Dance games are fun for everyone. They harness the rhythmic, creative mind of kids and encourage them to reach new goals with their dancing. You can encourage kids to work out their antsy energy or rev them up before sports practice or exercise. Dance games are good for kids and for adults.
Goals
Dance games serve several purposes. Dancing gets kids moving. On a rainy day, you can burn off some energy by getting your kids dancing. Dancing games call for music, which is a catalyst for movement, even among the most reluctant kids. Games give dancers and movers a common goal so you don’t lose control of a group of wiggling, squirming kids.
Creativity
Dancing games allow kids to use their creativity and become more aware of their bodies. Encourage kids to listen to the music and move to the rhythms as they see fit. To lead them, ask the kids to close their eyes and imagine they are in a specific area. Use Hawaiian music and imagine you are at the beach. Use Christmas music and pretend you are in a cabin, in front of a fire. You can ask kids to dance like certain animals, such as elephants.
Rules
Play simple dance games with kids. Add more rules to your games when you have older children. Let kids know where and how they are able to dance. Tell them they are not allowed to hit or touch other children while dancing. You can play a game in which kids are asked to dance while the music plays and to freeze when the music stops. With younger kids, you will notice that it takes them a few beats to stop. Demand older kids stop immediately.
Winners
If your goal is to get everyone moving, to pass some time, you may not want to choose winners. When kids are disqualified–for not stopping or for not dancing correctly, for instance–they will stop dancing and sit down. Don’t announce losers or winners if all you want is to get moving. If you want a winner, move through the game quickly, eliminating those as they disqualify, so you can play again.
Prizes
If you are crowning a winner, or winners, have some prizes ready for handing out. An intangible prize would be to let a child lead the game. Tangible gifts include ribbons or scarves to dance with. If there is something seasonal or special about the music you play, you can give the winner a copy of the CD.
Photo Credit
- dancing dad image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
