tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65552823049982894062024-03-18T20:46:30.394-07:00The Lesser Rested WarblerLesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-60905042116683292482016-08-30T12:05:00.000-07:002016-08-30T12:30:54.952-07:00We're going on a journey - CBeebies Prom 2016!You may have noticed I've had a break from blogging over the summer but now I'm back and have something very exciting to review:<br />
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we were lucky enough to get tickets to go the CBeebies Prom! We have just come back home, having seen it on Sunday (28th August).<br />
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It was <i>very </i>good. My nearly-one-year-old was entranced (well, he was after the first five minutes - he fell asleep nursing while we waited for it to start and took a while to wake up!). My nearly-three-year-old and her friend were so excited. They sang and clapped and did the Swashbuckle salute with much gusto. Possibly they got a little too overexcited, because when it finished we had tears from both, saying they wanted to stay and didn't want to leave!<br />
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The concert was played by the BBC Concert Orchestra (and, as an aside, it was so lovely to see a female conductor. Obviously, my daughter wouldn't have particularly noticed it, as she still doesn't know many stereotypes, but I'd like to think in the future if she sees man after man after man conducting she will remember that once she saw Jessica Cottis do the same job in the Royal Albert Hall.) There was also the familiar cast of CBeebies presenters: Cat, Andy, Gem, Chris, Mr Bloom and William Shakespeare(!)<br />
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I don't want to give away what music was used so that you can see it/hear it first but I thought the music was well-chosen, and even though some of the pieces were relatively long, given the average age of the audience, the children around us listened keenly for the duration. There was also an audience song (like in the 2014 CBeebies Prom), called "We're going on a journey," that built up through the concert, meaning that we all knew the tune and words at the end and so could sing along. I'm still singing it today. I think I might still be singing it next week. It is a <i>very </i>hard to shift earworm - you have been warned!<br />
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If you didn't get tickets/didn't know it was on, don't worry: you can currently listen to it on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07qbn05" target="_blank">BBC Radio Player</a> as Monday's performance was broadcast live and I gather it will be shown on CBeebies on Saturday 10th September and so will hopefully be up on iPlayer soon after that.<br />
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It's definitely worth a watch, even if you don't have children to use as an excuse!<br />
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<br />Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-22385566605269417072016-06-21T11:56:00.000-07:002016-06-21T11:56:03.184-07:00Making music doesn't have to be expensiveWatching and taking part in performing arts can be expensive, even for children. And often not just a little expensive, but £££. Going to the theatre costs money, learning a musical instrument costs money, even singing in a local choir can involve a fee. <div>
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However, there are some things you can do that, whilst not totally free (because what is), can cost a lot less, and so I'm going to try to cover some of those things in this blog as well. </div>
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The most obvious "free" way to make music is what my baby boy likes to do - give him a wooden spoon and he will bash the floor and walls, giggling. (Eventually, he might work out he can bash the upturned pan I keep putting in front of him, but so far it seems that the floor is an easier target!)</div>
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My daughter also likes bashing things with a spoon, but as she is at the age/stage where "things to be bashed" can sometimes also include her brother, we tend to do this activity less often when she is around! Instead, we sit down to sing nursery rhymes with shakers which are shaken and banged (and occasionally thrown), sometimes even in time to the music...</div>
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The shakers we use are homemade and contain food stuff so if they do open up and spill, it won't matter if either child takes it upon themselves to eat the contents. Our old shakers were looking a bit tired so recently my daughter and I made some more...</div>
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So these aren't totally free to make: the pots came with chutneys in the last time we had an Indian takeaway and obviously the rice etc. in it does cost some money (although probably not even pennies given the amounts). We were getting the takeaway anyway though, so the leftover pots were effectively an added bonus (and not at all an excuse to get more takeaway in the future...)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmm curry....</td></tr>
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For the contents I used dry red lentils, bulghar wheat and rice. You could use anything you have in the cupboard that will rattle: rice, couscous, dried peas (I remember using these for shakers as a child:does anyone still have dried peas in their cupboards??) If your child is older/less liable to put anything they can in their mouth you could use beads, gravel, cat litter... anything dry really.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using different pulses and seeds not only makes it look prettier, but will also give a different sound to the shaker. Experiment!</td></tr>
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First, we decorated the pots with stickers (paint is currently banned in this house). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiley shakers</td></tr>
