Children gravitate to music and naturally some will move when they hear music. Early childhood music and movement activities enhance children’s motor skills, co-ordination and stimulate the imagination. Dancing is a great way to burn children’s’ excess energy, while providing parents and teachers a great platform to introduce various types of music and movement activities.
Basic Songs with Movements
The simplest form of introducing music and movement activities to children (even babies) is through simple songs. Songs such as “Incy Wincy Spider” and “The Wheels on the Bus” all can incorporate hand movements. To find a list of these songs and their lyrics, the web is a great resource, as are CDs and DVDs. Actively participate in and demonstrate the movements and very young children even enjoy the teacher or parent to do the actions with them. Exaggeration of the movements (like wide-swinging arms) makes the activity more fun.
Advanced Songs with Movements
Older children and toddlers can enjoy similar activities through more advanced songs with movements. One such song is “Ring Around The Rosy” where children (along with their adult counterparts) can really get involved and work up a sweat. To stimulate the imagination, have the children make up their own version of the song with the same movements, or even their own movements.
Get Creative
Teaching music and movement activities do not need to be through a rigid set of songs and movements. Encourage children to make up their own songs (with tunes they are familiar with) and a unique set of movements that describe them. This type of open creativity can generate good laughs, plenty of fun and the more the activity progresses, the more creative the children become. Set a theme for each round of creativity. For example, weather as a theme can get movements such as arms waving for the wind and fingers wiggling for rain. Other simple themes for children that have a variety of movements also include animals, people and sports.
The world of early childhood music and movement activities can span far and wide simply with the use of the imagination. Music is an important lesson for children and encouraging them to be engaged and moving is equally as important.
