Community hosts kids’ events

Keep those toddlers busy this month in order to keep them from climbing the Christmas tree, using the garland as a boa or attempting to light the menorah on their own. Idle hands and whatnot.

Many master-planned communities offer kids classes tailored to toddlers, not just to keep them off mom's wonderful winter decor, but for education, entertainment and physical activity.

Summerlin offers a variety of music classes at the Willows Community Center through Kindermusik that offer a variety of educational opportunities for tots.

"Imagine That! See What I Saw!" offers an imaginary trip to Grasshopper Park, down the slides, onto the swings and up and down the see-saw and experience the musical phrases that mirror each of these physical movements.

"Recreating this experience at home is a snap with the park play set complete with trees, grass, a fence, a lake, two children, a sailboat and more," the class offering touts.

The KinderMusik "Wiggles and Giggles" class offers songs, activities and books themed to bath time, animals and teaching about love and friendships.

"Village! Feathers" offers activities for newborns and older to teach about vocal play through songs ranging from classical music to lullabies.

"Music and play are beneficial to the building of basic sensory and motor skills as well as social, cognitive, emotional and language skills," the council encourages.

Residents can catch these weekly classes geared to different age groups if you sign with the Summerlin Council.

For something a little different, the council also offers Spanish immersion classes for tots aged 3 to 5 at the Willows Community Center. The classes are taught by an instructor fluent in the language and promises to introduce the culture as well.

"Knowing other languages and understanding other cultures is a 21st-century skill set for American students as they prepare to live and work in a global society," Martha G. Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages told the ACTFL. "No matter what career students enter, they will be interacting with others around the world on a routine basis and doing business locally with those whose native language is not English. "