Time for some SERIOUS FUN!!!

Here is great article about how the State of Washington is boosting child develop programs focused on fun.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/359158_earlylearning16.html

There are many things we as parents can do including what we are already doing - KINDERMUSIK! Kindermusik classes are based on learning through play. Check out Kindermusik's foundations of learning below:

Play as a Learning Mode:
Because children do not separate feeling from thinking, acting, and socializing, play is the most effective learning mode available to them.
Pretend Play:
The child participating in pretend play may begin with pure imitation. This imitation may involve into imaginative play through the adaptation (adding and changing) of an activity. All levels of participation provide ample opportunities for development of language skills, expressive communication skills, recognition of reality vs. fantasy, and social skills.
The Connection of Emotion and Learning:
Labeling actions (such as stirring, around we go, etc.) and performing them simultaneously is central to the child's discovery of meaning and context. Engaging in the actions in a happy environment and with caring people heightens the learning possibilities. Emotion and learning are so connected in these early years that children are most delighted when they learn with a person to whom they are emotionally related.
The Value of Play:
Play is a natural activity for children. The child at play is self-motivated and actively engaged. Whereas games are governed by rules, the value of play is that it provides freedom from evaluation and judgment. The freedom of a playful atmosphere fosters intellectual development as well as self-construction and the development of personality.