Educational Toys For Young Children

April 24, 2014 by

In an age of digital gadgets, there is still a place for traditional toys. Kids can have plenty of fun playing with classic types of toys that have entertained children for centuries. Some local brick and mortar toy stores may not carry a selection of unique items that could stimulate the imagination of young children.

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Doll houses are considered to be all time favorites among young girls. Miniature homes include replicas of realistic household furniture and other items. Of course, unique dolls are available to suit the characters of particular girls. Taking on the role of housewife is a great form of play for young girls. Such kids learn at an early age about responsibilities around the household. Perhaps, doll houses can inspire young girls to help their moms and sisters with various chores and other tasks around the house and outside.

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Trains and other locomotive toys inspire the imagination of young boys. Realistic replicas of actual railroad tracks, stations and other features create a fantasy world inside a child’s bedroom. Kids love to watch trains and other vehicles move around. A sense of space and other technical skills may be developed with play sets that include trains and other types of vehicles such as trucks.

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Parents can also shop for musical toys that stimulate the auditory senses and vocals of young kids. Small plastic toys are available to replicate realistic instruments that produce fun sounds. Toddlers can truly enjoy playing with musical toys that bring joy to the ears.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL, Resources, Toys Tagged With: ,

Summer Theater Workshops for Kids

March 27, 2014 by

Do your children have a knack for the performing arts?  Discover and develop their talents this summer by enrolling them in a theater workshop.  Here are four theater workshops for kids as young as 3.5 years old.

TRUMPETS PLAYSHOP

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Fee: 5,800 exclusive of recital fee (6,150 for Alabang Town Center classes)

Venues: Podium, Global City, Alabang Town Center

Enrollment:  Visit Trumpets at the 5th Level Shangri-La Mall or call 631-7252 / 6362842

Start of Classes: April 7

Courses and Schedules:

Children’s Theater (4 – 6 years old)

Venue

Class Schedules

PODIUM

 MWF  11:00 am – 12:30pm
MWF  12:45 pm – 2:15 pm
MWF  2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
TThS   11:00am – 12:30pm
TThS   12:45pm – 2:15pm

GLOBAL CITY

 MWF  10:00 am – 11:30 am

ALABANG TOWN CENTER

 MWF  11:00am – 12:30pm

Children’s Musical Theater (7 – 12 years old)

Venue

Class Schedules

PODIUM

 MWF  11:00am – 1:00pm (7-9 yrs old)
MWF  1:30pm – 3:30 pm (7-9 yrs old)
MWF  4:00pm – 6:00 pm (7-9 yrs old)
MWF  4:15pm – 6:15pm (10-12 yrs old)
TThS   2:30pm – 4:30pm (7-12 yrs old)

GLOBAL CITY

 MWF  12:00pm – 2:00pm (7-12 yrs old)

ALABANG TOWN CENTER

 MWF  1:00pm – 3:00pm (7-12 yrs old)

 

 

PETA SUMMER PROGRAM

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Fee:  P 9,000

Venue:  PETA Theater Center at No 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines

Enrollment:  Schedule an interview at the PETA Theater Center through CHRIS DIVINAGRACIA ( 725-6244, 410-0821, or 0906 556 4800)

Start of Classes: April 7 (until May 11)

Courses and Schedules:

  • Children’s Theater 1 ( 6 – 8 years old)  8am – 12nn on April 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 22, 24, 26, 29; May 3, 6, 8, 10, 11
  • Children’s Theater 2 ( 9 – 12 years old) 8am – 12nn on April 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 23, 25, 28, 30; May 2, 5, 7, 9, 11

 

 

REPERTORY PHILIPPINES

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Fee: 7,000

Venue:  Active Fun Global City

Enrollment: Call the REP office at 843-3570 or 555-0082

Start of Classes: April 7 (until May 29)

Courses and Schedules:

  • Kiddies Musical Theatre Class (5 – 8 years old)  11:00am – 1:00pm / 1:00pm – 3:00pm  Monday to Friday
  • Pre-Teens Musical Theare Class (9 – 12 years old) 10:00am – 12:00nn / 3:30pm – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday

 

 

KIDS ACTS PHILIPPINES

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Fee: 10,000 inclusive of workshop materials, costumes rental and recital fee

Venue:  The CampArt STUDIO at Unit 209, 2F Cityland Pasong Tamo Condominium

Enrollment: Call 750.1551/0915.4478959/0919.4338565 or Email [email protected]

Start of Classes: April 2 (until May 23)

Courses and Schedules:

  • Kinder Theater (3 – 6 years old)  10:30am – 12:00nn MWF
  • Children’s Theater (7 – 9 years old)  9:00am – 10:30am MWF
  • Junior Theater (10 – 12 years old) 12:00nn – 1:30pm MWF

 

 

Most of the theater companies mentioned above also have other workshops for teens and adults. Kindly check their respective websites or Facebook pages for more information.  As for us, we’re enrolling our daughter again at Trumpets Playshop.  She had so much fun there last summer and is looking forward to another exciting Playshop this year.

