MiniArtis — Montessori and Musical Toys that Inspire Creativity!
A couple of months ago, a company called MiniArtis reached out to us on Instagram offering to send us some of their musical toys. Seeing as their products fit well with what we do at Bear Paw Creek, we of course, said yes! After receiving the package and getting to see their impressive musical toys in person, we thought Kathy Schumacher at Tuneful Teaching might be a good person to test them out for us. Over the last few weeks, she has been using them with her clients during music therapy sessions and is impressed with their accurate sound and overall durability, as well as ease of storage.
Keep reading to learn more about MiniArtis and about how Kathy has used their musical toys in music therapy sessions to help teach her clients important skills such as, working memory, listening skills, color recognition, rhythm, and more.
About MiniArtis: Inspiring the Next Generation of Creative Minds
First, a little bit about MiniArtis. At MiniArtis, they are committed to exceeding your expectations by delivering innovative, high-quality toys that inspire creativity and imagination. However, they aren't just toys! Each of their products were designed with the understanding that every child is unique, each with distinctive interests and strengths.
That's why they have dedicated themselves to crafting a diverse range of music-based toys that cater to these varying inclinations, whether they lie in music, art, construction, or are used simply to inspire fun and imaginative play. Recognizing play as a crucial part of a child's development, they design their music-based toys to not only be engaging, but also to contribute to your child's learning, growth, and self-expression.
"At MiniArtis, we're not just about toys; we're about fostering creativity and individuality in every child. Our goal is to combine innovation and quality to create a collection of toys that are designed to stimulate imagination and facilitate playful learning. At MiniArtis, we pour our hearts into crafting each piece, sparking joy and nurturing imaginations, so kids can thrive in a world of endless possibilities!"
The three musical toys they sent us were the Xylophone, Hand Bells, and the Desk Bells. Each of their products come with an Oscar Music Songbook which contains 15 easy, popular songs. These musical toys used in tandem with creative music and movement activities will help spark your child's natural curiosity, develop intelligence, improve cognitive and motor skills, and nurture your child's talents.
MiniArtis — Montessori and Musical Toys that Inspire Creativity! Click To Tweet
Using Musical Toys in a Music Therapy Setting
Now, what Kathy had to say about the musical toys from MiniArtis:
"The MiniArts "xylophone toy" is very durable and in tune. "In tune" is a big deal because most instruments of this size do not sound very musical. The kids in my client loved following the included songbook and were almost immediately successful with being able to create music.
The desk bells and hand bells are very durable. It's great that they can be stored in the included drawstring bag as they take up minimal space. The book that comes with them is well written and very motivating for the kids.We used the bells to work on core strength as well as working memory. In the "Lean On Me" video, we are using simple chords to accompany the song. My helper is simply matching the color I am playing and changing when I play. In the second video I am playing a series of pitches and rhythms and she is holding them in her memory before playing the same series." -Kathy Shumacher MT-BC, www.TunefulTeaching.com
In this video Kathy and a child she does music therapy with are using the Hand and Desk Bells from MiniArtis. With the call and response technique, the child is able to learn and practice important listening skills. It also encourages focus and engagement.
With this activity, you could also incorporate our creative movement streamers with the call and response. For example, when Kathy is playing a pattern of three sounds, she could have one be a silent sound where instead, you lift up a streamer and use your voice to make an ascending "whhooop!" sound. You could also turn this into a color recognition activity. By using a set of primary ribbon streamers, the instructor could hold up a color streamer, and the child would then make a sound with the matching hand bell.
Coupon Code for MiniArtis' Musical Toys
If you're interested in purchasing some of MiniArtis' musical toys to use in your next music therapy session, at home for fun, or maybe even in a classroom setting, they have generously given us a couple of 15% off coupon codes to share with you all. You can use the code 15BEARCREEK when you purchase one of their products on Amazon.com. Or, you can use the code BEARPAWCREEK15 when shopping directly on their website! The coupon codes are valid from Saturday, November 21st through Wednesday, November 25th.
Be sure to check out their social media pages as well. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. We hope you find this new resource to be helpful and beneficial as you continue to enrich children's lives through music and movement.
