STRAWBUBS: WHERE MUSIC MEETS SPEECH & LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Learn all about Sarah Hall and her amazing StrawBubs multi-sensory program, the inspiration for it, and how we as early years professionals can utilize her knowledge and tips in our practice!
A Symphony of Senses:
StrawBubs offers a multi-sensory musical experience, taking little ones on a full-body adventure!
Hearing and Music: Of course, there's the music itself, stimulating children’s musicality skills and auditory systems.
Sight: We use many colourful props with different textures and colours; including, egg shakers, sensory scarves, puppets, a rainbow parachute and sensory lights. This creates a visually engaging environment.
Touch: Simple elements like sensory scarves and bubbles add a fun tactile component to the experience.
There is so much potential to unlock - a treasure trove of speech and language development for children through music and sensory experiences. A small and inexpensive toolkit of props provides many opportunities for learning and strengthening receptive and expressive language in a fun and engaging way. While StrawBubs utilises a vast array of props, you certainly don’t need all the bells and whistles: egg shakers, sensory scarves, perhaps a parachute and some form of bubbles and your golden.
The simple application of egg shakers has endless possibilities for encouraging language, concepts and awareness/labelling of body parts. For example, shake the shakers high, low, fast, and slow or why not dance the shakers on your head, toes or shoulders? Modelling these activities for children is key to fulfilling the language learning opportunities.
Sensory scarves don’t need to be just used for peek-a-boo! They can be swished, swirled, scrunched up, hidden behind your back, and thrown high up into the air. They can be used for creative themed songs harnessing children’s imaginations e.g. swish the scarf like a fish, snap it like a shark, wobble it like a jellyfish or wiggle it like a worm.
The rainbow parachute is always a firm favourite and a great one to encourage language development and learning. A simple example is bouncing props on the parachute and counting them as they fall off (5 cheeky monkeys). Colour recognition is another skill that can be reinforced alongside social skills with others as children and adults work together to move the parachute in lots of different ways (up and down, shaking it, walking around in a circle)
Then there is the power of bubbles and wow do kids just love them! In one of my original StrawBubs songs, I sing “Bubbles make magic in the air” and they really do. There is the excitable kind of bubbles with upbeat music where kids are chasing them around and popping them. Singing about bubbles floating up high and then down low, popping them, clapping them in their hands. Again, more wonderful opportunities for boosting language in such a memorable and fun way. Then there is the relaxing kind, perfect for the end of a music session or before nap/ quiet time. For this application encourage little ones to lay on their backs and watch the bubbles floating down while you play some relaxing lullaby music,
Many other key developmental milestones can also be reinforced through music such as clapping and pointing (pointing being a precursor to speech). From clapping along to playful songs like ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It” to mimicking actions in classic rhymes like "Wind the Bobbin Up," (one I believe is not as popular in Canada but very well known in England). Baby signs (based on American Sign Language) are also sprinkled into StrawBubs. Baby sign is used to bridge the gap before speech arrives! Earlier developing fine motor skills make signing the perfect tool for babies. Signing alongside spoken words and songs has been shown to have benefits in cognitive development, adaptive behaviour and social-emotional development.
Now finally for a little more formal theory linking music, sensory experiences and speech and language
Music & singing: Singing engages multiple senses by integrating auditory, motor and emotional processing. Experimenting with pitch, volume, and tone can stimulate these areas, which are also crucial for speech development. In addition, breath control and facial movements, used for singing, can help pave the way for clear pronunciation and expressive language.
Laying The Building Blocks of Language: Songs are packed with repetition, rhyming, and varying rhythms. These elements expose children to the building blocks of language. They learn new vocabulary, practice speech sounds, and develop an understanding of sentence structure.
Confidence Creators (building self-esteem): Singing with children allows them opportunities to experiment with their voices, express emotions, and build self-esteem. Learning a simple song like ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ with a few simple signs can be a huge accomplishment for a young child. It provides a wonderful opportunity for positive reinforcement from parents/ caregivers for mastering a song and expressing it in their own unique way.
Social connections: Music creates opportunities for social connection, promoting communication and cooperation skills through a shared musical experience.
Literacy Launchpad: Many songs tell stories or have descriptive lyrics. Singing together exposes children to vocabulary related to different themes and concepts. This exposure to a variety of vocabulary through music can help pave the way for literacy skills later on.
Are you ready to start singing?
Here are some tips for making singing with children a joyful experience:
Choose songs they love and that are familiar: Let them pick their favorites! Enthusiasm goes a long way.
Move and groove: Incorporate actions, signs and movement for a truly multi-sensory experience.
Make it playful: Don't worry about singing in tune or having perfect pitch. Focus on having fun and connecting with the children.
Sing everywhere! Make singing a part of your daily routine – during bath time, bedtime, car rides, or while playing.
Singing with children is a gift you give them that keeps on giving. It can strengthen their communication skills, boost their confidence, and foster social skills with others. It’s also a gift back to yourself, whether you’re a parent, grandparent or childcare provider musical experiences are uplifting for everyone. Seeing the smiles and laughter it brings is something to be cherished. And that’s what life is all about making memories.
So, turn up the music, open your hearts, and start singing together!
Written by Sarah Hall, StrawBubs
Sarah Hall, the founder of StrawBubs, has created an exciting, interactive music, sensory and development program designed for children aged up to 5 years. Each week is packed full of fun and engaging content to captivate both children and caregivers, nurturing development through joyful musical play.
In late 2021, Sarah moved from London, England, a city saturated with endless choices for fun and exciting programming every day of the week, to the small town of Strathroy, Ontario. She founded StrawBubs in response to fill what she saw as a ‘gap’ in children's programming, designing StrawBubs with ‘fun’ in mind – to bring that extra ‘sparkle and pop’ both parents and children crave. The classes curate what she sees as the perfect balance of fun, education, and connection. They offer a unique opportunity for fostering parent and child connections, building lasting memories and creating a sense of community for you and your little one(s).
Alongside having formal training in musical theatre, Sarah also has an undergraduate degree in Speech and Language therapy from City University London. StrawBubs is essentially a blended product of these two areas of expertise. It is so much more than just an everyday music class; it's where Sarah's dual passions - music and speech & language development - work together to create an enriching musical journey for children! And a fun fact, the name StrawBubs comes from her daughter’s first attempt at saying Strawberry. It made for the perfect name for her new business as the name itself is a product of an evolving speech and language system.
Register for one of the last two Re-Kindle Your Inner Child: Multi-Sensory Music & Movement sessions today!
Sarah from StrawBubs is set to lead an engaging session, offering participants a dynamic 'musical toolkit' filled with creative ideas to infuse music, movement, and sensory experiences into their childcare environments. Utilizing props like egg shakers, sensory scarves, a parachute, and bubbles, Sarah will demonstrate the versatility of these items through various songs and imaginative applications. The session, structured much like a class for little ones, encourages active participation—expect to shake egg shakers, gracefully wave sensory scarves, and bounce props on the parachute. It's an excellent opportunity to personally experience the joy that music brings and rediscover your inner child. The session aims to empower participants, instilling confidence in seamlessly incorporating the 'musical toolkit' into their settings, regardless of their musical background. There's no need to feel intimidated by music; this session is designed for everyone, regardless of musical expertise.
Come sing, move, and bring a song book and resource kit back to your program!
Elgin County: May 28, 2024 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at The Masonic Centre of Elgin
Oxford County: June 11, 2024 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at the Woodstock Covenant Church Gymansium