Here at Tot Bop, we understand that coming along to a new class can be a daunting experience, especially if your baby was born during the pandemic and you weren’t able to get out and about with them initially and meet other parents and children. We want to assure you that you’ll have a warm welcome when you come along to a Tot Bop class and you’ll feel at home and relaxed in no time at all.
Before your first class, you will receive an email from the admin team, detailing all the information about your class so there are no surprises, including confirming the time of the class, the full address of the venue, where to park, what to wear etc. We try to answer most questions within the email but if you still have a query, drop us a quick line and one of the team will be only too happy to get back to you. On the day of your first class we advise arriving 5 minutes before the start of the class if you can, to give you time to meet the teacher and to give your child time to settle in the environment before the class begins.
When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by the Tot Bop teacher at the venue and shown where to sit and where to put your belongings. We pride ourselves on creating a warm, friendly and inclusive environment where both you and your child can relax, build confidence, meet others and enjoy the class. We will use your child’s first name throughout the class to build a connection and rapport and so your child feels noticed and special.
We like having small classes! Our Tot Bop classes only have up to 15 children per class. That way every child receives individual attention and feels part of the class. During the class, the Tot Bop teacher will actively try to engage your child and encourage your child to take part. However, we recognise that quite often, children can be quite shy in new environments and it can take them a few weeks to settle and build up the confidence to join in. Rest assured that’s all completely normal and to be expected.
All preschool classes are parent/carer participatory, so be prepared to get your groove on and join in! Don’t worry, you won’t be alone! As well as being a lovely activity that you share with your child, the act of joining in with them helps them relax and find the confidence to join in too. And becomes a fun thing that you do together! Trust me, you’ll love it too! As the children get older and move up the classes, they become more independent and tend to eventually need you less. Sob sob! Make no mistake, they will tell you in no uncertain terms when they are ready to dance by themselves!
At the end of every class, each child receives a sticker and quite often a ‘high 5’, ‘fist bump’, or ‘elbow bump’ from the teacher! Every child, however shy, gets to feel special and that they have achieved in the class. Older children (from the age of 2.5) receive an achievement sticker, as well as their Tot Bop sticker, which details something that they did particularly well in the class. As well as feeling that sense of achievement, it is motivating for them to achieve a new sticker each week! There is also time at the end of the class to have a quick chat with the teacher if you have any questions or concerns or if you’d like some feedback. Our timetable always allows 15 minutes between classes especially for this purpose.
How do the classes differ?
At Tot Bop, our classes are split into 4 age categories to fall in line with stages of growth and development.
- Tiny Tots (age 1-2.5)
- Baby Boppers (age 2.5 – rising 5) on weekday mornings
- Baby Boppers (age 2.5-3.5) on Saturday mornings
- Funky Monkeys (age 3.5-5; preschool & reception year)
- Groovy Movers (age 5-9; school years 1-4)
Our age ranges are just a guide and obviously can vary from child to child. However, they have been tried and tested for many years now and work well for the majority. Our classes are structured, right from the offset, however the structure changes as the children grow and move through the classes. That’s not to say there’s not plenty of room for creativity and a bit of freestyling here and there! We’ve ensured that our syllabus is underpinned with EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stages) Government guidelines to make sure your little one is getting exactly what they need. You can read more about this in our syllabus document here.
Here’s a bit more about the content and structure of our classes…
Tiny Tots (age 1-2.5)
The Tiny Tots class focuses on providing a fun and engaging introduction to music, movement and rhythm. There is a strong emphasis on rhythm, moving to the beat and copying ‘actions’ and movement patterns. This is all done in a fun, imaginative and engaging way, using tools such as props, puppets, instruments, bubbles etc. Every exercise is designed to work on developing early co-ordination, gross motor skills, imagination and copying skills, all wrapped up in fun and imagination. The structure of the class is as follows;
- Pat & Clap Warm-up
- Assisted Stretch & Make A Shape
- Action Song
- Movement Skill Exercise
- Imaginative Props Exercise
- Rhythm Exercise
- Storytime
- Parachute Fun
- Sensory Cool Down
Baby Boppers (age 2.5-3.5 / rising 5)
The Baby Boppers class introduces the structure of a dance class in a fun and imaginative way. There is a strong emphasis on rhythm and moving to the beat. Exercises are often linked with shapes, colours or numbers, to enhance cognitive awareness and their understanding of what is in the world. Children learn to follow instruction and develop gross motor skills further, such as walking and running at different speeds, galloping, jumping etc. Children submerge themselves in their imaginations in the storytime section and groove out in the Tot Bop Boogie, where even the grown ups get up and dance! At the end of the class the children get to chill out in the sensory cool down. The structure of the class is as follows;
- Shaky Warm-up
- Make A Shape Stretch
- Centre Exercise; introduces & develops movement skills
- Travelling Step
- Music Section
- Storytime
- Tot Bop Boogie
- Sensory Cool Down
Funky Monkeys (age 3.5-5; preschool & reception year)
The Funky Monkeys class establishes the dance class structure in a fun, funky and imaginative way with the children now becoming a little more independent. There is a focus on ‘school readiness’ in the content of the exercises, with frequent links to numbers, counting, shapes, colours, lefts and rights, and other learning landmarks outlined in the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) guidelines. Gross and fine motor skills are developed in line with the developmental stages of the age group with steps such as skipping, hopping, galloping and linking basic steps together. Rhythmical awareness is enhanced through the music section, where a particular dance/musical style is focused on (eg. Rock n roll, Charleston, hip hop etc.). Children become fully submerged in their imaginations in the storytime section and strut their stuff in the Tot Bop boogie, helping to enhance self awareness and self confidence. At the end of the class, the children chill out in the sensory cool down. The structure of the class is as follows;
- Shaky Warm-up
- Make A Shape Stretch
- Centre Exercise; combines & develops movement skills
- Travelling Step
- Music Section
- Storytime
- Tot Bop Boogie
- Sensory Cool Down
Groovy Movers (age 5-9; school years 1-4)
The Groovy Movers class introduces more technique, steps and knowledge into the jazz class. Positions, arm lines and steps are developed and terminology is introduced. There is a fun, funky, imaginative and rhythmical focus throughout. Rhythmical awareness is enhanced through the music section, where a particular dance/musical style is focused on (eg. Rock n roll, Charleston, hip hop etc.). Children learn a choreographed routine in the storytime section, where they link steps together in an imaginative context. The Tot Bop boogie allows them to rock out at the end of the class, before cooling down with scarfs and a bit of self expression! The structure of the class is as follows;
- Jazz Warm-up
- Stretch Sequence
- Centre Exercise; develops technique & dance vocabulary
- Travelling Step
- Music Section
- Choreographed Storytime Routine
- Tot Bop Boogie
- Cool Down
I hope that’s given you more of an insight into our Tot Bop classes and you now have more of an idea what to expect.
If you’d like to join our Tot Bop community, you can either…
- book in for the remaining weeks of the term here: https://totbop.co.uk/childrens-dance-classes-leighton-buzzard/
- book in for a 1 or 3 week trial class here: https://totbop.co.uk/totbop-shop/book-a-dance-class-trial/
- book in for a holiday class or workshop here: https://totbop.co.uk/product/summer-holiday-dance-classes-aston-clinton-leighton-buzzard/
If you have any further questions, please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Email the admin team on info@totbop.co.uk.
We look forward to welcoming you along soon!
Rachel x
