Tots shake, rattle, roll.

Byline: Jennifer Snelling The Register-Guard

For sheer joy, there's nothing quite like a roomful of toddlers running around with balloons bouncing to "cel-e-brate, good times. Come on!"

Whether it's the balloons, the music, or the freedom to move as they please, these are some happy kids.

Such good times can now be found for ages 1 through 5 at Willamalane Community Recreation Center every Friday in a new class called Tot Rock.

The class teacher is Candice Baker, who leads the kids in songs and "finger play." Some are old standbys such as "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and some are newer songs.

This isn't day care; students come with their parent or a caregiver. In fact, the class is designed to encourage interaction between the kids and their caregivers.

Baker encourages parents to bounce the children on their laps and lift them up in the air and down again.

"Anytime you can go out and experience a learning environment with your kids is great," says Tracy Rogan, early childhood specialized recreation supervisor at Willamalane. "It's about bonding and also just having fun."

It's fun, no doubt, but fun isn't the only objective here. Every activity in the hourlong class is designed to help kids learn.

Baker received much of her training as a teacher with the nationally recognized children's music classes at Gymboree. While she uses all her own songs and program designs, one idea from Gymboree that Baker builds upon for Tot Rocks is that kids learn an awful lot through music.

The singing and finger play help kids to learn language skills and to gain coordination that will be used for buttoning coats and, eventually, for writing.

"Music is so important. That's why I was so excited to start the music programs here," Baker says. "You can be 3 months old, hold on a rattle and get something out of it.

"My son will be 3 in April and we have songs about brushing our teeth. Just putting things to music, the kids catch on to the beat and suddenly they're learning."

If there's any doubt, just consider "The Alphabet Song."

Other activities explore the different ways the kids can use objects as instruments. Each child gets a couple of wooden sticks to tap on the ground or bang together or wave in the air.

There's a wide range of skills displayed here. Some of the 1-year-olds just try to eat the sticks while the 4- and 5-year-olds display more sophisticated musical stylings.

The age range suits the class, Rogan says.

"This type of class can engage that wide of an age span," she says. "We just look at activities that gives kids the chance to meet in the middle or do their own thing."

The class already has been more popular than anticipated, Rogan says, and organizers may break it down into smaller age groups.

Another activity that bridges the widely varying skills is a small, easy art project. The projects give children free rein to do as much or as little as they like.

Baker has made shakers out of paper plates ahead of time and hands out markers for all the children to decorate as they like.

The 1-year-olds may just have a few scribbles, but the preschoolers are able to draw some recognizable symbols.

No matter how the shakers are decorated, they're all put to good use with a song, "Walking on Sunshine." Baker says she feels it's important that the children are exposed to a variety of music, not just children's songs.

"I'll use the traditional children's songs to get their attention," she says. "But I like to mix it up with songs from other countries or classical music."

After "Walking on Sunshine," it's time to go. There are a few tears shed, but promises to come back next week seem to help.

The Willamalane children's programs are about 15 years old, but Tot Rock is part of a new effort by Rogan to target toddler and preschool-age children. They are also offering a stroller stroll at Doris Ranch on the first and third Saturdays in March.

Tot Rock classes are offered Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Willamalane Community Recreation Center. The cost is $5 per class.

Call 736-4544 for more information.

Jennifer Snelling is a free-lance writer from Eugene.