Every Wednesday the children have the opportunity to participate in a music session with one of our educator. She comes with a variety of songs, felt stories, instruments and exercise for the children. During the gatherings the children are able to participate by playing with an instrument of their choice, learning the actions and movements to the songs and are able to practice skills such as turn taking and sharing.
While exploring the materials, the children noticed B. beginning to sound the instrument in his hands. As he banged the instrument he smiled and danced. The rest of the children joined in together and the educators began to sing songs while encouraging them to play the instruments. Gathering together encourages a sense of belonging.
“Belonging refers to a sense of connectedness to others, an individual’s experiences of being valued, or forming relationships with others and making contributions as part of a group, a community, the natural world.” (HDLH, 2014, p.7)