Hi teachers,

I teach with an outreach program in elementary schools for kids who wouldn't normally get to dance. Being their first dance class, they are not used to the structure and need to switch gears every 5 minutes or they get antsy and disruptive so to keep them intrigued I'll play a dance game that they think is fun and hides the fact that they are learning.

For example, i have a game I made up called "lillypads" in which I spread foam circles on the floor and they freestyle around the room. when i turn off the music they hop to a circle and I direct that they do 4______insert move here___. they love it. I also play choreographer, shadow puppets (1 dances, 1 copies) etc. My bag of tricks is running low and I am in need of some new, great games and would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks!

Some kids are too young to stay focused for a long time. Exercises should be short for them.

But the fact that it's the kids first dance class, and they are not used to stay focused for a long(er) time, is no reason to offer them games. They will never learn to concentrate longer if you don't offer them the chance to develop this.

And I hate it (it's a personal thing) when dance teachers call everything in their kids class a game. Kids are not only interested in games! And as a teacher you should be able to pull the attention of your students in different ways. Some day they will continue to a 'serious' danceclass without games. They HAVE to get used to that now or they will run as soon as the games are gone.
They come to dance class to learn. Make clear it's a learning situation. If a teacher doesn't take his own class seriously, why should students do?

Offering kids something new every class just because they act bored is tricky. Because they get used to that very quickly and also get bored sooner and sooner. Learning them to go deeper is more rewarding in the end.
Develop the exercises you already offer them.

I would call your lillypad game an exercise because you try to learn them sometimes, and exercises can be fun too. There is not a brick wall between 'game = fun' and 'exercise = boring'.
How you can develop this exercise: let's say they now have learned to hop on their right foot 4 times (and ofcourse you've asked for left too).
Next steps:
-4 times right immediately followed by 4 times left;
-2 times right, 2 times left;
-1 time right, 1 time left > repeat this once;
-4 times right, 2 times left, 2 times right
etcetera! This list is never ending. You can fill a year of classes with this. Or at least I can.

If you also did 4 times clap, you do the same with the claps, and after that you mix the hops and the claps.
See if you can make them do something like: hop right, clap, hop left, clap, hop right, hop left, clap, clap and reverse this thing.
This is not a game, this is a musical, motorical, coordinational exercise that perfectly fits a beginners dance class.
Now you are developping their concentration, memory, and their physical skills. Ask them to hop better (higher or exactly on the same spot) or clap in a certain way (hard, hands behind the back).

For kids it's a challenge to remember the harder/longer exercises, and if you repeat the first step after some weeks, they will find it easy and you can confront them with what they learned.

You can also add a social aspect: hop right right right right to your partner, clap your hand to your partners hands 4 times, hop left left left away from your partner, clap your own hands 4 times.

Thank you for your suggestions, but perhaps I should have explained better. I use "games", you may call them exercises if you prefer,to make class fun much like gym teachers use sports to make throwing, running, catching fun. These are not primas in training. They are 2.5 years to 9 years creative movement boys and girls who have been enrolled for fitness or to burn some energy after school. A lot of them dance on "scholarship" which is a nice way of saying for free and for many, once the program is over they will not dance again because their parents just cant afford it. I also teach full time at an academy that sends dancers to schools such as Juliard and you are right, I do not play games in those classes. Those students are paying multiple times what my outreach kids pay and they are in uniform, with rules and a purpose. I think the context is different. The whole point of the outreach program according to the director is to have fun. However, I think that adding to my lillypad exercises is a good idea I had not thought of and I tried it out in my classes tonight with great success and will continue to do so so thank you for your comments.

I taught a similar type of program in an elementary school. We started with a warm-up jumping jacks stretches. I did plies and tendus (told them we were warming up their knees and feet) I used popular soundtrack instrumentals (vitamin string quartet has many familiar tunes).

After that I would have them line up in columns. We would do "relay races" with chasses, skipping, pas do bourees, etc.

I would also do creative movement relays. One person makes a shape, the person from the back of the line comes to the front and connects, you can vary using emotions, shapes levels etc. (The creative relay exercise is from a book by Janice Pomer I believe Perpetual motion. Has great creative movement exercises for all ages. humankinetics.com Great books there!

I would then come into the center and teach a "step of the week" and do something like the above poster 4x, 4x, 2x, 2x, etc.

Then we would make columns or rows with a different starting place and do something like leaps or turns.

Then back in the center facing a different direction and work on a combination. We always performed when the school choir/band/orchestra had its concert. Usually something easy and themed.

I tried to use the room and all spaces, sometimes we would do the steo of the week in a circle. Sometimes simple facing a new direction was enough to grab their attention. There were not mirrors so there was not a real front anyway. This can be a frustrating bunch, but the MOST rewarding as far as filling up my dance teachers soul!

science dancer, you are a genius. I LOVE the relay race idea. what a great idea to make accross the floors seem more exciting. And I never thought of changing directions. I agree that they are a tough bunch. I taught at my usual dance accademy and then 2 outreach elementary/ preschools today and after the elementary hour I cried in my car out of sheer frustration (I'm not usually a crier) but my accademy kids were a breeze. I feel like I'm learning more from my school kids, but goodness is it a challenge.