 

Filed Under: Busy Bees, for the KIDS, Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL Tagged With: , ,

Fashion Immersion for Teens at SoFA Design Institute

March 26, 2014 by

Here’s a great summer program for teens!  Those who have a keen eye for fashion and style would be thrilled to work side by side esteemed professionals in the fashion industry.  This summer, THE Collab Contessa collaborates with SoFA Design Institute and brings to us a 1-month long capsule series Fashion Immersion for Teens.

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The 1-month program consists of 4 capsules with each one running for 5 consecutive days.  A student can choose among RETAIL, MARKETING, DESIGN, or MEDIA.  Ideally, though, a student is encouraged to take all four capsules to help him or her decide which career he or she would eventually pursue.

I collaborated with SOFA Design Institute on this with the goal of being instrumental to helping teens define the career paths they would like to take.

– Collab Contessa –

The students’ actual immersion experience will be at the offices of brand partners including Louis Vuitton, Folded & Hung, Chalk Magazine, and Aranaz.   The first capsule starts on March 31, 2014 so better enrol now lest you run out of slots.

Aside from the Fashion Immersion for Teens, SoFA Design Institute also has other summer programs for kids, teens, and adults. Follow @aminaaranaz ; @loraleesoong ; @dara_ddr ; @sofadesigninstitute on Instagram for more information and updates.

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Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work Tagged With: , , ,

Learning the Suzuki Method in Music School

March 6, 2014 by

There are many ways to learn a new instrument. You can pick one up and start playing, or learn in school band. You can watch videos online and hope to get somewhere. You can also take formal lessons from professionals or at a Houston music school. Each school tends to have its own ideology and method for teaching. One such method for learning music is called the Suzuki method. This system is focused on listening and repetition.

Hear the Music

You’ve probably heard some musicians say they just “play by ear.” This is a large part of the Suzuki method, as students must spend a lot of time listening before they learn to read music. This ideology began during World War II in Japan. It is based on the principle that as children mimic sounds to learn to talk, they can do the same when learning an instrument. When you know how something is supposed to sound, and you can get an idea of the dynamics and tone of the piece, you may be able to play the song much more effectively.

Practice Makes Perfect

Of course, practicing is still required. You cannot just listen to a song and learn how to play it. But as you’ve heard the model piece so many times, you can practice the piece efficiently to get it performance ready. Another part of this method requires the continued practice of the beginners’ pieces. Just because the musician moves on to a more advanced book or musical piece, he or she will not just dismiss the old stuff. The idea is that these beginning pieces serve as a foundation and can be incorporated into everything else the learner plays.

Other Information

Although listening is the primary method for learning, students still use books at varying levels. There are 10 books in all, and the progress can be slow. The beginning books never stop being practiced as the student progresses. Most of these books focus on classical compositions. Teachers often supplement Suzuki books with other things like scale books or music books for other genres. If you decide to put your child into a Houston music school, be sure to inquire about the level of parental involvement they will require for your child’s success in music.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work, Resources Tagged With:

Trumpets Playshop Summer 2014

February 7, 2014 by

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Schedule’s out and they’re now open for enrollment!  My little girl greatly enjoyed last year’s summer workshop.  It was also such a delight to watch her perform on stage during their recital at RCBC Theater.  (I just realized I never published the post about her recital…ooops!).  If you have kids who love the performing arts, the Trumpets Playshop Children’s Theater would be a great summer program for them.

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The schedule for the Podium Branch is shown below. For schedules in other venues, kindly visit the Trumpets Playshop & Musicademy Facebook page.

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Visit Trumpets at the 5th Level of Shangri-La Mall to enroll your kids.  For inquiries call or text: 631-7252 / 6362842 / 091758641777. 

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work Tagged With: , , ,
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