It’s time to kick off our first Music and Movement Monday with one of my personal favorites, The Hampsterdance Song!

To get your bodies movin’ and groovin’, grab a partner and head to the dance floor (or living room floor)! Start the song by modeling simple movements like marching in place or clapping.  As the song progresses, challenge your child by combining a prop, like a dishtowel, to the movements you model. This activity can be a great way to improve motor coordination, joint attention, imitation, and following direction skills. To add variety, trade off letting your child model the dance moves for you and work on sharing control and building rapport.

Here are a few suggestions for movement ideas:

• Clap hands both behind the back and in front
• Tap knees or other body parts
• Wave hands in the air both together and separately
• March in place or in a circle
• Roll your arms in a barrel motion
• Hop on both feet or one at a time

Here’s a link to the song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qN72LEQnaU

Happy dancing friends!