“My passion is tying together the effectiveness of music in overall development with the current research and creating music / music activities to help parents / teachers put it in action.”

In 2022, Mar. did her first Ted Talk and released her new book “Building Brains with Music.”  She says:

Anyone who has a child in their life, whether as a parent, family member, teacher, or someone else involved in the child’s care, should read this book. The information contained will change how you view music. It will not only have a positive, direct impact on the child; it will have an impact on you, the reader, as well.

Every parent or teacher has the capability of using music. Would more of them take the time to sing and dance if they knew how valuable taking the time was? If one of the basic tools for building a brain was music, would you use it? I am handing you that tool right now with this book.

Her book also includes access to her wonderful music. For $19.99, you not only get the book, but access to 27 of her digital songs.

1,2,3,4, 5 Fingers
Bounce, Bounce Baby
All Around the Circle
Catching Bubbles
Clap Your Hands
Drawing in the Air
Five Fingers in my Pocket
Grand Old Duke of York
Having a Ball With Music
I Can Play Kazoo
I Like Apples
I Like My Bath
In and Out the Window
I’ve Got a Bean Bag
Mardi Gras March
Moving with a Scarf
My Froggy
Parachute Goes Up and Down
Playing With a Bean Bag
Pretty Scarves
Shaker Eggs
Tap Your Drum
Tap Your Sticks
Who Can Pull the Stretchy Band
Wide Mouth Bullfrog
Wiggly Fingers
You Have a Nose

We have also pulled together a kit that pairs nicely with her song/activity suggestions.

The post Building Brains with Music Book appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

Choose the option that works best for you!

Option #1 Premium Prop Kit Includes:

• two scarves
• two hoop ribbon rainbow streamers
• two bean bags
• rhythm sticks
• two egg shakers
• shoulder bag with clear pocket for student’s name

The post DiscoverDance Personal Prop Kit appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

• Set of 6 scarves, no storage bag – 1 of each color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple  $21.00
• Add on set of 12 scarves, no storage bag – 2 of each color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple $42.00
• Set of 13 Scarves with Storage bag – Same as Add On Set of 12, and includes one white teacher/leader scarf  $48

Kits with Music

In May 2019, Bear Paw Creek acquired aeIDEAS line of scarves that have been around for over 30 years!

• 25″ Group Kit  – 2 of each color: Purple, Lavender, Royal Blue, Medium Blue, Kelly Green, Lime Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, White, and Black.  Instructional inserts and IDEAS Primary Music CD.  $89
• 25″ Individual Kit – 1 of each color above with insert and cd.  $46
• 36″ Group Kit – 2 of each color, insert, IDEAS Intermediate Music cd  $144
• 36″ Individual Rainbow Scarf Kit – 2 of each color: red, orange, yellow, kelly green, royal blue, and purple, instructional insert, IDEAS music cd.  $76
  
• 50″ Group Kit 2 of each color: black, white, pink, red, orange, yellow, kelly green, lime green, royal blue, medium blue, purple, and lavender with instructional insert and IDEAS Music III cd.  $190
• 50″ Individual Kit – 1 of each color above  $129

My Many Colored Days Kits

• The board book My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss.
• IDEAS Music Color cd
• Group includes: 20 durable 25” square, washable nylon scarves – 2 of each of the following 11 colors: red, orange, yellow, kelly green, royal blue, purple, brown, pink,  grey, black. One for each hand, or enough for an early childhood class.   MSRP   $82.00
  
• Individual Kit: 10 – 25″ creative movement scarves of each color above.   MSRP  $44.00
  

Use the kit to reinforce:

Color Recognition.
Reading Books.
Identifying and Exploring Mood.
Creating Movement to Match Music.
Starting and Stopping–Motor Control.
Joyful Times Spent with Parents, Teachers, Caregivers, Books, Music, and Movement.

How?

