Summer By the Water
Jul 20, 2022
The Clap for Classics! online summer learning course for preschoolers, “Summer by the Water” is interactive, educational, and tons of fun. It’s called an “online course” but that doesn’t mean your child is staring at the screen, swiping left and right. What it does mean is bringing 4 amazing educators into your home to teach your child about music, science, poetry and art in a way that will get your child moving, singing, thinking, and exploring. As with all screen time, it is awesome if a caregiver can be a part of the learning experience too. Some activities really require adult assistance, but others can be enjoyed more independently by kids when grownups are unavailable.
Quick background in case this is your first time here: most of Clap for Classics’ content is musical -- you may have seen Miss Elizabeth with Bear-lioz the bear, Forte the Lion, and other helpers bringing great classical music, folk songs and nursery rhymes to life in ever so fun ways (the library now includes 18 different themed music courses!). But for “The Four Seasons: Music and More” curriculum, our team expands to include the brilliant art educator Krisanne, published poet and Waldorf-trained educator Leslie, and STEM educator Dr. Rojas of Boston STEM Lab.
Here are a few highlights of each segment of the summer course:
MUSIC
- Classical music by Vivaldi, Handel, and Strauss coming to life in your living room
- Multicultural offerings including a Native American song and a Guatemalan folk song “Vamos a la Mar”
- Classics like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and “A Sailor Went to Sea”
- Basic education on various bodies of water including rivers, lakes, and oceans
STEM
- Dr. Rojas guides you through three challenges, all involving water:
- Float or Sink Challenge
- Build a Boat Challenge
- Submarine
- These activities are very hands on, and require adult assistance but are generally easy to prep with household items. Your kids will LOVE learning about science and playing with water, and you will feel like an amazing parent for providing the learning experience.
ART
- Study the art of Monet!
- Cool and Warm colors activity
- Parts of a Flower art activity
- Water Lily Art Project using balloons instead of paint brushes!
POETRY
- Leslie and her 6 year old sidekick Ruby bring summer poems to life with movement, props and imagination. Experience the “Open Hydrant”, “Sunflakes” and “Firefly” again and again! Includes suggested craft activities to accompany them if you’re into that!
Clap for Classics also gives you an amazing “Curriculum Guide” that you can download or print -- this gorgeous resource gives you everything you need to be organized and make the most of the summer course. Printables, song lyrics, lesson plans, and more!
The beautiful thing about this is you can do it on your own schedule at whatever pace you want. You might get through all the activities in a few weeks -- or you can easily stretch it out over the whole summer season, repeating favorites, squeezing activities in between vacations and trips to the pool.
Interested in hearing more specifically what is inside our summer course? Listen to Episode 24 of our podcast where we share one of the song activities from inside our summer course.
