Using props in your kids dance class really adds an exciting element to your class, allowing your students more opportunity to create and explore.
This post will give you some ideas for using props in your kids dance activity class.
- BEAN BAGS
Bean bags are extremely popular and familiar to children so are the number 1 go to prop for a kids dance class -they are great for balancing! We’ll balance them on our heads or on different body parts. Make sure that you have enough bean bags for all your students. You can ask all students to put a bean bag on your head and line up behind you – they must copy the simple dance steps that you do while trying not to drop the bean bags.
2. RHYTHM STICKS
A great way to introduce rhythm into your kids dance class. I have found chunky sticks are great for little hands. I also use colourful ones as opposed to the plain wooden ones. Each child should ideally have a pair each and they can bang them together. The sticks can be used to keep the beat and follow on with a popular nursery rhyme of your choice. You can experiment with levels (dance with your sticks up high or down low), speed (tap slowly or quickly) and noise levels (tap loudly and tap quietly).
An example of an exercise you can do with rhythm sticks in your dance class is to sit all the children in a circle after they have chosen their sticks. Start by getting the class to follow you as you tap your stick – work on everyone tapping in time.
Sing the following song to the tune of “Row, row, row your boat.”
Tap, tap, tap your sticks gently on the ground
Tap it fast (pause to allow the class to tap)
Tap it slow (again pause to allow class to tap)
Can you hear the sounds.
3. COLOURFUL PLACE MATS
These are a great addition to your kids dance class. The place mats can be one shape or different shapes like stars, triangles or squares. They can be used at beginning of the class to help your students find a space.
One activity you can do with the place mats in your kids dance class is pick 3/4 mats and assign each one a different dance move. Play some music and when you shout out the colour or shape of one dance mat, the students must go to that mat and do the dance move.
I hope this gives you some great ideas for using props in your kids dance class!
Until next time!
Paula 😊