Read the book to your child(ren).
Discuss how the gray tulle scarves look, feel and flow differently than the other scarves. How this color relates to the story – “(gray)…does not move.”
Explore the scarf colors. Move them through space. Make air pathways with them, then walk and turn with the scarves.
Read the story again, moving the matching scarf to the music for each page.
Switch colors and repeat this activity on many days.
Play the complete music pieces for longer movement experiences.
Play dress up, and dress up stuffed animals with scarves. Be sure to say the scarf color when it is chosen.

Now make up new ways to use the book, scarves, and music! Its all inside of you!

Individual Scarves are available also! Check out this page to buy one, two…or more!

9 foot canopy scarves can be found here. 

The post Creative Movement Scarf Kits appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

The DiscoverDance Early Childhood Program was founded in 2017 by dance educator, Andrea Trench. The program offers studio owners and teachers conceptual based dynamic movement lesson plans, marketing materials, music playlists, and videos of class activities for ages 5 and under. Since launching, DiscoverDance can be found in dance studios in Costa Rica, Greece, Australia, Canada, and across the United States.

Hoop Ribbon Streamers in DiscoverDance colors!  You will receive a set of 6 hoop streamers with 24″ long ribbons on 4″ polycarbonate hoops in a drawstring bag.  $30

DiscoverDance Square Bean Bag Set includes 12 bean bags and a storage bag.  $28

Two of each color:  Fuchsia, Orange, Yellow, Lime Green, Turquoise, Purple

This DiscoverDance scarf set includes thirteen 24″x 24″ unhemmed chiffon scarf squares. It includes a mesh storage bag with one white teacher/leader scarf and two each of: Fuchsia, Orange, Yellow, Lime Green, Turquoise, Purple

$48

The DiscoverDance Balloon Ball is a fabric ball that has a slit in the bottom to place a 12″ balloon into it and blow it up!  These are great for packing along and also make playing with a balloon much safer.

$20

DiscoverDance Connect-a-Stretchy Band is 6 feet long. This allows for you to use this dynamic movement prop straight or buckle it together into a circle. Two of these buckled together equal one medium stretchy band.  These are also fantastic for those that facilitate different group sizes.  Two pack:  MSRP $60

Get the complete DiscoverDance and Bear Paw Creek Movement Prop Set Bundled Together.

Includes the following:

• 2 DD Connect-a-Stretchy Bands
• 12 DD Bean Bags
• DD Scarf Set of 13
• One DD Balloon Ball
• Set of 6 DD Hoop Rainbow Ribbon Streamers
• DD Conceptual Coloring Pages Pack

MSRP $160    Your Price: $130

The post DiscoverDance Movement Props appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

MacSoup CD Included  – $58      Snowball Set- $50

No snow?  Too cold to play outside?  This set of  30 snow balls will get you moving and having fun in not time.  This set is machine washable in the included drawstring bag.  You also have the option of purchasing the wonderful “Dancing Feet” CD.  This has 18 songs on it. “The Freeze” song  is the inspiration behind the indoor snowball set. So you won’t only get “The Freeze” you will have 17 more to inspire creative movement at home or in your classroom.

It will inspire you to get moving and burn off some of that extra energy we get from “cabin fever” in the winter. Pair this set with books about snow, make paper snowflakes, and have an indoor snowball fight!

It is also great fun in the middle of hot summer. A fun activity is to spray the balls with water, stick them in the freezer for awhile, and you have a fantastic sensory play activity. I would recommend doing this one outdoors! In this blog post you can be inspired with a great circle time activity.  It includes a book to read, and of course music and movement! Add in some old fashioned paper snowflake making for small motor skills. Check out the fun a few of our kids and I had!

The post Indoor-Outdoor Snowball Movement Prop Set appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

If you have found yourself on this page – you are in for a treat of a good deal!

We are so excited to be collaborating with Carole Stephens of Macaroni Soup!  She has such a passion for what she does and draws one in from her vivacious personality.  She has been the driving force behind adding a teacher/leader streamer and behind our new scarf sets.  Combining her ten award winning CDs, which you can now purchase HERE at Bear Paw Creek, with their music and movement products is a sure way to bring creative learning to your class.

