I've read several posts referring to letting the children play dance games during part of class. What dance games do you do with preschool age children?

Freeze dance is popular...you can do it where they just have to freeze however they want when you stop the music, or you can tell them to freeze a certain way;in tendue for example. Also do simon says, but a ballet/tap/jazz version.Even the little ones like it when I start a combo with one step, then call on someone and they can pick the next step,ect(as long as its related; i.e. ballet must have ballet steps).They really enjoy being a part of the process even that young.Hope this helps! Oh, I almost forgot....they love scarves and ribbons..props of any sort to hold and to incorporate into dancing

Magic Wand - take turns changing them into butterflies, frogs, princesses, etc.

Musical Circles - lay rubber circles on the floor in a circle - have them do a step around the circles (skips, chasses, bourrees, etc) when the music stops, jump on a circle.

Lay the circles in a zig zag pattern and "leap from stone to stone"

The Hokey Pokey, Hands Up, Electric Slide, Limbo, YMCA... any "party" dances. I also do obstacle courses, hula hoops (around the waist as well as different patterns jumping in and out of them and leaping over them!), Jump Ropes, parachute games.

What time is it Mr. Wolf? You'll need an assistant because you have to turn your back on your dancers. Get some distant in front of the dancers. You are the Wolf have them say "What time is it Mr. Wolf? Each time they ask you give them something to do i.e. three skips, 2 battement kicks, 1 bouree turn etc. They really like this one, and of course when they reach you, you act surprised!

Get a rubber dice with numbers. Have each student roll the dice, whatever number comes up practice arm/feet positions.


Put these pictures around the perimeter of them room: one of flowers, one of a castle, one of rainbow and one of a big leap. I ask all the dancers to go around the room and identify all the pictures. Then we all get in the middle of the room. I tell them a story that goes something like this once upon a time (I know it's corny-but they like it) there was a king and a queen and these princesses who just happen to have the same names of your dancers. Basically I have them skip to the flowers and pick some flowers, then chasse to the rainbow for some gold, then leap over stones in the river and finally releve walk and arabesque to the castle to see the King and Queen.

Plain and simple-my students love to play teacher. At the end of class I will have them each take a turn being the teacher. Everyone spreads out in center, I call one student to the front of the room. This is the teacher-we'll call her Susie. The class must say Hi Miss Susie-and then the teacher gets to tell the students what to do with their face, their arms, and their feet for their turn. When they are finished with the step, the class says "thank you miss susie" and then we move on to the next student. This also helps with manors!!!

Ribbon dance, and general "freeze in whatever position when the music stops" are excellent ways to get them to practice steps and positions without it seeming like they are. (Much more fun than going across the floor, because no one has to wait in line) I also put non slippery spots in a circle and they have to dance on the circle (good for teaching real young ones how to follow the girl ahead of them). Another thing I do is split the class in half- one half is the dancers and one half the audience, and have them practice their new step this way. It gives them a break and teaches them audience manners. The "dancers" also get to describe what pretend outfit they have on because it gives them a chance to talk- which they are not usually allowed to do.

The one I'm asked for most often is Teacher May I? Like mother may I but with dance steps, so for Irish we do skips, leaps, hops, tippy-toe walks and duck feet. They love it! They request that more than the hokey pokey!

Greg and Steve have great cds (Kids in motion is one of them) they have great motion games that you could develope movement with.

happy dancing )

Im not sure what CD these games are on but one is called pass the bean bag (teaches them tempo) Bear Hunt, Animal Action, Freeze Dance. In ballet I have them try and balance bean bags on their heads while doing various steps and also hot potato but when they get the ball you give them a step to show them

We use a lot of the above mentioned games but I have a couple others the children like.

BALLET BRIDGES - Two of the dancers clasp hands up hig facing each other and the rest of the class lines up behind them. One at a time a dancer goes through under the bridge and then does a bourre turn and curtsy. They move either to the right or left, down at the end. the next little one does the same and moves down to the other end. They alternate back and forth until all have gone through. Then the bridges bourre turn, curtsy and now there is a nice line across the room or stage. I use this in dances.

IN AND OUT THE WINDOW - Make a line and have dancers clasp hands up high. The one on the right end lets go of hands and start weaving in and out the "windows" until she reaches the other end. Each dancer does this in turn.

one I do in my hip hop classes, is freestyle circle at the end. we all stand in a circle and each kid takes a turn in the middle dancing however they want, while the kids remaining in the circle must clap and cheer there classmates on. so this one helps the kids learn to express themselves and just dance, and not be afraid, which will help with stage fright, and also supports positive attitudes toward everyone in class.