Hi everybody!!
I teach creative movement at a kindergarten. I have 3 classes.
1) 21 kindergarten kids, age 5-5,5
2) 34(!!) preschool kids, age 3,5-4,5
3)18 very small kids, age 2-3,5 year old
This x-mas we are having this recital, the brave tin soldier, you know, andersens fairytale of a tin soldier who fell in love with a pretty ballerina.
The kindergarten kids play the roles of the soldiers (the boys) and the ballerina dolls (the girls) and apart from the dancing-moving part have dialogues too.
The problem is that my bosses want the smaller children to participate in the play too (no talking, just dancing with the music)
I thought of dividing them into smaller groups of 10-12 children to be different toys (clowns, jack-in-a-box etc) and do a little dance with a suitable music.
What do you think? Do you have any other toy ideas???
Hope I didn’t tire you with my big post. Thanx in advance!

Toys. Let me see. Teddy Bears, Rag Dogs (Raggedy Ann and Andy, Holly Hobbie), Building Blocks, Horses, Music Box Dancer, Cowboy, Spaceman, Cabbage Patch Dolls, A Puzzle, Crayons, and a Coloring Book.

I hope I helped you out a little. It's hard but think of the toys from your childhood and think if you can incorportate that into character in the performance.

~missdancediva~

such great ideas!! you are so good! thank you!
what about the 2-3 year olds? i was thinking about making them a train, the older ones in the front and the smaller ones as wagons and they can do a big line running through the stage. i don't want anything too complicated for me, they are too little! what do you think?

Your welcome. I love the idea with the train and wagon. Have the kids in overalls and a conductors hat. Any more ideas that you need let me know.

~missdancediva~

What about having the children play the fire that the soldier gets put into? You could have them dance with red and orange scarves.The train idea is also a very good one. If you do the wagons idea you could use a little tumbling, like having one child hold another feet while they walk on there hands.