Miss Carole says:

“Children learn by moving through their environment, and music helps them MOVE! Active music participation promotes tip-top brain and body growth and provides opportunities for children of all abilities to work on social, emotional and physical skills. It also facilitates the acquisition of early literacy skills: rhyme, pattern, sequence, vocabulary, crossing the midline, rhythm, tracking – and more!”

So if you have been privileged to be at one of her workshops and she ran out of our music products, here you can still get her special pricing!

Mac Soup Special  –  MSRP $107  Miss Carole’s Price: $95

• Recommended for using for up to 12 children
• 1 Medium Stretchy Band
• 13 Scarves
• Rainbow Balloon Ball

Soupersized  –  MSRP $152  Miss Carole’s Price $130

• Recommended for use for 12-24 children
• Large stretchy Band
• 25 Scarves
• Rainbow Balloon Ball

The post Miss Carole’s Macaroni Soup Specials appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

These hubs are designed to be used with Bear Paw Creek’s connect-a-stretchy band.  This is the newest addition to our stretchy band family for music games and learning.  It opens creative movement doors wide open with the various ways you can use the hub with the connect-a-stretchy band.  It is available in 6, 8, 10, and 12 buckles.

One inch strapping with alternating 1 inch buckles are sewn into a round leather disc with a grommet circle.

Hub 6- $18         Hub 8 – $22       Hub 10- $26     Hub 12 –  $30

Hub 8 pictured below with four connect-a-stretchy bands buckled into it. This makes a four armed prop.

You can connect a band to each buckle, making a 6, 8, 10 or 12 armed octopus, star or sun or turn them into a spoked wheel, a gear, flowers or clovers.

Remember, the Connect-a-Bands can be connected to create a medium (2), large (3),  XL (4), or more!

The post Connect-a-Band Hubs appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

We are no longer creating our jingles on the wrist scrunchie.  We loved to make these and offer them but were running into some quality issues. Cheap bells didn’t wear our the ribbon attachment and the better quality bells would break through the ribbon after many uses in a clinic setting. So….for now we are offering the jingle bells on wrist bands. In our standard full disclosure, they are not made by us, but sourced from a different manufacturer.

MSRP: $3 each or a set of 6 in a storage bag for $15.00.  Colors will vary to availability. When ordering multiple sets, please indicate how many drawstring storage bags you would like! 

Jingle Bells on Wrist Scrunchie– 6 for $30

(September 2019 ~ we are excited to announce that we have finally found superior quality, Made in the USA, since 1832 jingle bells!  Our other jingles were recently put through the testing ground in daily use and found lacking.  These bells are made by Bevin Brothers and are much heavier and have a beautiful sound.)

Introducing jingle bells on a wrist scrunchie!  Another great product that can be used in so many ways. Use them for individuals with grasping issues, place them on body parts for movement and dance, focus on motor strength, eye tracking, and more. Sold in a set of six with drawstring bag for storage.

Place them on our new connect-a-stretchy band matching up or contrasting colors while working on motor skills: putting them over the band, sliding, pulling, and moving them into place.

Here  are just a few of the great song/ideas to use with the jingle bells.

Check out Listen Learn Music’s Blog about Bear Paw Creek’s Wrist Jingle Bells with songs.

Ryan Judd of The Rhythm Tree released this awesome video showcasing the benefits of using rhythm sticks and jingle bells.

The post Jingle Bells on Wrist appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

Here is what each option entails:

Fix Your Own Stretchy Band: 

With this option, you will select what type of tubing you prefer along with the size of your Stretchy Band. You will be charged for the replacement tubing as well as a $10 flat rate shipping fee to have it sent to you (unless you order other Bear Paw Creek products and your order is over $75, which would qualify for free shipping).  The cost of the tubing when selecting the “Fix Your Own Stretchy Band” option is lower than the “Send to Bear Paw Creek Repair Shop” option since you are doing the labor of replacing the tubing. Instructions on how to replace the tubing will be included. If you run into any issues when trying to replace it or need help answering any questions, we are more than happy to help.

