nice part is it's big enough for parents to go on too and not bang their head or get stuck. 

The playground itself is made of a trex-type material so your kids won't get splinters but it does get warm. It is in direct sun for most of the day but most of the playground has tunnels or rooftops shading parts of it. 

There's also a giant field for the town's outdoor entertainment pavilion so you can bring a blanket for a picnic after you play! 

He loves it, if you can't tell by the smile! 

There's also a large section of it that is ramps and no stairs so it has handicap-accessible areas for those needing that. 

Have you ever been to Josh's Jungle before?! It truly is a hidden gem and it's easy to find!

And when you're done playing, drive around the corner and have lunch or dinner at Roost, the best chicken joint around!