LOCOMOTOR SKILLS: Body movements that involve moving from one place to another Walking, Running, Skipping, Galloping, Sliding, Hopping, Jumping, Tip Toeing, Leaping, Marching, Crawling
NONLOCOMOTOR SKILLS: Body movements that do not incorporate traveling, sometimes referred to as axial movements, as in revolving around an axis, the axis being the center of the body Bending, Stretching, Flexing, Extending, Lifting, Raising, Twisting, Turning, Rotating, Swinging, Swaying, Dodging, Shaking, Wiggling, Pushing, Pulling
LINES OF MOVEMENT Straight , Curved , Zig-Zag , Spiral
LEVELS High, Medium, Low
SHAPES Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle
ELEMENTS OF MOVEMENT Body, Space, Time, Energy, Relationships, Improvisation
BENEFITS OF CREATIVE MOVEMENT Sensory Awareness: Kinesthetic, visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive Social Special Needs Health and Fitness Language Body Awareness: Proprioception (the sense of the relative position of the parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement; the ability to sense within the body regarding position, motion, and equilibrium; the sensory information that contributes to the sense of position of self and movement; the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself) Vestibular Sensory System Development: Balance Concentration Classroom Behavior Respect and Self-Esteem
ACTIVITIES
ANIMAL MOVEMENTS Duck , Crab, Frog, Bear, Horse, Kangaroo, Snake and Cobra, Rabbit, Bird, Angry Cat/Tired, Horse (Cat/Cow), Down Dog, Pointer Dog
ANIMAL SENSES Owl eyes, Eagle eyes, Deer ears, Dog nose, Raccoon touch, Fox walking
FEEL THE BEAT Use recorded music or drum accompaniment In different body parts, isolate body part Use different tempos Copy particular children Teacher as role model can demonstrate different ways for children to move/imitate
SHAPE GAME Count to 4 and children will freeze into a body shape (statue). Choose one child for others to copy. Draw attention to particular body parts. Level can be directed or children can choose. Level can be changed. Count to 4 and children will freeze. Keep doing this for a few times.
EXPLORE SHAPES Use whole body Use isolated body part With a partner
CIRCLE DANCES Make up a series of simple steps while all holding hands in large circle shape. Use counts of 8 or 16 for a movement Move to the right (8 or 16 counts) and left (8 or 16 counts) Move into circle (4 counts) with clap on 4 or a kick or jump and out. Repeat. Variations/Additional parts: 1. Call out just the boys to go into circle, or just the girls, or another group. 2. Step to the right, feet together (4 times). Repeat on left side. 3. Turn around in a circle in place (8 counts) 4. Step to the right, feet together, to the left, right, left
FURTHER SUGGESTIONS Baby steps and giant steps; Walking on tip toes; Freeze Dance: Play and pause recorded music at various times. Children freeze when music stops.; Bunny Hop with music; A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea
SIGN LANGUAGE Source: Sign Language dictionary or online
HAND MOTIONS /GESTURES Make them up or have children make up their own.
SITTING Criss-cross applesauce, On heels , Hero with toes pointing behind (not to the side), Diamond, Butterfly, Pretzel and half pretzel (Lotus and half lotus), Mermaid/Zig-Zag, Triangles, Comfortable Seat
SENSORY INTEGRATION/BRAIN GYM Cross Crawls: Standing, Sitting, or Lying on Back (Youtube video: “Brain Gym Exercise for Students” with Zonya Foco) Hook Up/Half Hook Up: Standing or Sitting Sphere Fingers: Open and close two of the same fingers at a time Positive Points: Massage forehead and move to eyebrows Listening Ears (Thinking Cap): Massage ears The Rocker Lazy Eights There are lots more of these.
BEAN BAG ACTIVITIES (See Separate Handout) MOVEMENT SONGS Clap Your Hands The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water Five Little Speckled Frogs Good Morning Song Green Grass Grew All Around Funga Alafia Hunt the Cows In My Garden Jim Along Josie Jump, Jim, Joe Long Wing Feathers Medicine Wheel Chant: I am the Snow Goose Old Brass Wagon One Little Bird The Paw-Paw Patch Sally Go Round the Sun The Snail and the Mouse Snail Snail The Tree Song (4 Seasons) Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch What Shall We Do? You’ll Sing a Song