Connie Bergstein Dow

 

 

 Clap and rub your hands together to stay warm in the cold winter night!

 

 

"Owl Moon" Dance Story

 

 

"Owl Moon," by Jane Yolen, with beautiful illustrations by John Schoenherr, is a Caldecott Medal-winning picture book (Philomel Books).  It is a simple, magical story about a young girl and her father. It takes place in winter, at night, with different animals hidden in the pages. It can be incorporated into any lesson plan about the fall/winter season. Once you have read the book to the children, try the following movement activity.

 

Music:  A soft, instrumental musical selection, such as a selection from the group Wyndham Hill

 

Space:  The children can move all together in the shared space, or you can divide them up into two or three groups, with one group dancing while the others watch. Give the audience group a task, such as, Watch the other children dance and see if you can imagine what an owl looks like when he is flying through the forest at night.

 

 

 

Say to the children:

 

Now that we have read the story, imagine you are the owl from the book. You have big eyes that can see in the dark, you can turn your head very far in both directions, and you have big talons and huge, feathery wings. I will play some music. (Allow time for the children to develop each prompt through movement. Then move on to the next prompt).  

 

 

 

  What does it feel like to be an owl?  Perch on a high branch.  Now look all around at the forest and the sky.

 

  Now we will take off from our high branch, and fly into the forest.  

 

 

  What do you see far down below?

 

Continue the activity:

 

  What other animals might you see in the forest at night?  Can you dance like the bird? 

 

  The deer? 

 

  The fox?

 

  The raccoon?

 

  The field mouse?

 

 

 

  Now let's imagine we are the little girl, trudging back home in the snow with her father.  

 

  The snow is very deep!  Take big steps and lift your legs high to get through the snow.  

 

  Make shapes with your footprints: Can you make the shape of the moon in the snow? Star shapes? What other shapes would you like to make in the snow? 

 

  Now, step through the snow as fast as you can.

 

Conclude the activity:

 

  Look, there is your house in the distance!  We are almost home. Shiver and rub your hands together. Jump up and down to try to get warm. 

 

  Now imagine you open the door and go inside your cozy house.  

 

  Walk up the stairs, lie down in your bed, yawn and stretch, pull the covers up, and think about the amazing owling adventure you had in the cold winter night.  

 

  What will you dream about?

Hello, and Happy Winter!

 

 

 

For this blog post, I have assembled a collection of many of my past posts about winter. They are all published in the SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers and Editors) 2020 Holiday Activity Guide -- Winter Activities for Grades PreK-Kingergarten, Ages 3-6, where you will find lots of other children's authors' ideas for winter fun.

 

 

By clicking this link, you will find the following winter movement activities:

 

 

Footprints in the Snow: A Movement Exploration Inspired by Winter
Winter provides endless inspiration for imaginative movement ideas. This activity addresses science, nurtures creativity, and encourages large motor skills practice.

 

 

Bird Count Picture Book, with a READ AND DANCE Lesson Plan
Susan Edwards Richmond wrote a beautiful picture book about the Audubon winter bird count, and I have created a playful movement activity about her story.

 

 

Snow Day! Indoor Activities to Supplement Outdoor Play
Playful and lively indoor creative movement activities about winter: Draw and Dance, Indoor Snowballs, Dance and Freeze in Snowflake Shapes.

 

 

A Winter Dance Story: The Most Perfect Snowman
A dance story about the picture book The Most Perfect Snowman by Chris Britt–a lively activity that's perfect for an interactive winter story time.

 

 

 

Christmas Story and Dance Activity: Sparkle the Snowflake
A lively holiday activity, built around an original story about a valiant little snowflake, with simple instructions for retelling the story through dance and music.

 

 

 

 

Keep on Dancing,

 

 

Connie

 

 

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This is one of my favorite children's books.  It is a creative, imaginative story told with fun and grace. Your students will enjoy this dramatic play and dancing activity after you have read the story aloud.

Music:  One lively, upbeat instrumental musical selection

 

Space:  The children can move all together in the shared space, or you can divide them up into two or three groups, one group dancing while the others watch.  Give the audience group a task, such as, What do you think it would feel like to have enormous antlers on your head?

 

As you give a movement prompt, allow time for the children to develop each idea in movement.  Say to the children:

Imagine waking up in the morning.  Stretch, yawn, and suddenly you notice something unusual coming out of your head. You have antlers!

 

 Feel all around your head. Reach as high as you can -- they are very tall antlers! Let me see your surprised face, your happy face, your scared face, your silly face.  

 

Now jump out of bed and run to the mirror.  Let me see your surprised face again!

 

Try to get dressed.  Can you pull your shirt over your head?  Get your shirt stuck in your antlers like Imogene did.  

 

How about trying to comb your hair?  What else do you need to do to get ready this morning?

 

Now try going through the door.  Imagine you are bumping your antlers.  Let's try it three times, 1, 2, 3  . . . but you can't do it!  Figure out that you have to turn sideways and scoot very carefully through the door. 

 

Now let's slide down the bannister, here we go!  Uh-oh, your antlers are stuck in the chandelier!  Twirl around as you hang from the chandelier! 

 

Imagine you are Imogene's mother when she first sees the antlers.  Gently fall to the floor as if you were fainting.  

 

Now imagine you are the person carrying her all the way upstairs.  It is hard to carry someone up the stairs, isn't it? 

 

Hang some towels to dry on your antlers!  What else can you hang on them?  Put some donuts on the antlers.  Go outside and imagine all the birds coming to eat food off of your antlers. 

 

Imagine you are a bird -- fly through the sky! Come in for a landing.  What an exciting day!  

 

Now stretch, yawn and get ready for bed. Lie down and pretend you are sleeping. It's difficult to find a way to put your head on the pillow!  You have had quite a big day, dealing with those huge antlers.

 

Now it is the next morning.  Wake up, yawn and stretch.  Suddenly you remember about your amazing adventure yesterday with your antlers.  

 

Reach up to touch your antlers.  Surprise -- they are gone!  But now, another surprise -- peacock feathers! Imagine you are a strutting peacock, showing off your tail.

 

Now take a bow with your enormous tail to end our story.

  Play the music and ask the children to do a free dance about all of the movement ideas they just explored. Finish once again with a big bow and a flourish of the imaginary peacock tail.