Some useful links for ideas and musical activities for children

www.playsongs.co.uk

This is where you will find my favourite baby music books. ‘Playsongs’ has many songs you will recognise from the sessions including ‘Up the wooden Hill’. ‘Sleepy Time’ and ‘Lively Time’ are excellent follow on books for yourself or as presents for new parents.  All come with a CD of the music. Now ‘Someone Special’ is available as a CD with the words printed inside.  See their track list page for a full list of songs.

www.childrensmusic.co.uk

Musical Mystery Tour - songs for slightly older children, beautifully sung and crafted by superb performers rooted in the folk tradition. Their own material is often hilarious with word plays and tongue twisters and dreadful puns. Their ‘Favourites’ CD has the distinction of being the only CD my husband could bear to listen to repeatedly on a long journey.  My favourite is the second album ‘Up in a big balloon’ which has the hummingbird song and the most wonderful rendition of Schubert’s ‘Trout’.

Have a look at their ‘Fun things to do’ pages  and listen to the instruments play.

www.presma.org

Web-site of the Pre-school Music Association, a charity that runs classes in a wide area around Norwich. They also run an associate member scheme that links up independent pre-school music leaders around the country. A good place to look for independent music groups to try if you are moving away.

www.puppetsbypost.com

A fantastic web-site based in Hertfordshire full of the most wonderful puppets, from tiny finger mice to child-sized dragons. Most of the puppets I use, and those in the song boxes, come from this site.  There are some good articles on the best ways to manipulate puppets.