Hello All,
I am looking for some activity ideas to use scarfs in my Pre-Ballet and Creative Movement classes.
We have a bunch of soft flowy scarves in the "closet" and I have heard others mention using them.
Do you have certain dances/songs that you use them for?
Do you have any ideas you don't mind sharing?
Thanks!
Miss Becca

Dance
- with a scarf
- around a scarf
- like a scarf
- improvise what you can do with your scarf
- use your scarf as a costume and dance in a way that fits your 'costume'
- when miss claps in her hands you all put your scarf down and dance without your scarf, when miss claps twice you return to your scarf and dance with your scarf again
- throw your scarf in the air and dance while your scarf flows down
- freeze dance, when you are 'wrong' you get a scarf, the one with the less scarfs in the end wins.

Music: anything flowy, easy listening, classical.

I use 6 little ducks with the scarves practicing ballet hold (thumb and middle finger) and walk like a duck, I also use the scarves as bee wings for releve walks and runs to I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee. I've also seen them used as bird wings, butterfly wings etc...

We use one of the Hap Palmer songs "Teddy Bear Playtime" and use scarves instead of teddybears, because you throw them up and catch them, etc. Some other songs are song with bean bag lyrics, I think it's by Greg and Steve.

Oh, there is also a cd or two that are activities for using with scarves, I think you can find them at the Kimbo website.

Try placing the scarf at the back of their ballet skirts or elastic waist band and let them be kangaroo's and of course what do kangaroo's do - Jump! Get them to jump with their feet together (use your finger as a brush and "glue" the feet together so they do not come apart) or

Let them be ponies of any colour with the scarf as the tail, "rainbow colour" usully wins and they can do pony gallops or jumps or

Place it down the front of the leotard/tee shirt and get them to lean forward and they become Elephants or

Simply run around the room making sure the scarfs are moving or

Place two if you have enough at the back as fairy's wings and run in a circle on their demi point or

Have them run in a circle waving the scarf and stop the music suddenly and have them stop with the music and make a statue using the scarf a a prop.

Hope that helps?

Cheers

Mr_B

a scarf tunnell is always fun!!!

have 2 girls hold one scarf from both ends. line all the pairs of girls up and have them hold them above their head.

the first pair of girls lower their scarves, hold hands and run through the tunnel and then return w/ scarves over head at the other end of the line

each pair takes their turn running through the tunnel and then adding to the other end to rebuild the tunnel for the next group

lots o fun

I use scarves for the above ideas as well as:
A made up game using music from Aladdin- start out sitting on "magic carpets" and then stand up and float them around. Go all around the world on your carpet and once you get there do certain dance steps before getting back on!!

I have several good scarf songs I use. Shake you scarf (i tumes) Magic Scarf ? Not sure about the actual name....I have had this song so long. Hap Palmer! It was on the album can cockatoos count by two. A favorite!

I have a kimbo c-d called "musical scarves and activities" that will give you ideas. I use scarves as wings--fairy, butterfly, birds. They work well as fishy fins--under the sea music. I also use them to strengthen arms doing figure eights and circles. During gallops, as a lasso.

I had small silky scarves from Oriental Trading, but the kids could step on them and slip - they were as slick as a banana peel on my vinyl floor. So I use feather boas instead, although I keep reminding the babies not to pluck out the feathers. I let them dance around on their own (after I show them some ideas) to the Music Works/Stepping Tones CD song: "Powder Puff."

I use a Hoctor CD called the Woman in the Shoe - It has a song called Dainty Little Snowflake - We use the scarves as snowflakes doing port de bras, flutter, make it snow on your toe, Arabesque and make it snow to the right, the left, turning, make standing up snow angels (Echappe) and repeat. Always a favorite.

I let my kids do "interpretive" dance at the end of class with scarves. It also works as a bride because if they don't do all their songs they dont get to dance with the scarves!