Can’t remember all the words to your favorite childhood nursery rhymes or wish you could remember the tune to an old lullaby so you could share it with your kids? Or maybe you don’t know very many or any rhymes or kids songs and would like to learn some. Then the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program could be a great place for you to do exactly that.
What is the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program?
This is a program where parents of infants and young children can learn nursery rhymes, songs and stories together. There are usually at least two program facilitators who will teach you the songs and rhymes at a nice slow speed with a lot of repetition so you and the young ones can pick up the words and the actions more easily. The program also has a storytelling component where facilitators tell a simple story that entertains kids and parents can easily remember and use for another day. The atmosphere is relaxed and about having family fun while learning the new rhymes and songs through repetition.
Where to Find a Mother Goose Group
Mother Goose groups are provided at no cost and some programs offer snacks and a beverage which are also free of charge. For those who cannot afford it, some of these programs may also provide free transportation. Mother Goose is a national program offered in cities and towns throughout Canada. It is also run in other countries such as Australia, China and the United States. You can check with your local community services, recreation centres, libraries or churches to see if a program is offered in your area. You can also go online to the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program –Finding a Program Page to find out where the nearest Mother Goose program is to you.
Benefits of Rhymes and Songs
Not only is this a positive way to have good old-fashioned interactive fun with your kids, it’s a great way for young ones to work on their language skills without them even knowing. They will be exposed to new words, the concept of rhymes and sentence structure. Learning rhymes off by heart helps them with pronouncing words and beefing up their vocabulary. Parents also receive printouts of the songs and rhymes they learned from the program so they can look up the words if they forget them.
Rhyme Time, Social Time
Groups typically meet once a week for about five weeks and the program is often offered year round. This makes it a nice way for your kids to make new friends and for you to meet and talk with parents from your neighborhood. I took this program through my local library in Vancouver and I met a lot of great people, many of us later arranged play dates where we could chat and our kids could play together.
The Parent-Child Mother Goose program is a great opportunity to learn nursery rhymes and songs, enjoy some fun time with your kids and meet other families. It’s free and offered across Canada, as well as in Australia, China and the U.S.
You can also learn about a free parenting program called the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Group.
Resource:
The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program website, accessed Nov.21, 2011.
The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program, North Health Unit, 200-1651 Commercial Vancouver V5L 3Y3 (participant)
Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Topic Editor for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
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