What can you do at home?
In this crazy time where we are all stuck at home, there is no better time to talk about simple dance-based activities you can do at home with your kiddos! These are exercises and activities that I
use in the studio throughout the dance year to support technical dance training and focus on the core concepts of space, time and energy. There are so many great things that you can do at home with little space and household objects that will make time at home productive and fun, here are a few of my favorites!
Strength Training/ Stretching
Strength training and stretching are important parts of dance. Using our imagination and objects around the house we can contiue to work on strenth and flexibility. Here are some actvities I use in classes that can be done at home to help enhance your range of motion, raise your heart rate, increase your endurance, build muscle and bone mass, improve balance, and prevent falls. Check it them out!
Bear walk push
In the studio we use the moveable balance beam. At home you can use anything that is long enough that you can be on one side while your child is on the opposite. Start by getting into a bear crawl position (Start on all fours and lift your knees so they're at a 90-degree angle and hovering an inch off the ground, move one hand and the opposite foot forward an equal distance while staying low to the ground, switch sides, moving the opposite hand and foot & repeat the movement while alternating sides) As you begin to bear crawl you will use your hands to push the object along the floor in one direction to pivot 180º. Have your child mimic the movement to push the object 180º back to you. When you are not the person push the object you are the pivot point so that the object does get pushed away from reach.
Low kneel pull
Sitting in a low kneel use the same object used for the bear walk push. Place the object at a distance so that when your arms are extended forward you can grasp the top of the object with both hands and pull it towards you.
Toe touch/ hamstring stretch
Floor variation- sitting on the floor stretch your legs out long in to front of you. keeping your legs as straight as possible lift your arms up in the air and hinge forward from the hips to touch the farthest point on your legs as you can without bending your knees. Hold for at least 5 seconds and aim to get to 15 seconds before relaxing.
Yoga ball variation- on the ball have your feet firmly planted on the floor. Hinge forwards at the hips to reach down and touch your toes. Aim to hold this position for 15 seconds before relaxing. You can use a slight bounce/pulse to tap the toes if you want to count the amount of time you are holding this stretch.
Two person variation- sit on the ground facing one another with the sole of your feet/shoes touching in a flexed position. take turns reaching forward trying to touch one another’s feet.
Arm raises
Standing or sitting on the yoga ball, begin with arms straight down at either side of the body, bring arms straight out to the side and then down to your sides. Next, raise arm straight out in front of your body and then return them down to your sides. Repeat 8-12 times.
Luigi arm pattern
This arm pattern is great for increasing memory and coordination. Arms come into the chest bent at the elbows, elbows fold down close to the body, arms lift straight up on wither side of head and then open to the side straight out. repeat this pattern 8 times using both arms simultaneously and then 8 times using a single arm.
Holding hands chest press
This can be done sitting or standing across from one another. Both persons should extend arms out in front of themselves. Interlock fingers/hands. One partner should pull the arms to their chest prior once holding hands. Begin exercise by pushing out towards the other person so that their elbows bend and hands come close to chest. Repeat at least 8-12 times.
Crayon rolls
Begin lying on your back on the ground, bring both arms up over head and clasp them together and have your legs out straight. Movement should initiate from the core to roll onto the side of the body and continue to stay in a long straight position.
I typically use this as a spatial awareness exercise in class, so when I roll towards the other person they are enticed to roll away so that we don’t bump into one another.
Cobra stretch
Lie on your belly, stretch your legs straight back behind you with eh tops of your feet on the floor. Bring your arm to a bent position at your sides , push into the ground with your hands and forearms to begin to straighten the arms to lift the chest off the floor, going only as far as your personal range of motion allows. Hold the pose for 15 seconds and then slowly lower back to the ground.
Happy baby
This is a gentle and relaxing stretch. Start lying on your back and draw your knees in towards you’re chest. Grab the outside of your feet with your elbows on the inside of your knees.
Draw your shoulders toward the ground, tone your arms and flex your feet as you pull down on your feet. Keep your knees wide and toward your armpits and try to stack ankles above knees.
Lengthen your lower back down to the ground. Keep in tune with your breath and stay here for up to one minute, and then release.
Balance and Moving Through Space
Balance and spatial awareness are very important skills in many activities including dance. Balance is a key component of fitness and is a underlying component to the develop of other gross motor skills. Good spatial awareness skills result in increased dexterity, a great sense of balance, flexibility and whole body strength. Here are some fun activities to do at home.
Walk the plank
Tape a line on the floor to walk on one foot in front of the other. This helps with balance, weight transferring, and spatial awareness.
If you want to challenge your kiddos, tape the floor in patterns (zigzags, curved lines, shapes, etc.)
Hula Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops have so many ways that they can be used to introduce spatial awareness! Here are a few different activities using hula hoops that can be a fun wear to teach your child about sharing and moving through space with other in different levels.
Hula Hooping
Take turns trying to use it as its original purpose, spinning around the body. Explain that if another person were to be too close that the hula hoop would fall and no longer be able to go round and round the body of the current hula hooper.
