Music & Fun for Tots with Miss Debbie (Rose Memorial Library, Stony Point)

Get ready to shake it!

Maybe I wasn't savvy enough when we lived in Queens, but I didn't find many (any) mommy and me programs that were flat-out free. In Rockland County, luckily, its a whole different story!

Music & Fun for Tots is one such program presented at the Rose Memorial Library in Stony Point by children's music specialist Debbie Gulino (Miss Debbie). It is FREE of charge for children who can walk up to age 3--all you need do is have a library card and register with the children's librarian. We even registered for the program weeks after it was in session and were able to attend 3 classes before a June hiatus. (And, to be honest, we didn't even show our library card!)

During the 30-minute class, Miss Debbie tells stories and sings songs accompanied by her guitar, tambourines or maracas. The children are encouraged to participate by making music of their own (clapping, singing and using instruments which Miss Debbie supplies), dancing or marching in circles around the children's library, and interacting with books or puppets that Miss Debbie uses as aids for storytelling or reciting poems.

Miss Debbie has a very sweet voice and gets along so well with the children taking the class. At first, I was taken aback by the fact that she is not afraid to put an arm (gently) out to prevent the kids from touching her guitar or taking a toy that is not currently in play. But, I've come to realize that she really must do so or she'll have both a broken guitar and an unproductive class!  

Like any class, it does take some time for the little ones to get used to Music & Fun. Andrew is still  a little bit too interested in taking books off the children's library shelves or running out into the hallway to climb the stairs (I wish they had a door they could shut!) to fully participate, but a lot of the other children in our class are into it 100 percent. Who knows, maybe this class is just not active enough for Andrew or maybe he is just too young to pay attention for so long (or maybe both), but for the price and for the educational and socialization value I see in the class, I will be happy to take him to more Music & Fun classes until we can figure it out!

Interested in joining us at the next Music & Fun for Tots series? Here are the details:

When: 

Tuesday, July 5th - 9:30am-10:00am or 10:15am-10:45am

Tuesday, July 12th - 9:30am-10:00am or 10:15am-10:45am

Tuesday, July 19th - 9:30am-10:00am or 10:15am-10:45am

Tuesday, July 26th - 9:30am-10:00am or 10:15am-10:45am

Tuesday, August 2nd - 9:30am-10:00am or 10:15am-10:45am

Where: 

Rose Memorial Library

79 East Main Street 

Stony Point, NY 10980 (map)

For more information on Miss Debbie (she offers entertainment for birthday parties, religious mommy and me classes, instrument lessons for children and adults, and more) you can check out her Hot Diggity Dog music website HERE.

Hope to see you at the library soon!