Dancing/Circle Time Questions

[Mrs. CC]

We do "dancing" but I am not a dancer and it is more of a rock, weave and hop as you please time. Is this what you all do? Do you use videos or just lead yourself?

And Circle Time, we sit close to a circle and chatter or sing twinkle twinkle or itsy bitsy, but beyond that I am not too creative with it.

I have a potential plan based on our church weekly handouts (parents already know we are Christian Based) for ideas for circle time, but wanted other perspectives

[beachgrl]

I have cd's with different action songs the kids really like or I make up movements to go along with them. I like to incorporate sign language into what we do and we normally they to do some activities like the weather graph, calendar, abc's, counting, songs, colors and shapes where we find them on us or in the em depending on ea child's ability to sit and participate

[daycare]

I am crazy.... not according to a doctor... just the daycare kids.


I make all of ours up each morning as we dance. They usually relate to out lessons as well..

Last week:

what do you want to be for halloween?

One boy said a pirate, so with some fun music on:

we pretended to start out on a boat....use your arms to row....
Then we had to walk the plank...march with your legs really high

we jumped into the water, plug your nose and wiggle all the way down to the ground.. SPLASH!

then we had to swim, use your arms and swim swim swim.
Oh no a shark...swim faster....faster...faster..
Oh no a whale.... lay on your tummy kick your feet and move your arms ...swim swim swim..

Ahhh finally land, get up and walk in place slowly.... (Some times this is when I will transition to our reading, by slowing it down and then getting the kids to calm down and sit)

or we can continue:

Hey we found an Island.... lets explore

Then we continue to make it up again from there or I will ask another child what they want to be for halloween and we act that out while dancing...

[Mrs. CC]

I am crazy.... not according to a doctor... just the daycare kids.


I make all of ours up each morning as we dance. They usually relate to out lessons as well..

Last week:

what do you want to be for halloween?

One boy said a pirate, so with some fun music on:

we pretended to start out on a boat....use your arms to row....
Then we had to walk the plank...march with your legs really high

we jumped into the water, plug your nose and wiggle all the way down to the ground.. SPLASH!

then we had to swim, use your arms and swim swim swim.
Oh no a shark...swim faster....faster...faster..
Oh no a whale.... lay on your tummy kick your feet and move your arms ...swim swim swim..

Ahhh finally land, get up and walk in place slowly.... (Some times this is when I will transition to our reading, by slowing it down and then getting the kids to calm down and sit)

or we can continue:

Hey we found an Island.... lets explore

Then we continue to make it up again from there or I will ask another child what they want to be for halloween and we act that out while dancing...

May I enroll in YOUR Circle Time!?!??! That is way creative and cool!!!! I am going to practice a bit and do this!!

[daycare]

awe you are too sweet thanks... Im a big kid by nature, so it comes easy to me. I don't want to have to grow up....

I think that once you start doing it, it becomes easier.

For example...we are going on a tour next week to the fire station. Our first trip got cancelled because the guys/gals got a call while on the tour..So we got rescheduled..

So here's a few of my ideas for dance/circle time

are you ready to be a fire fighter:

first we have to get dressed:

sit down, with legs in the butterfly position, put on your socks one at a time..
Left foot first
ok, now your right

What's that smell? Is it your socks? Ok lets check it out...
Have each child take their toe to their nose and pretend to smell their food. Most kids can do this believe it or not...Even I can...
Then we say oh stinky and make sure you call out right and left again when you do it...

What do you need next? Shoes
that's right..

Still sitting, put your fire boots on. Now put your legs out straight and hold on to the tips of your boots...Lets count to ten... (this is a great stretch)

Ok, time to put our suspenders on. Stand up and put them on.
Jacket....check.
helmet....check

ok now wiggle down the fire pole.

Jump in the first truck....see how high they can jump for any length of time

Ok let get going we have an emergency...pretend to drive while moving to the beat of the music.

Oh no do you see it...I see smoke...put your hand to your eye like your looking for something..

That a huge fire....lets put it out.

get out your ladder....(pretend to get it out)

ok climb the ladder, using hand one over the next while lifting legs, left right, left right. Climb climb climb

Phew that was close...ok get your hose out and SPRAY....(make sure the kids don't spit on each other while pretending to spray) This happened last time we did this....

So you get the point.....we move a lot... Now I think I understand why my kids all crash out half way through lunch....Because after all of that movement, we even go to the park....

[Blackcat31]

We use the Playskool Dance Cam http://www.kidstechreview.com/2008/1...kool-dance-cam

Kids can watch themselves on TV dancing. It is sort of interactive as it has preloaded music and the kids can move and groove like the cartoon character on screen or free-dance in any way they want!

