Thanks for checking out Twirl It Up! Each edition will offer inspiring ideas on how to get your littles moving, grooving, and learning. We all need inspiration at times and these tips are just another thing to add to your parenting fun list.
One thing we focus on learning colors in Twirl classes, along with enjoying all of the colors that come with the wonderful season of Spring! Enjoy moving with your little ones at home with a few Twirl inspired learning activities.
1. Musical Colors
Place various colored mats, cards, or small paper cards on the floor. Anything solid colored should work. Next play music, dance, clap, stomp, and move to the music while moving around the colors on the floor. Stop the music, jump on a color with your feet, and say the word for the color that you jumped on. What a fun way to practice color recognition!
2. Color Match Song and Dance
Collect objects of various colors and put them in a basket. While collecting these items discuss the colors of the objects while placing them in the basket. When finished collecting, choose two objects of the same color and hold them while doing a dance (the sillier the better) and singing little song. Have fun with the song and make it up as you go, just be sure to add the color word in. Totally goofy and totally fun! If you need some help in the musical creativity department just stick to singing the color word over and over again to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle”. It works!
3. Fabric Dancing
Gather various bits of fabric, bandanas, scarves, ribbon - anything light that floats through the air fairly well. Twirl and swirl them around while dancing to your favorite classical (ANY music is awesome for this). We go with various classical songs for this because we focus on the tempo of the music and gear our movements towards slowing down or speeding up as the music changes. Whatever inspires you! Discuss the colors of the fabric while dancing with your little ones, or pause the music to freeze and discuss the colors. For a more advanced version of this, use two different colors in each hand and call out a color to hold up in the air.
These activities provide various opportunities for children to move their bodies, experience the joy of music, practice color recognition skills, and feel empowered by loving their learning time!
One motto we stick to around here is: When in doubt, dance it out! Whatever age or stage you may be in, however your day may be going, anytime of day - a song and a dance helps. It always helps! It has always worked for me, especially on those tough teaching and parenting days.
For more tips and learning fun, check out a Twirl class and get learning ideas first hand from an experienced instructor. Class information and registration is available at http://www.twirl-dancetolearn.com.
Let’s Twirl!
