Children Dance and Sing at the Library

Ribbon bracelet dancing, singing and playing with pinwheels – sounds like a kid’s heaven!

The Children’s Room at the  was filled on Friday morning with eager parents and little ones waiting to participate in the popular “Hands on Music” program. Approximately 25 children, who were between 18 and 36 months, along with their guardians, were ready to have a great time interacting with one another.

Led by Dara Linthwaite, of Coram, the class enables children to utilize song, dance and other types of play to build up important skills. All of the individual programs have a theme based on the season or holiday. This one was no exception- songs and stories were centered around the idea of “March winds.”

“It is almost like an interactive concert for the children,” Children’s Librarian Donna Marie Hock said.

Starting off with a few familiar tunes, Linthewaite was slowly able get all of the children to stand up and eagerly partake in the activities.

“They like to move when they sing,” Linthewaite said. “All of my programs start with the same song and end with ‘If You’re Happy and Your Know It.’ My regulars know those songs and get to sing along. That is the wonderful thing about music, it works for so many different ages and different abilities.”

As the children became more comfortable in their environment, Linthewaite handed out pinwheels so they could practice their blowing skills, which, she continued, is something that begins to develop when they start talking. Each participant was also given a ribbon bracelet to dance around the room with.

Reciting poems by A.A. Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh series, she waved a kite high above the children in honor of the “March winds” theme for the day.

Sebastian Campbell, who was accompanied by his mother Antonetta, both of East Meadow, explained that he liked to sing the most.

“Every time he comes here and he sees things going on he totally wants to get involved," she said.

“He loves hanging out at the library,” said Jessica Alexandrakis, of Salisbury, and her two and a half year old son George. “He likes all of the programs they have, but he really likes running around with the kids. Our friends are the same age so we come together.”

Alexandrakis said that George’s favorite part of the “Hands on Music” program was that he got to jump up and down during the dancing.

Linthewaite also explained how she travels to between 40 and 50 libraries throughout Long Island to perform this program. A former elementary school teacher and current choir director, she said, “as the schools have been cutting back with music budgets it has just been a wonderful way to introduce little ones to music.”

This program always fills up and there is a big waiting list for it, Hock said.

“It is always well attended - people love it,” she added.