What to expect

The same shape every week

Little ones relax when they know what happens next, so our sessions follow the same order each time. We start with a hello song, move through a few games, and finish with a goodbye song. The songs and games stay familiar; I change the details to suit who’s in the room.

Some of our favourite games

Musical statues. We dance while the music plays and freeze when it stops. Each freeze comes with a little prompt: “touch your knees”, “stand on one leg”, “make a star shape”. Wobbling is encouraged.

The colour wheel. We have a big, real wheel with six colours: yellow, red, pink, blue, green and orange. A child spins it (or a grown-up does), and whatever it lands on becomes our colour for the next game.

The colour game. If the wheel lands on yellow, we might toss yellow beanbags into a yellow hoop, or go hunting for yellow things. Simple, physical, and easy to join in with at any level.

Move and pretend. We might stomp like dinosaurs, float like bubbles, or tiptoe past a sleeping bear, all to music your little one will probably already know.

Joining in, in their own time

There’s no expectation to speak, sing, copy an action or perform. Your child can:

• Jump straight in and dance from the first song.
• Stay close to you, on your lap or holding your hand, and join in from there.
• Watch for as long as they like. Lots of children watch for a few weeks and then suddenly want to do everything.
• Dip in and out when something catches their interest. That counts.

If your little one needs a moment away from the group, that’s fine too. There’s no wrong way to do MK Stars.

Grown-ups stay

A parent or carer stays with each child for the whole session. You’re not expected to perform either, but joining in makes it more fun, and little ones love copying their grown-up.

Small and calm

We keep groups to no more than 10 children, with room to move. The music is lively but not loud, and we build in quieter moments.