Connie Bergstein Dow

CONNIE'S BLOG:
Moving Is Learning!

Connie has been blogging since 2011. Her posts range from tips for teachers, the benefits of dance, playful class plans, to how to choose a creative dance class for your child, and much, much more! All of her posts are below, starting with the most recently-published ones.

Autumn is Here! A Dance Chant with Movement Prompts to Celebrate the Season

August 28, 2024

Tags: Activity Guide, Autumn, Back to School Creative Dance Activities, Creative Movement, Dance + Movement, Fall Season, Fall Themes, Kindergarten, Large Motor Skills, Listening to and Following Instructions, seasons, Imagination, trees, Changing Seasons, Dance Chant, Dance Activity, First Grade, Early Childhood, Ealy Literacy

Ready, set, jump!

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.

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THREE LIVELY BRAIN BREAKS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

April 28, 2021

Tags: Body Awareness and Control, Connie B. Dow, Creative Movement, Dance Brain Break, Early Childhood, Exercise, Kindergarten, Large Motor Skills, PreK-Grade 1

Reach your hands to the sky!

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: