MIDDLE ACTIVITIES

• Can be with or without words

• Maintain a slow tempo

• Keep hand motions simple or use flowing movements

• Build in children's choice and ideas

• Reenact simple stories and nursery rhymes

• Have only a few roles or one role that all children can act out

• Make up simple stories based on children's interests

Movement activities are sprinkled throughout most of the song cards as music and movement go hand-in-hand. Moving freely, and adding movement props to intentionally-chosen instrumental music can help children develop their listening repertoire and explore how their bodies move through space. The movement concepts of Flow, Weight, Space and Time provides an endless toolbox of creative dance elements that can be combined by children into their own creative compositions. 

• Can be with or without music and/or objects

• Give children opportunities to move their bodies, developing coordination skills

• Explore moving with objects first, then layer on music

• Occasionally be specific when asking children for their ideas (e.g. How else can we move our arms? What other ways can we walk?)

• If using music, always use instrumental music so children can hear the beat and aren't distracted by words

• Laban Dance Efforts of Flow, Weight, Space, and Time are introduced

• Introduce new instruments or movement props

• Extend activities to include previously-introduced instruments