The benefits of playing instruments in class.

Research shoes that when young children play with musical instruments, specifically percussion instruments, it can be very valuable to their development.

Playing with instruments helps:

  • Build fine and gross motor skills.
  • Support sensory development.
  • Enhance hand-eye coordination.
  • Teacher patience and perseverance.
  • Accelerate brain development. A study conducted in 2016 at the University of Southern California found that young children who played instruments experienced an increase in brain development in comparison to those who did not. Researchers specifically saw growth in the areas of the brain that are responsible for language development, speech perception, sound processing, and reading skills.

Why we love instruments in class.

In Kindermusik class, we use instruments to encourage discovery, to develop a vocabulary of sounds, to increase beat awareness, to practice turn taking, to practice using our non-dominant hands, and to develop beat awareness followed by early ensemble skills.

Every week when your child comes to class they will have the opportunity to play instruments in class and they will experience a wide variety during the course of the year. Most of the instruments they will use will be in their personal instrument kit. We will supplement with additional classroom instruments providing variety and creating ease for parents. (Some instruments are not practical to transport nor cost-effective to include in each kit.)

Your child’s personal instrument kit is carefully curated with items that are ideal for your child’s age and to promote age-appropriate musical development. Not only are they the perfect complement to your child’s classroom experience, but they give you the opportunity to make music with your child during the week turning your monthly tuition into an investment with unlimited rewards.

Do I need to bring my child’s instruments from last year?

If your child is continuing in Level 1, Level 2, Mixed-Age, or Level 3, please bring your instrument kit from last year to class with you each week. You will receive a new “Completer Set” of instruments (see Level 5 below).

If your child is now enrolled in Kindermusik Level 4 (also known as Young Child Year 1), we invite you to bring your child’s resonator bars and mallets from Level 3 class last year.

If you child is now enrolled in Kindermusik Level 5 (also known as Young Child Year 2), your child will need all of their instruments from Level 4. You will receive a new “Completer Set” of instruments (see Level 5 below).

Need help remembering what was in your kit from last spring or summer? Please keep reading to see lists and pictures below.

What’s in my child’s personal instrument kit this year?

LEVEL 1: Our kits for babies 0-24 months invite babies to explore and discover.

Baby Bells – 2
Regular Scarves – 2
Chime Ball
Jambourine
Elephant Shaker
Snail Shaker

Plus – 2 more instruments that go home in December and March.

LEVEL 2: Our toddler kits for 2-3 year olds include instruments for the caregiver to model as that’s the way toddlers learn best. Stay tuned for more details about how we invite parents to “scaffold” in class.

Egg Shakers – 2 for child / 2 for caregiver
Rhythm Sticks – 2 for child / 2 for caregiver
Sandblocks – 1 pair for child / 1 for caregiver
Regular Scarf – 1 for child / 1 for caregiver
one-bell jingle – 2
Jambourine

Plus – 2 more instruments go home in December and March.

LEVEL 3: Our preschool classes are learning about timbre and the distinctive sounds that instrument make. Level 3 students can look forward to their very own set of resonator bars coming later this fall as we dive into ensemble development with new challenges every unit.

Zig Zag Blocks (pair)
Shape Shakers (pair)
Rhythm Sticks (pair)
3-bell jingles (pair)
Frog guiro and striker
Jambourine
Ribbon Streamers

Resonator bars and triangles (not pictured) will go home later in the fall.

LEVEL 4: Young Child Year 1students are learning to read and write music. Their instrument kit is designed to complement these music-reading activities, as well as their new glockenspiel coming in December.

Lummi Sticks (pair)
Egg Shakers (pair)
3-bell jingle (pair)
Jambourine
Resonator Bars and mallets (only the box is pictured here)
Regular scarf


plus our ALL NEW large canvas bag to hold all your YC materials.

LEVEL 5: Young Child Year 2students will be using the instruments from Level 4 along with our all new completer kit. This premiere curricula incorporates the glockenspiel, dulcimer, and recorder through out the year.

8″ Nino Hand Drum
Seashell Castanets (pair)
Double Egg Cha-Chas (pair)
Humongous Scarf



GREAT NEWS! If your student is continuing in the same level this fall as they were in last spring/summer, they will receive this completer kit during their first week of class.