by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: April 01, 2009   Last Updated: April 20, 2009

It doesn't take much to inspire a child to move. Music seems to speak to children on many different levels. The trick is that a teacher never refers to movement as dance. Why? Many children have heard about people who can't dance, won't dance, and shouldn't dance, so lets stick with movement.

Here are some fun activities that are tried and true. They work.

*The Animal Parade

Every child gets assigned an animal. An easy way to make the assignments is to have each child draw a necklace that has a picture of the animal attached. If the budget is big enough it is fun to have the actual plastic animals instead. Stand in a circle facing out. Why out? Because it's different. Call the animal and the person who is that animal parades around the circle to music moving the way they think this animal would move. There are no wrong actions. It is just about moving to the music.

*Present Props

This takes a great amount of energy and some help for the teacher, but the children love every minute of it. Props are passed out to the children. There are many different things to use:

*hats

*scarves

*morocco

*tambourines

*sticks

*rhythm instruments

*jump ropes

The music for this activity has to be prerecorded to make things work as anticipated. There is a section of music for the children to move with and very different repeated song for the teachers and helpers to run around and switch props . So it looks something like this.

The children are all moving around freely enjoying the music and using the props. They busy bee song comes on and all the children freeze and the teacher and helpers have to swap the props and the regular music begins again. A good way to wind down the activity is to eliminate a prop after about three turns and the activity ends when all the props are put away. Some children dance with out props as they get put away. Maybe it really should be called Musical Mayhem.

Variations of the Hokey Pokey can be a great time. The regular Hokey Pokey may be too long and left and right may be a challenge. So sometimes separator into three animal groups and have the chickens go in and the chickens go out. Put a ribbon on the left arm and the left leg and go with the regular version with the teacher calling the body parts to determine the length of the activity.

Good old fashion songs with actions are fun. It is alright if Little Bunny Foo Foo is hopping through the forest. If you can't bob something on the head (I can) you can pick a flower or some other action. Head, shoulders, knees and toes can certainly get the body moving. How about the spider who went up the water spout? And then add the verse about the spider leaving little spider tracks.

Weather and music make good partners. Be a snowflake. Splash in a pretend puddle. Shovel pretend snow. Take a sun shower and scrub up!

Much like the animal parade we do a food buffet. This is an interesting look at how children interpret food. Jello is easy, but you should see the moves for macaroni and cheese. There is no right and wrong and it's all about movement and fun.

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