They love it at this egocentric time in their lives.

[Mrs. CC]

awe you are too sweet thanks... Im a big kid by nature, so it comes easy to me. I don't want to have to grow up....

I think that once you start doing it, it becomes easier.

For example...we are going on a tour next week to the fire station. Our first trip got cancelled because the guys/gals got a call while on the tour..So we got rescheduled..

So here's a few of my ideas for dance/circle time

are you ready to be a fire fighter:

first we have to get dressed:

sit down, with legs in the butterfly position, put on your socks one at a time..
Left foot first
ok, now your right

What's that smell? Is it your socks? Ok lets check it out...
Have each child take their toe to their nose and pretend to smell their food. Most kids can do this believe it or not...Even I can...
Then we say oh stinky and make sure you call out right and left again when you do it...

What do you need next? Shoes
that's right..

Still sitting, put your fire boots on. Now put your legs out straight and hold on to the tips of your boots...Lets count to ten... (this is a great stretch)

Ok, time to put our suspenders on. Stand up and put them on.
Jacket....check.
helmet....check

ok now wiggle down the fire pole.

Jump in the first truck....see how high they can jump for any length of time

Ok let get going we have an emergency...pretend to drive while moving to the beat of the music.

Oh no do you see it...I see smoke...put your hand to your eye like your looking for something..

That a huge fire....lets put it out.

get out your ladder....(pretend to get it out)

ok climb the ladder, using hand one over the next while lifting legs, left right, left right. Climb climb climb

Phew that was close...ok get your hose out and SPRAY....(make sure the kids don't spit on each other while pretending to spray) This happened last time we did this....

So you get the point.....we move a lot... Now I think I understand why my kids all crash out half way through lunch....Because after all of that movement, we even go to the park....

GENIUS!! I have printed these two and plan to memorize them! Thank you so much!!

[hoopinglady]

My ex helper was good at making stuff up like daycare's but I've always struggled with it too. I have to have a bit more of a formula.

We sing, "the more we get together..." and then sing good morning to each person and the dog. We then move on to motion songs and big motor games. I slow it down by having them stretch tall, touch their toes, side to side, etc, sloooowly. We play a freeze game and see how quiet and still everyone can be. I read a book, sometimes go around and ask a questions or bring up a topic and have everyone weigh in, taking turns talking.

You have to feel if they are getting bored and antsy and respond with something that will be engaging.

sometimes we make charts or rules....


We play an animal game where everyone gets a turn to choose an animal and show everyone else step by step how the animal moves and sounds. I'm not sure who made it up but it's a good one.

Sometimes they'll make up their own songs.

For dancing, I just turn on the music and tell them to stay on the rug and keep their hands to themselves and I do not get involved. ::

Ring around the rosie is nice though.

[karen]

I use the kids in motion cd by Gregg and Steve. The kids love it.
Songs include....Animal Action 1 and 2, Freeze and Body Rock. Just to name a few. I do all of the fun movement dance stuff at the begining then I can do calendar, flashcards and weather. I have songs that I sing with each activity.
Ex....
Calendar song-There are 7 days in the week
Flaschcards Songs
Colors Flaschcards-The color song ( I go around the room and pick a child and an article of clothing they are wearing and sing about it. Karen has a grey shirt grey shirt grey shirt Karen has a grey shirt on today.) That is one of the kids favorites. I make sure to include everyone even the baby!::
Shapes Flaschcards-Twinkle Twinkle
Numbers Flaschcards-1 2 buckle my shoe
Thats just some of the songs I do.

[hoopinglady]

I use the kids in motion cd by Gregg and Steve. The kids love it.
Songs include....Animal Action 1 and 2, Freeze and Body Rock. Just to name a few. I do all of the fun movement dance stuff at the begining then I can do calendar, flashcards and weather. I have songs that I sing with each activity.
Ex....
Calendar song-There are 7 days in the week
Flaschcards Songs
Colors Flaschcards-The color song ( I go around the room and pick a child and an article of clothing they are wearing and sing about it. Karen has a grey shirt grey shirt grey shirt Karen has a grey shirt on today.) That is one of the kids favorites. I make sure to include everyone even the baby!::
Shapes Flaschcards-Twinkle Twinkle
Numbers Flaschcards-1 2 buckle my shoe
Thats just some of the songs I do.

That reminds me...we do "how many noses in the circle today? How many ears? etc. How many people are wearing blue shirts?

[Sprouts]

I love hap palmer songs, theyre sound kind of "groovy" and the kids love dancing to them especially "shake something" song