How to Teach Creative Movement

Creative movement introduces young children to music and movement. It fosters imagination and creativity and children are encouraged to explore movement in fun ways. There are several activities you can use in teaching creative movement. Below are some ideas to utilize in a creative movement class.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scarves
• Ribbons
• Play dough
• Cowboy hat
• Princess crown
• Wigs
• Stick horse
• Cape

1. Give each child a scarf or ribbon. Let the children dance with the scarf or ribbon to different types of music. They naturally dance fast to fast music and slow and smooth to slow music. Allow them to move however they wish.

2. Play "freeze dance" by pausing the music as they are dancing. Tell everyone to freeze when the music stops. Encourage them to freeze in different positions each time the music stops. Have students do a sitting, kneeling and standing pose to experiment with levels.

3. Make a shape using play dough. Ask the kids to copy the shape you have made with their bodies. The one who makes the closest shape wins and gets to make the next shape. This game allows kids the opportunity to use their imaginations as they create shapes both with the play dough and with their bodies.

4. Lead the "animal game" which encourages various qualities of movement. Call out the name of an animal and ask the kids to move like that animal. Birds move gracefully while rabbits move quickly. Include animals that hop, bounce, glide, slither, fly and swim.

5. Lay out props for the children. Each child can pick one and dance with it. Kids can be surprising with just how creative they can be. Use props such as cowboy hats, princess crowns, wigs, stick horses and capes to encourage character play. Tell the kids to move like a cowboy, princess or superhero.