Connie Bergstein Dow

In celebration of #EarthDay 2025, a post about nature-inspired alphabet dance activities for little ones!

 

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                     Hold on tight!

 

 

Part 1 

 

Hold on Tight, Little Leaf!

 

You're a leaf in the autumn sun,

Clinging to a branch of a tall oak tree. 

Here comes a breeze. Try to hold on! 

Swing and twist, but don't let go.

A gust of wind comes along,

You flip and flop, but cling to the branch.

The wind rushes in, the tree sways again,

With a little "ping" you finally let go.

Swirling, twirling, you drift to the ground.

 

Part 2 

 

Leaf Pile

 

Run and skip and leap through the leaves! 

Clomp and stomp and listen to them crunch.

Hold them in your hand. Smell the dry, earthy scent.

Throw them in the air with your arms reaching high.

 

Now make a leaf pile, tall and wide.

Grab a rake, and sweep them up.

Gather the leaves in a colorful mound.

Look! Our pile is growing high.

 

Here comes the best part, ready, set, go!

One by one we run and jump.

High in the air, over the pile.

One more time, we jump right in!

 

 

Movement Prompts

 

Read Part 1 aloud, and then read it again, using the following movement prompts after each line:

 

Line 1: Imagine you're a leaf. What color are you? What shape?

Line 2: Cling to the branch

Line 3: Hold on tight!

Line 4: Now twist, swing, but don't let go 

Line 5: Sway with the breeze

Line 6: Flip, flap, flop while still holding on

Line 7: Sway harder with the big gust of wind

Line 8: You can't hold on. You finally let go!

Line 9: How many ways can you move like a leaf as you slowly float to the ground?

 

Read Part 2 aloud, and, as above, read it again, using the following movement prompts:

 

First Stanza:

 

Line 1: Run, skip, gallop, leap

Line 2: Clomp, stomp, then freeze and listen

Line 3: Imagine you pick up leaves, crunch them and smell the aroma

Line 4: Throw them in the air!

 

Second Stanza:

 

Line 1: Walk around in a big circle

Line 2: Imagine you grab a rake and begin to rake up the leaves

Line 3: Continue to rake as you make a big pile

Line 4: Show how high the leaf pile is!

 

Third Stanza:

 

Line 1: Imagine you are lining up and crouching down to get ready to run.

Line 2: One by one, run and jump

Line 3: Run and leap into the air, as high as you can

Line 4: Jump high, then fall gently into the pile

 

To finish the activity, play some upbeat music for the children to dance freely. as they think about their favorite things about the autumn season. At the end of the music, prompt them to fall gently to the floor, like the little leaf in the chant who clung to the branch, then finally let go and drifted to the ground.

 

 

An energetic brain break is always a welcome activity in the middle of a busy day.  These playful, active, and enriching brain break ideas will be fun for a small or large group of children.

 

1. Category Caper

 

Time: 10 minutes

Directions:

 

This activity can be done in a small space. All of the movements can be performed in place.

 

Identify 3 categories:  i.e., colors, fruits, vegetables.
Then, match an action to each category, i.e. color = jump, fruit = sit, vegetable = run in place.
Name, show a picture, or hold up an object and the children will categorize it.  
The children then perform the corresponding action.

 

*This game should progress quickly, to keep the children moving constantly from sitting to jumping, to running. 

 

 

 

2. Time to Rhyme

 

 

 

Time:  10-15 minutes

Directions:

 

This activity can be done in a small space.  All of the movements can be performed in place.

 

1.  Say the following poem line by line, allowing the children to respond in movement to each movement prompt.

 

 

 

I like to march right under the arch.

 

I like to jump and land with a thump.

 

I like to learn how to turn.

 

I like to run – it's so much fun.

 

I like to hop then quickly stop.

 

I like to freeze and bend my knees.

 

 

2.  Repeat the activity, and instead of saying the action word, give the rhyming word and encourage the children to fill in the blank with the appropriate motor skill.  For example, say, " I like to _______, and land with a thump."  Once the children guess the action word, they respond in movement.

 

3.  Vary this activity for a larger space.  Ask the children to think of rhyming words for the following additional motor skills: walk, crawl, slide, gallop, prance

 

3. My Turn!

 

 

 

Time:  10-15 minutes, depending on the number of children

Materials:  Movements written on file cards, one movement per card (enough for one per child, or several per child for a small group).

 

With the children standing evenly spaced in a circle, say to them:  We will go around the circle and each child will have a turn. I am going to choose a card from this stack.  When it is your turn, you will do the movement on the card.

 

Movement suggestions: 

• Touch your toes
• Jump as high as you can
• Turn around on your tiptoes
• Balance on one foot
• Shake your whole body
• Make a silly shape and a silly face
• Touch your nose to the floor
• Make an upside down shape
• Imagine you are very sad, and then very happy
• Hop on one foot
• Play air guitar
• Go down to the floor very slowly, then come back up quickly
• Balance on your tiptoes as long as you can
• Make a narrow shape and then a wide one
• Make a twisty shape like a pretzel
• Sit on the floor, then stand up and reach your arms high 
• Stomp your feet without making any noise
• Take baby steps and make a circle around yourself
• Jump with your feet wide apart, and then with your feet together
• Make a shape with two hands and one foot touching the floor

 

Once you have gone around the circle, shuffle the cards and go around again, if the children are still engaged in the activity.

 

Other suggestions for continuing the activity:

 

*Ask the children to think of their own movements as you go around again

 

*Ask the children which one was their favorite movement, and have them all do their favorite movements at the same time

 

*Continuing with the favorite movement idea, ask them to repeat their favorite movements five times in a row

 

*Play a lively musical selection, and allow the children to move about in the shared space, trying out many of the movement ideas from the circle.

 

 

 

Keep on Dancing,

 

Connie

                                                   MOVING IS LEARNING!

                                                     

Fall is here!  For today's post, I have created a poem and a dance activity inspired by the beautiful sunflower.  

 

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Fun with dancing and numbers: Read post here

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