Believe it or not, summer is finally here.
The weather is great, children are out of school and many families are wondering how to keep their children busy.
A friend of mine with three children under the age of 8 asked me to give her some advice about activities that would be suitable for her children.
I came up with lots of ideas for her oldest child, but could only think of one or two for the 5-year-old and the 2-year-old.
But, as fate may have it, the following day I received an e-mail from Karin Moskov from Branches, Inc. with a listing of the organization's summer programs.
Believe it or not, Branches has summer programs for children from 6 months to 8 years of age.
If you're not familiar with Branches, I can tell you in a nutshell what it's all about. It's a non profit organization located in Auburn that provides programming for young children with the goal of enriching the quality of life in our community. In addition to workshops and classes, Branches is the “umbrella agency” for the former Cayuga County Children's Committee, now called the Branches Children's Committee.
The Committee has served to provide programs such as camperships, art and athletic programs, and pre-school tuition for children who would not have otherwise been able to participate.
A quick glance at the Branches Summer Programs flyer provides information about classes for children that include yoga, sign language, Spanish and music.
The classes are designed for three distinct age groups: Seedlings (6 to 36 months and accompanied by a parent), Sprouts (3 to 5 years) and Vines (6 to 8 years).
The yoga classes mix yoga poses with stories, music and games; all of which are developmentally appropriate for each age group.
The sign language classes feature the curriculum developed by Baby Signs, the world's leading sign language program for babies and Kids Love to Sign.
The classes for the youngest children are designed for parents and babies and are taught using songs, books and activities. The Spanish program is available for children from 3 to 8 years and uses the Kid Fiesta Spanish Immersion Program to teach the children Spanish. This program teaches children to communicate in Spanish using songs, movement and developmentally appropriate games and activities.
The music classes are also available only for children from 3 to 8 years and includes curriculum developed by Kindermusik International.
The classes teach music and movement using CDs, books, instruments, games and activities.
Classes begin this month and run through the end of August; all classes are held at Champions for Life Sports Center in Auburn. For additional information or to register, contact Branches at 283-6215.
Patricia Gridley, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Early Childhood program at
Cayuga Community College
A friend of mine with three children under the age of 8 asked me to give her some advice about activities that would be suitable for her children.
I came up with lots of ideas for her oldest child, but could only think of one or two for the 5-year-old and the 2-year-old.
But, as fate may have it, the following day I received an e-mail from Karin Moskov from Branches, Inc. with a listing of the organization's summer programs.
Believe it or not, Branches has summer programs for children from 6 months to 8 years of age.
If you're not familiar with Branches, I can tell you in a nutshell what it's all about. It's a non profit organization located in Auburn that provides programming for young children with the goal of enriching the quality of life in our community. In addition to workshops and classes, Branches is the “umbrella agency” for the former Cayuga County Children's Committee, now called the Branches Children's Committee.
The Committee has served to provide programs such as camperships, art and athletic programs, and pre-school tuition for children who would not have otherwise been able to participate.
A quick glance at the Branches Summer Programs flyer provides information about classes for children that include yoga, sign language, Spanish and music.
The classes are designed for three distinct age groups: Seedlings (6 to 36 months and accompanied by a parent), Sprouts (3 to 5 years) and Vines (6 to 8 years).
The yoga classes mix yoga poses with stories, music and games; all of which are developmentally appropriate for each age group.
The sign language classes feature the curriculum developed by Baby Signs, the world's leading sign language program for babies and Kids Love to Sign.
The classes for the youngest children are designed for parents and babies and are taught using songs, books and activities. The Spanish program is available for children from 3 to 8 years and uses the Kid Fiesta Spanish Immersion Program to teach the children Spanish. This program teaches children to communicate in Spanish using songs, movement and developmentally appropriate games and activities.
The music classes are also available only for children from 3 to 8 years and includes curriculum developed by Kindermusik International.
The classes teach music and movement using CDs, books, instruments, games and activities.
Classes begin this month and run through the end of August; all classes are held at Champions for Life Sports Center in Auburn. For additional information or to register, contact Branches at 283-6215.
Patricia Gridley, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Early Childhood program at
Cayuga Community College
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