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Then we added a small amount of the lentils/wheat/rice. Less is more in the case of shakers: too much filling and you get a dull, quiet sound, whereas a few grains of rice rattling around a pot can be surprisingly noisy.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now to make them childproof...</td></tr>
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Finally, they needed to be made toddler/baby proof. We wrapped coloured tape all around the lids to keep them stuck. I feel I should add at this point that I have no idea how toxic these tapes are. Obviously I don't just stand by and watch my children sucking on them, so I figure it's ok, but if you are worried you might want to look for some non-toxic tape.<div>
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Et voila! An activity to occupy a child on a rainy day that can keep them occupied (for a little time, anyway) on future rainy days. Plus it's a cheap way to make music together.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TaDaaaa!</td></tr>
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Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-13886322128252048362016-05-30T03:19:00.000-07:002016-05-30T03:19:24.102-07:00Chance to catch CBeebies Midsummer Night's Dream again...Sorry for the lack of posts last week - we were on holiday (yay!). Now we are back (boo!) there will be more coming very soon but in the meantime...<br />
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I've just found out that CBeebies are showing Midsummer Night's Dream again today (Bank Holiday Monday) and so that should mean it will be available on iPlayer again for anyone who missed it.<br />
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<a href="https://lesserrestedwarbler.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/review-cbeebies-midsummer-nights-dream.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is my review of it from watching it with my two and a half-year-old the first time round.Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-72454070050615653552016-05-17T13:09:00.000-07:002016-05-17T13:09:33.088-07:00Classical music for babies: online resoucesAfter discussing my baby watching Andre Rieu concerts in the last post I thought I would look a little bit further into other online resources for classical music for babies. This is very much a work in progress at the moment: my plan is to create master lists for music and theatre resources, ideally also categorised by age, so this is just a start...<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.classicfm.com/" target="_blank">Classic FM </a>has a whole section devoted to music for babies, including a <a href="http://www.classicfm.com/discover/collections/baby-music/" target="_blank">list of five pieces</a> it recommends for them (mostly slow, calming music so they don't help with my tidying but perhaps could help in a bedtime/nap routine). It does also use this section to plug an album of "50 Classics for Babies", which, unsurprisingly, is available for purchase. I can't say I've bought it myself, but if you are new to classical music and would like a collection "calming pieces" it could be somewhere to start.<br /><br />2. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBOJ9bEAoMOY9keGK6p2hQ" target="_blank">Baby Einstein</a> has some videos on YouTube set to classical music. My son hasn't seen these yet but my daughter loved them when she was younger. The one below is Baby Mozart, but there is also a Baby Bach.<br />
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Now I feel I should draw your attention to <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/baby-einstein/faq-20058099" target="_blank">this article</a> from the Mayo clinic that says that <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"</i><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 22px;">Baby Einstein DVDs might catch your baby's attention, but screen time isn't likely to promote his or her development.</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"><i>" </i> The fact that screentime is neutral/potentially harmful to young children and babies is unlikely to be new to anyone reading this blog, but just to be on the safe side...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><b>I am not suggesting these videos are educational... I am suggesting they are less irritating than many other children's programmes because at least the music is good. </b>If you are always able to devote 100% of your attention to your child then don't use them. For anyone who's like me who occasionally has to abandon their non-self-entertaining child for a few minutes while they cook/clean/wash, these videos could be helpful.</span></span><br />
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3. Your operating system's app store has loads of "music for babies" apps, free or otherwise. I haven't actually downloaded any, preferring to make playlists from the music I already have, but they could be another place to start if you have little music already. If you have any recommendations for apps, do post them in the comment section below.<br />
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4. Other suggestions?<br />
<br />Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-87362200162846613862016-05-12T04:25:00.000-07:002016-05-12T04:25:22.490-07:00Orchestral concerts for babies? I'll be honest with you, sometimes I find being a mum bloody hard work. I have two gorgeous children and I know how lucky I am, I really do, but sometimes I do find it difficult trying to cook for, tidy after and play with two Under-3's at the same time. I'll admit that sometimes - sssssh! - I resort to screentime... <br />
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Actually, I don't think that a little (carefully chosen!) screentime is too bad really. You'll see CBeebies mentioned a fair bit in this blog because I think they do provide some very good music and arts programming. However, my daughter's first taste of screentime wasn't actually CBeebies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karl-Heinz Meurer [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or CC BY-SA 3.0 de (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
