3 Winter Themed Activities Sure to "Warm Up" Your Dance Classes!

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Whether the view from your window is snowdrifts and ice (that's me) or sunshine and palm trees (paradise!), we all have this ONE weather-related thing in common --

The undeniable FUN of SNOW -- even if it is just in our imaginations!

Every January, I do an entire month of SNOWY FUN themed dance classes for my preschool and early elementary age students -- and they remember and ask for our winter activities year after year. 

When my students fuse the power of their imaginations with the dance technique and concepts they are learning in class, they all benefit! Adding interactive simple props help them to remember and understand the dance concepts even more.

Here are three interactive snow-themed activities for preschool, elementary, and secondary aged dancers!

Are you teaching virtually right now? These resource will also work for online students - I've got you covered. You just need to send them an emailed copy of the printables.

SNOWFLAKE SKILLS - for preschool & early elementary ballet & jazz

Create an at-home or in-studio obstacle course. If you have foam or felt snowflakes, you can use those OR print some copies of this snowflake printable. Line up multiple copies of the snowflakes, and do locomotor skills over and around them. The students can practice jumps, hops, tiptoe-walks, chasse' side to side, zigzagging through, leaping, & more. You can also spread the snowflakes around your space in a random pattern. Have the dancers do their own individual freestyle moves, with the one rule that they must jump or leap over the snowflake when they come to it.

SNOWBALL FIGHT - can be adapted for all ages

You'll want to take a picture of your students' shocked and delighted faces when you tell them they are supposed to take a fresh piece of blank paper and.....CRUMPLE IT and THROW IT! Use your paper snowballs in some of the following ways:

• as a treat for hard work and concentration in class, have an impromptu snowball fight
• ask your dancers toss their snowball across the room, then do alternating chasse', or another traveling step they need to review, to retrieve it
• practice ballet port de bras, body positions, or an adagio combination while holding your snowball, then release it into the air

Endless ideas!

READY FOR SNOW - best for preschool & early elementary age

This activity helps to immerse the students in a winter theme and use their imaginations to guide their movement. You can ask them, "What do we need to wear to play outside in the snow?". I like to be silly and suggest items like a bathing suit or cowboy boots -- the kids get a kick out of correcting me and choosing the right item!  Use this printable to let the class help get the stick figure dressed for snow, or use this online version for your zoom classes.

Then, create a warm-up exercise, where you use isolated movements while pretending to put on all of your snow gear! For my full lesson plan using this concept, check out this resource.

Keep the fun going all season long, with easy-to-use, affordable, print-and-play games and dance lesson inspiration resources -- with 10+ winter-themed teacher tools for classes and camps!

Visit my shop for more dance resources that support a creative, positive, and imaginative dance classroom. Keep in touch by signing up for my weekly newsletter, and join me on Facebook at dance dance HOORAY!