The Rainbow Drums

Rhythm is such an important skill for all dancers the master. And the fun part of teaching rhythm is you can start at any age! Even 2 & 3-year-olds can practice finding the beating of the music when presented in an age-appropriate way.

This activity is always a huge hit with my students!! They love to pretend to be drummers and love to drum on the different colors.

Here's how it works!

Give each student a pair of rhythm sticks and 2-4 pieces of different color construction paper. For my toddler classes, I start with just 2 colors, while my minis get 4 different colors. Each piece of construction paper is a different drum.

Once you are set up, lead your dancers through a series of drumming. Create patterns using the different colors such as:

blue, blue, blue, blue, red, red, red, red

OR

blue, blue, red, red, blue, blue, red, red

Older students will love more complex patterns such as:

blue, red, green, red, blue, red, green, red

OR

blue, blue, blue, red, green, red, green

Continue creating new drumming patterns to challenge your dancers. Using music is optional for this activity! You can use the music as a way to keep the beat or keep it quiet while challenging your students to make their own music. Either way works great!

As an added bonus, this activity is a great way to help your students hear the beat of their recital song! Play their song and have them drum along with it. It really makes a difference in their ability to hear their music on stage.

Down By The Banks

Young dancers love to learn little songs and poems in class. Not only is it fun, but it also helps your dancers learn sequencing and strengthens their ability to memorize new steps from one week to the next.

This fun little song is one you may remember from when you were little! It was always a hit on the playground and the catchy little ditty still gets stuck in my head from time-to-time. Let's give this old song some new life as we use it to teach our dancers this mini combination which features the Maxiford!

Check out the video below to see it in action!

Side Note: There are lots of different versions of this song. Feel free to use whatever version you know and love. The lyrics I am using today go like this:

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky,

Where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky,

With an E - I - O - U

Leap off a lily pad and go KERPLOP!

The Mermaid Pokey: A Song & Dance to Teach Right & Left

Learning your right hand from your left hand is such an important skill when you’re little. This whimsical version of the Hokey Pokey is a great way to help your littlest dancers learn this skill. I use this song right at the beginning of every preschool class and after just a couple of weeks they are pros!

Check out the video below to see it in action.