Hula Hop
Another activity can be placing many hula hoops on the ground. Explain that you are only able to walk inside the hula hoops to get from one side of the room to the other.
Personal Space
Place a hula hoop on the ground and ask your child to stand inside. Explain that this is their spot and they can only dance/move inside of the hoop. If you step outside of the hoop your turn is over.
Directions and Levels
Hold the hula hoop in different and ask your child to go through, over, under, etc. the hoop. This will introduce directional patterns to your child as they have to pass through the hoop different ways.
Animal Walks
Animal walks are fun way to promote stamina, strength, balance and coordination using your imagination. These walks help develop important gross motor skills and provide sensory input to those completing the activity. Core strength and balance are major targets of these activities and the sensory input provided can be a great way to regulate sensory systems especially when there is a present issue in sensory processing.
Snake crawl
Begin in a plank position low on your forearms, with your elbows on the on the ground, lift up one arm and move it forward, keeping the body in a steady plank position that stays low to the ground, your opposite leg will drag behind you as you move your other arm forward.
Bear walks
Begin in a standing position, bend over at the hips to reach out in front of you and touch the ground. The position should look like a triangle. Bend your knees slightly and then begging to walk forward in space.
Turtle crawl
Starting in the kneeling position, curl your back over and put your elbows on the ground. Keeping your bottom on your heels, and your elbows and hands on the ground, pull yourself forward in a slow motion.
Bunny hops
Standing tall, place your hands in front of your chest to show off your bunny paws. Beginning by stating that both feet should stay together and the hops will be small from 2 feet to 2 feet. Bend your knees slightly before hopping up and land again with your knees bent. Remember, bunnies are very quiet so the hops should make little to no sound upon landing!
Frog jumps
Starting in a wide squatted position with you hand on the ground between your legs, use your feet to jump forward and land with your hands and feet on the ground. Add in some extra fun by making the noise a frog makes every time you jump!
Crab walk
Squat down close the the ground or begin sitting on your bottom. Lean backwards and reach place your hands on the ground behind you. If starting from a seated position, make you’re your feet are planted firmly in front of your body and lift your bottom off the ground. You should now be in a table top position and remain in that position as you begin to walk sideways. To encourage keeping your bottom up and back straight as you walk, try balancing something lightweight on your tummy, it will only stay in place if you maintain the table top position!
Inchworm crawl
Start from a standing position, bend over reaching until your hands touch the floor. The goal is to have your hands touching the floor as close to your feet as your mobility allows. Once touching the floor, slowing begin to walk your hands away from your feet until you reach plank position. From the plank position, slowly walk your feet to your hands.Repeat this pattern as you move across the floor.
Elephant walk
This walk starts from a standing position. As you begin to mimic the way elephants walk, clasp your hands together to make your own elephant trunk. Bend at the hips to a flat-back position with your hands still clasped together, begin walks and allow your arms and hands swing side-to-side as you walk with straight legs across the floor. If you want add some vocals to it and ask what sound does an elephant make?
Octopus wiggles
An octopus likes to sit on the bottom of the ocean and feel around to find friends and food. Start by sitting on the ground in a way that’s most comfortable and begin to wiggle and reach your arms all around. Reach and wiggle away from your body to test your balance. If you are looking for more of a challenge on your bottom and try to incorporate your legs to the wiggling!
Rhythm
Rhythm is great way to add playtime into dance. Rhythm is important to attain musicality. The key to supporting this learning experience is to make it fun! Knock on the door and see who’s there, have a drum solo beating on the floor, do a little dance and give yourself a round of applause… all of this makes a beat! If you want some more structure look at the follow the leader activity below!
Follow the leader
Taking turns as the leader create a pattern of claps, stomps and shoulder shrugs in combinations of 3 or 4. Have the other person repeat the pattern and then switch rolls. Increase the number of actions in each sequence up to 8.
Improvisation/ free dance
I cannot stress enough the importance and fun of improvisation. This a time of exploration and discovery that not only allows for freedom but it strengthens independence and confidence. In this time everyone has the opportunity to move around in the space freely. Each person can do something different from another, the can listen to the music, sing, scat, dance, jump or take the time to rest. Improvisation does not have to have a set goal.You are the choreographer, just for a short time and this moves mountain and road blocks corrections of set instruction star tech the surface of. Free dance and improvisation is not only about creating new movement, it is a time of self-discovery that sneaks in lessons such as musicality stamina, coordination and so much more.
Put on some music and let your bodies decide the rest. Let it all go for just a few minutes, I promise it teaches many lessons structured movement can only introduce.
All in All... Dance Everywhere!
Dance utilizes the entire body. Balancing on toes, raising arms, sliding and gliding through space all support flexibility, coordination, balance, range of motion, stamina, muscle tone, strength and posture. Physical fitness is not the only benefit, dance helps people develop emotionally, socially and cognitively. Dance supports many life skills through the dedication and discipline rooted in technique and these skills attained at home or in the studio environment will transfer over to school, work and other aspects of their lives.
As we have the opportunity to dance at home and soon back in the studio let’s make dance a part of our dance everyday!
Ps. If anyone needs demos to any of these activities please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will provide video tutorials!
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