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When she was a baby and I needed to get a quick tidy round done I would find some Andre Rieu concerts on YouTube and play bits from them: we both enjoyed the music and it gave her something to look at when she got bored with whatever toy she had chosen to chew on at that time. (I feel I should point out that obviously she wasn't watching a full concert!)<br />
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I was reminded of her YouTube watching this week. I desperately need to get the house sorted the two days my daughter is at nursery as we have guests coming, but my nearly eight month old can only entertain himself for so long, so I thought I would try Andre Rieu again: he loves it! He was bobbing and chatting to it and it even seemed to distract him from trying to chew his own hand off (stupid teething!)<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JaLJBjcf36A/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JaLJBjcf36A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Andre Riu Live in Maastricht 2015</div>
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So why does my son seem to love the concerts? </h4>
Obviously, he is going to be some superstar classical musician when he grows up... or there could be a few more realistic reasons:<br />
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<li>It's music - babies love music (or at least mine do!)</li>
<li>It's generally (if you choose the right bits) rousing music</li>
<li>There's singing as well as instrumental pieces (certainly my daughter was more engaged if there was singing as well as playing)</li>
<li>You get to see the audience interacting: they clap, they sway etc. (both of my babies have been people-watchers)</li>
<li>The orchestra and singers (well the female ones!) wear pretty coloured dresses and the backdrop is always very colourful</li>
<li>Rieu turns and acts up to the camera (whatever you may think of this in a conductor, it does keep my son's interest)</li>
<li>And finally, never forgetting, it's on a screen! </li>
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Now I should say, I am definitely not employed to plug Andre Rieu, much as it may sound like it! I'm sure there are plenty of other orchestral videos on YouTube that would also engage babies. It's just that as I've found one that works I'm sticking with it!</div>
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So do I feel bad about shoving my son in front of a screen?</h4>
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Well, yes, I do. But the housework needs to be done and there is plenty of research showing that classical music is good for babies (a topic I will return to again in more detail) so I console myself with the idea that maybe, just maybe, it is doing him some good, teaching him about melody and rhythm etc. And at least it's not Peppa bloody Pig...!</div>
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<br />If you have come across any classical music videos that your little ones like, do please spread the word below: variety is the spice of life, after all.</h4>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">PS: I apologise for the lack of accents in Andre Rieu throught - I haven't worked out how to do that yet on this blog!</span></div>
Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-51995854344911922362016-05-08T00:30:00.000-07:002016-05-08T00:30:30.315-07:00Live music for toddlers near you?<span style="font-family: inherit;">I live in the South West, and whilst this obviously means we don't have the range of activities that the South East has in terms of the performing arts, living near(ish) Bristol and Bath means that lots of cultural events are still relatively accessible to us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing I have recently discovered is a company called <a href="http://www.musicforminiatures.co.uk/" target="_blank">Music for Miniatures</a> which runs classical concerts for 0-4 year olds in Bath (and sometimes out in Somerset). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A bit of the blurb from their website reads: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Music for Miniatures is a series of short live classical concerts specifically designed for parents, grandparents and carers to enjoy in the company of babies, toddlers and young children (aged 0-4).</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The best thing about a Music for Miniatures concert is... we don't mind noise! Babies can sleep, cry, babble and crawl whilst toddlers are free to explore and enjoy in their own way without being told to "ssh". Older little ones can dance, play air-instruments and get right up close to the performers. We don't even mind if the audience needs a nap!</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I've been to a few of the concerts which they held out in Somerset with my two and was impressed. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By ZUU Mumu Entertainment (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">My baby either slept through them or sat watching everyone and everything - well he was only around six months old so I wasn't expecting a great deal, but when he was awake he didn't fuss at all which suggests he was quite content. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">My daughter had a bit of a mixed response: some instruments/pieces kept her engaged and then others she definitely wasn't interested in and started pestering for snacks... There were lots of ribbons and scarves out for the children to play with but she wasn't really interested in those. She did enjoy it when the egg shakers came out as she got to join in with the music (which is possibly what she wanted to do all along - all of the other music she is exposed to is at groups where the children are exposed to familiar songs and encouraged to sing and join in). However, she <i>loved </i>getting the chance to play real instruments at the end of a couple of the concerts. We heard for days afterwards that she had played the violin and she still sometimes brings it up, several months later. I think in another year's time she could be really engaged by a whole concert, given the right pieces.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I fully appreciate how lucky we are, having this nearby. How about the rest of the UK? Are there similar opportunities for under fives to see live performances near you? Any recommendations? Do you run a similar organisation? Please feel free to plug it below</span></div>
Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-47760364386833145912016-05-07T12:58:00.000-07:002016-05-07T12:58:43.464-07:00Still chance to see My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty in some places...A recent advert on my Facebook feed caught my eye: The English National Ballet is touring with <a href="http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/myfirstballet-sleepingbeauty/" target="_blank">"My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty"</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Stano Novak (own photo, assembled myself) <br />[CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], <br />via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
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Apparently this ballet is aimed at children from three years old and upwards. It's a shortened version of the "grown up" ballet and has a narrator to help children follow what is happening.<br />
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It's been on tour for a while but you still have a chance to see it if you live near Bristol, Woking or London. I'm sorely tempted but I think my daughter is just a little bit young at the moment. We've watched some children's ballets on TV and she doesn't really have the attention span for ballet yet. (I think it is the lack of words, so perhaps the narrator would help her keep focus, but I don't fancy risking it - she has a habit of saying "It's boring" really quite loudly at the moment!)<br />
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The <a href="http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/myfirstballet-sleepingbeauty/" target="_blank">website</a> also has some resources including word games and character sheets that might be of interest to older children, even if you can't get to a performance.<br />
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If you have been to see it, or do go over the next few months, I would love to hear from you. How old were your children? What did they think? Would you recommend it to others? Please let me know below.Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6555282304998289406.post-20368812424037617282016-05-07T12:47:00.000-07:002016-05-07T12:47:58.000-07:00Review: CBeebies "A Midsummer Night's Dream"I can think of no better start to this blog than a review of CBeebies' production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".<br />
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It's got music, it's got drama, it's got Cook and Line from Swashbuckle... what's not to like?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Taken from the CBeebies <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/cbeebies-a-midsummer-nights-dream" target="_blank">website </a></td></tr>
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What was/is it?</h4>
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The show used (an abridged version of) Shakespeare's text supplemented with songs and lines written in modern English. Cast members include actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as favourite CBeebies presenters. UK viewers can still watch it on iPlayer for a few weeks <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b078jltg/cbeebies-a-midsummer-nights-dream" target="_blank">here</a>. Don't let the fact that some of it is in Shakespearian language put you off - it is easy (well as an adult anyway) to follow what is happening and Shakespeare himself is on hand to add explanations as the show progresses.<br />
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There's also now a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/a-midsummer-nights-dream" target="_blank">treasure trove of links</a> available at the CBeebies website where you can make fairy wings, learn the songs, go backstage etc. A particular favourite here is the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/songs/misummer-nights-dream-scene-change-song" target="_blank">Scene Change</a> song, which we have adapted for several supermarket visits (sorry fellow shoppers - if you see a mad lady singing and dancing down the aisles with two small children that could well be me!)<br />
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What did we think?</h4>
My daughter (currently just over two and a half) watched the preview (basically the opening song) many times before the show was actually broadcast and was very excited about it coming on (although she still calls it "The Hey Nonny No Show" thanks to that song!).<br />
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When we watched it for the first time I was impressed that she did actually manage to get all the way through to the end. I tried to help her by explaining what was happening in very simple language as we went along ("the girl in pink loves the man in pink but her mummy wants her to marry the man in blue") and I think she followed the story a little the first time (more on the many subsequent repeats we have watched, although she definitely still doesn't really understand where the Rude Mechanicals fit into it all!). However, there were enough songs, fairies and CBeebies cast member appearances (ok, Justin Fletcher appearances!) interspersed to keep her going through the more difficult bits and she asked to watch it again the next day.<br />
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As I said, we have watched it many times since and regularly sing the songs - she has got some of them nearly word perfect now which is a little scary! I still don't think she fully follows the story but she must be taking on board some of the language and she has spent a fair bit of time putting on her own shows for us since so I think it has had a positive impact on her.<br />
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Overall, I think it was a lovely production and would definitely recommend watching it with toddlers (or even without them!) if you get the chance to.Lesser Rested Warblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977265971008181751noreply@blogger.com0