Send to Bear Paw Creek Repair Shop: 

With this option, you will select what type of tubing you prefer along with the size of your Stretchy Band. You will be charged for the replacement tubing along with a $10 flat rate shipping fee which pays for the shipping label to send the Stretchy Band back to you after we have replaced the tubing (unless you order other Bear Paw Creek products and your order is over $75, which would qualify for free shipping). After making your replacement tubing purchase, take the Stretchy Band in need of repair to your local Post Office and have it shipped to the address below. We will replace the tubing, mail it back to you, and you will be good to go for your next music and movement time.

All Stretchy Bands being sent back to us can be mailed to:

• Bear Paw Creek
  PO Box 193
  Miller, MO 65707

Please know that we stand behind all of our products and guarantee them for one year after purchase. If you have any issues with the Stretchy Band within the first year, please contact us at info@bearpawcreek.com or 417-823-0259 and we will be sure to fix the issue at no cost to you.

Here, Rachel Rambach from Music Therapy Connections and Listen & Learn Music, shows how she uses the Bear Paw Creek Stretchy Band as a music therapy prop during a group music class.

The post Stretchy Band Replacement Tubing appeared first on Bear Paw Creek.

Our original Stretchy Bands for creative movement come in four different sizes and are a complete circle. The Connect-a-Stretchy Band only comes in one size. However, it features a buckle system that allows you to disconnect the band and use it in a straight line in addition to the circle.

With the buckle system, you can also connect additional Connect-a-Stretchy Bands together. Allowing you to create the size you need for your creative movement activities. This is ideal for those with varying class sizes or for those who like to use different-sized bands with different activities. Rather than purchasing all five Stretchy Band sizes, you can purchase individual Connect-a-Stretchy Bands and connect however many you need together.

Connect-a-Stretchy Band Variations:

• Original Connect-a-Stretchy Band: Has all six colors on one band; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
• White Connect-a-Stretchy Band: Created at the request of music teacher, Lena Leon. Not only does it provide another color option for you, but the white band will also “glow in the dark” when used with a black light, like these. 
• Primary Set of 6 Connect-a-Stretchy Bands: Rather than having the six primary colors all on one band, this set comes with six bands, each with its own individual color.
• Primary Set of 6 Connect-a-Stretchy Bands WITH Hub 12: The same set of six primary colors, plus our hub 12. If you’re interested in purchasing other hub sizes, you can check them out here.

Sizing Guide:

The sizing guide below gives the original Stretchy Band sizes along with the conversion chart for the Connect-a-Stretchy Bands. Determining how many you can fit around a band depends on the age/size of those you have in your creative movement class or session. When we say “people,” we are referring to tweens/teens and adults.

FAQ: Can I do the same creative movement activities with the Connect-a-Stretchy Bands that I can with the original Stretchy Bands?

Absolutely! Even the activities that have you use a Connect-a-Stretchy Band unbuckled and in a straight line can be adapted to use with the original Stretchy Band. The only activities unique to the Connect-a-Stretchy Band are those that incorporate our Hub Connector. Using a hub allows you to turn your Connect-a-Stretchy Bands into an octopus, sun, star, flower, or whatever your imagination comes up with. Learn more about our Hub connectors here. The main benefit of the Connect-a-Stretchy Band is its versatility in sizing; you never know when your class size might change.

A note about the storage bag!

Connect-a-Stretchy Bands will include a storage bag in a size appropriate to fit the total number of bands ordered. For example, a single band will come with a smaller bag to fit that individual band. If you order four bands, you will receive a bag large enough to fit all five bands. If you do order multiple bands and would like more than one bag for storage, please let us know in the order comments, and we will be happy to accommodate you.

Check out our resource guide to Stretchy Bands and Connect-a-Stretchy Bands. A combined 100+ song and activity ideas!

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