2018 Golden Teddy Awards — Camps + Classes

Winner: Sunshine Music Together

Voters believe that Sunshine Music Together is accomplishing its mission of making the world a better place by making it more musical. Parents can choose from an array of classes, including parent-and-tot classes, mixed-age classes and evening classes for which kids are encouraged to wear pajamas. Locales abound, too, with studios on Queen Anne and in West Seattle, Lynnwood, Redmond, Green Lake and Montlake. Parents can’t stop talking about the amazing instructors. One reader testimonial on its website says, “My daughter has blossomed under her teacher’s musical guidance. She sings and dances at home and in the car constantly!”

Finalists

Your votes flowed in for Creative Dance Center and the studio’s signature BrainDance. This dance stimulates and connects the body’s nervous system, which can aid a child’s learning. But if that sounds scholarly, know that students are having boatloads of fun in dance class with instructors who know that kids should be allowed to be kids.

Parents want everyone to know that Lake Washington Parent Toddler Group helps build strong and healthy families. Parents and toddlers learn together — with plenty of music-making time each session — at this nonprofit parenting education cooperative program.

Music Together at Music Center of the Northwest is a community music school with the mission of engaging everyone in music. To this end, the school offers instrument instruction and a range of music programs for all ages. Golden Teddy voters particularly admire how the program integrates singing, instruments, movement and play.

Growing young minds are learning new languages at Sponge, which received a parcel of your votes for its classes in Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Hindi and Japanese. Sponge offers classes for babies and children up to age 4 along with their grown-ups, and “just kids” classes for ages 3–5, among other programs.