Dance party!Who’s up for a dance party? I am! Woohoo!Dancing, jumping, stretching, and wigglingare all great ways to keep your body and mindhappy and healthy. Today we have some funcreative movement ideas that are sure to getyour toes tappin!

Jump from line to line. Can you jump with your feet together? How aboutwith your feet apart?Jump skipping a line.See how far you can jump. Count how many lines you skipped.Jump backwards. How far can you jump backwards? Can you jumpbackwards with one foot or two feet? Which one is easier?Jump with one foot, then the other.This one is more gentle and slow: How far can you stretch? Can you touchall the lines? How slowly can you stretch?How long are you? Can you make a tape line for your height?

Warmup: Six lines of tape I love this activity because it’s so simple! It’s a great way for kids to developtheir coordination and spatial awareness. Kids can try the ideas below, orcome up with their own creative ideas and challenges. Using masking tape or painter’s tape, make six parallel lines about 1 footaway from each other. That’s it! Now try the following movements andstretches using the tape lines:

Adapted from handsonaswegrow.com

Today's fun brought to youby Ms. Marcie!

Can you make it swim like a little fish?Can you make your scarf fly like a bird or a kite in the sky?Can you scrunch your scarf into a ball and toss it like a snowball?Can you make your scarf float gently to the floor like snowflakes?Can you make your scarf into a fishing line and catch something?What else can your scarf be?

Digging deeperAfter a little practice, encourage kids to use their imaginations and tell astory with their scarves:

Imaginative play, such as making a scarf into a bird, is the same type ofthinking that allows kids to understand that a picture or word represents areal thing. This is conceptual thinking, and it’s an important part of earlyliteracy as kids get ready to read. Now crank the tunes and dance around!Caregivers, do your best to join in the fun because kids will echo your energyand excitement.

Adapted from childhood101.com

Scarf dance and creative movementWe’ve stretched and loosened up with the tape lines, and now it’s time for adance party! In this activity, we’re using scarves to get our little dancersgoing. A small, lightweight piece of fabric such as a bandanna works great asa dance scarf. In a pinch, just go with whatever you have in your house--socks, dish towels, tissues, or even winter scarves.

Hold one corner and wiggle your scarfScrunch it into a ballHold your scarf by two corners and make itflap like clothes on the clotheslineMake it flap like a flag on a flag poleMake it fly like a kiteDraw a circle with itWrite your name with it (for older kids)

Intro movementsFor starters, encourage kids to try some differentscarf movements.

Make a ribbon dance wand This colorful craft is perfect for twirling and dancing! Use whatever you haveat home--yarn, ribbon, colored paper, or fabric scraps. You can tie them ontoa hair elastic or tape them to a pencil or popsicle stick. Then twirl away!