

Note: You may need to step in to help the leader get the class back into a circle before it’s time to do the move. Class turns to their right (or left, it doesn’t matter as long as they all move the same way!) and follows the new leader as you repeat the moves from the beginning.Teacher passes the “royal scepter” (fancy mallet, stick, or boomwhacker) to a student, and they are the ruler and give 16 counts of beat movements.Students follow the teacher’s beat motions (i.e. Students and teacher face inside the circle.(Teacher ends this phrase with the class back in a circle) Walk on tip toes in follow-the-leader fashion behind the teacher while clapping hands to the beat for 16 counts.March around in follow-the-leader fashion behind the teacher for 16 counts.Students are in a line following the teacher.I believe it provides a needed bridge between movement games (like the others on this list) and more traditional folk dances. This “folk dance” won’t win any awards, but the ideas behind it are present in most folk dances. This is a simple folk dance I created to give a basic introduction to moving to reels and traditional folk dance music. Repeat until all students are part of the line.Close the gap of the newly chosen student.The 3rd student joins the front of the line and the other two place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.Only the new student in front picks someone at the end. Repeat the steps with a line of 2 students.Two students close the gap made by the chosen student.The behind student places his or her hands on the leader’s shoulders.

Songs with easy dance moves how to#
You may also want to check out these best freeze dance songs and how to play guide. Source links are included where possible. In this section, I’ll go through my teaching process and game directions for these folk dances. You may also enjoy 4 easy folk dances to teach.

You have control of the tempo if things get messed up (which never happens with Kinders).Īlso, the words in the songs will often help your kids remember what moves are coming. Song included – Folk dances with songs (also known as play parties) work very well with Kindergarten. No partners or no switching partners – If you have to have partners for a dance, make sure they don’t have to switch. Simple moves – For ease of teaching (and safety), look for moves which don’t go far beyond simple clapping, walking, jumping, etc. Two or three moves – Look for something with very few moves, two or three would be just fine. Here are some elements I look for in a movement activity or folk dance to include it with my Kindergarten curriculum.Ĭlear steady beat – Most folk dance music has a strong steady beat, but when doing things with Kindergarten you want the beat to be undeniable. Kindergarten kiddos can do a lot, but give them too much, and they’ll shut down or get goofy. Taking this broader view, you need to look for elements of traditional folk dancing but in a much simpler form. What To Look For In Folk Dances For Kindergarten When I hear music teachers say, “Forget folk dance in the younger grades it’s just not worth it,” I wonder if they’ve given up on movement or if they don’t realize other movement games can still qualify and prepare their kids in the long run. (Check out the best children’s movement books.) Sure, you may not be able to do a lot of the traditional, structured folk dance with these kids, but you are able to prepare with other movement activities. This is an argument many music teachers and experts make, and it makes a lot of sense.īut personally, I prefer to take a broader view. Often, they struggle with keeping a beat as it is, so adding multiple movements to be the beat may be too much. You may not wish to do folk dancing in the traditional sense with your Kindergarten students.

What To Look For In Folk Dances For Kindergarten.Should You Teach Folk Dances In Kindergarten?.
