Enchanted Care Learning Center

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Newsletter

REINDEER GAMES
We are so excited to host our first-ever Reindeer
Game Night with our families! Each classroom will
feature a fun game for your family to enjoy
together. We’ll also have a couple of crafts available
in the rooms off the Muscle Room, along with a hot
cocoa bar and snacks in the kitchen. This afterschool
event will take place on Friday, December
19th, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.
We hope you can join us!

WINTER BREAK CAMP

We are excited to share that we will be
offering a Winter Break Camp for our schoolage
families during holiday break! Camp will
include a variety of fun activities as well as a
few exciting field trips. Full details and
registration information will be sent out
soon, so please keep an eye on your inbox.

HOURS

We kindly remind families that our building
opens each day at 7:00 AM and closes at 6:00
PM. Please wait to enter the building until 7:00
AM, so our staff has adequate time to prepare
classrooms and get everything ready for the day.
We also ask that you plan to arrive by 6:00 PM
for pickup. If you anticipate being late, please
give us a call so we can make appropriate
staffing arrangements. We understand that
unexpected delays—such as traffic—can
happen. However, if late pick-ups become a
regular occurrence, a $1 per minute fee will be
added to your tuition. Thank you for your
cooperation and understanding!

FROM THE OFFICE:

Thank you so much for your generous donations to the
Delaware Area Humane Society! They were thrilled to
receive everything, and our Kindergarteners loved
visiting the animals and learning more about the
organization’s work. We are looking forward to hosting
our holiday gathering later this month. Wishing you
and your family a very Happy Holiday!

IMPORTANT DATES:

December 19th- Reindeer Games 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm
December 22nd -January 2nd Winter Break Camp
December 24th- CLOSED
December 25th- CLOSED
December 31st- CLOSE AT NOON
January 1st- CLOSED

DECEMBER BLOG:

Musical Milestones for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Music is one of the very first ways children connect with the world around them. From soft lullabies to lively dance songs, every beat, clap, and melody helps them explore sound, rhythm, and emotion. At our school, music is woven into our Links to Learning curriculum. Here, music is played to spark curiosity, engage the senses, explore emotion, and celebrate creativity. Let’s explore how musical milestones unfold from infancy through preschool, and how to nurture them each step of the way.
Infants (0–12 months): The First Notes
Babies are natural music lovers! Between 0–6 months, you’ll see them react with wide eyes, smiles, or little kicks when they hear music. By 6–12 months, they start clapping, bouncing, or even shaking tiny instruments as they begin to explore sounds.
In our infant classrooms, music is used with intention. We play songs with different tempos and encourage babies to move fast or slow to the beat. You might see a teacher gently swaying with an infant during a slow song or tapping a tambourine as babies wiggle and reach toward the sound. We play culturally diverse music from around the world, and offer safe instruments like shakers for sound exploration. Teachers often sing personalized songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Emma,” because hearing their name in song helps infants feel known and connected.
At home: Sing simple songs or lullabies to your baby while making eye contact. Gently clap or tap along to the rhythm and encourage your baby to move along with you. Provide your child with safe, simple toys that make sounds when moved, such as rattles and soft shaker bottles.
Toddlers and Beginners (1–2 years): Finding the Beat
Toddlers love to move, bang, shake, and dance! Between 12 and 24 months, they begin to clap in rhythm, sing snippets of favorite songs, and show clear song preferences.
In our toddler classrooms, you’ll often hear children exploring simple instruments. Teachers name each instrument and describe what they hear: “That drum sounds loud and deep,” or “You’re shaking that so fast! Now, can you shake it slowly?” This not only supports language development but also helps toddlers understand musical concepts like volume and tempo.
Movement is a natural part of music. Children might dance with scarves, march to a beat, or pretend to fly like butterflies. Teachers join in, showing new ways to move and inspiring imagination through music. We also connect music to stories, such as reading One Love by Cedella Marley while listening to reggae rhythms. Classic clapping games like Pat-a-Cake help build coordination and teach children to follow a steady rhythm.
At home: Give your toddler simple instruments like tambourines, shakers, or small drums and let them explore freely. Play a variety of music genres and invite them to march, sway, or
bounce to the beat. Try call-and-response games by singing a short phrase and encouraging your toddler to “sing it back” or copy your claps. “If You’re Happy and You Know It” is a great example—your toddler listens, responds, and moves to your cue. For a fun twist, replace the action words with different movements or emotions to help your child connect music with feelings and self-expression.
Preschoolers (3–5 years): Making Music Their Own
For preschoolers, music becomes a tool for self-expression. Three-year-olds begin to sing along more accurately, experiment with rhythm, and dance with purpose. By age 4 or 5, they can recognize patterns in music and describe how songs make them feel.
In our Intermediates and Pre-K classrooms, we might explore the steady rhythm of The Ants Go Marching while counting, move like elephants or swirling snowflakes to classical music, or discuss how fast versus slow songs make us feel. Teachers introduce vocabulary like tempo, rhythm, and pattern as children explore music and movement, helping them describe what they hear and experience. To deepen cultural awareness, we listen to songs from around the world and invite families to share music that’s meaningful to them. Music becomes a bridge for empathy, understanding, and expression.
At home: Encourage your child to create their own music using household objects like pots, wooden spoons, or empty containers. Play music from different cultures and discuss how each one makes them feel. Try movement games like “dance like an animal” or “move fast/slow to the music” to reinforce rhythm, tempo, pattern, and body awareness. You can also sing familiar songs together and add simple hand motions or choreography to strengthen coordination and memory.
Music nurtures cognitive growth. It develops thinking, language, and motor skills while also supporting children’s emotions and social connections. Listening to songs, singing along, and moving to the beat helps young children notice patterns and rhythms, improve memory, coordinate their bodies, and express feelings. Through our Links to Learning curriculum, every child experiences the joy and benefits of music.
Learn more about how we help students develop musical milestones in fun, meaningful ways. Contact us today!