How to Teach the Hat Dance to Young Children
Want to encourage creative expression in children? Get them moving to the music with your own version of a popular folk dance. Teach them the Hat Dance to promote creativity, rhythm and group dancing. You can model this activity on the Mexican Hat Dance using authentic music from Mexico, or choose any other lively music. Let the children make "dancing sticks" for a festive touch. Add a sombrero, or any big hat, and let the fun begin.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper towel rolls
- Crepe paper streamers
- Glue
- Sombrero
- Mexican Hat Dance music or other music
- Mariachi vests (optional)
Instructions
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Make "dancing sticks" with empty paper towel rolls and long crepe paper streamers glued to one end.
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Put a large hat or sombrero in the center of the dancing area and surround it with the "dancing sticks."
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Have the children hold hands and form a big circle around the hat and sticks.
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Start the music and have the children begin walking sideways around the hat, clapping to the music. They can skip, hop or do a simple dance step, such as right, left, right, slide, right, depending on the age of the children.
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Call out a child's name and have that child come to the center of the circle and begin dancing around the hat. Encourage creative movement and originality by letting children pick up one or two dancing sticks and swirling them to make the streamers fly as they dance. Ask the other children to continue clapping and moving in time to the music.
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Call out the next child's name. The first child returns to the circle leaving the dancing sticks in the center. The second child comes to the center, picks up the dancing sticks, and does his or her own interpretive dance around the hat. The children in the circle continue to clap and move sideways.
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Continue calling out names until every child has had a turn in the center, dancing in any way they want to. In a big group, you may have to start the music again.
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Tips & Warnings
You can substitute long colorful scarves for the dancing sticks if necessary.
Be sure to have the children form a giant circle around the hat; it should be big enough so that there will be room in the center for freedom of movement.
Resources
- Photo Credit www.amols.com, $3.95
