International Dance Day is a great opportunity to explore the different genres of music you use in your setting and see how children respond to a variety of rhythms, beats, and styles. Music and movement support physical development, self‑expression, creativity, and emotional wellbeing.
Link in 180 Katie and encourage the children to get their bodies moving, raise their heart rates, and feel their hearts go Boom Boom Boom! Remember children need 180 minutes of physical activity daily and for children aged 3-5 they need to have a minimum of 60 minutes of high intensity and 120 minutes of low to moderate.
Include All of the Startwell Characters:
- Suzy Startwell for role modelling a range of movements
- 180 Katie for heart‑raising movement
- Sammy Skills for coordination and balance
- Active Azra for keeping movements big and active
Below are some ideas to get you started:
Explore Different Music Gentres with Active Azra and 180 Katie
Play short clips of contrasting genres throughout the day and observe how children naturally move or react. You could try:
- Pop
- Classical
- Afrobeat
- Rock
- Caribbean/Reggae
- Jazz
- Bollywood
- Traditional cultural songs
- Drum and percussion rhythms
Ask:
- How do you think this music makes your body want to move?
- Can you move fast… slow… make bigger or smaller movements?
Get Your Heart Going with 180 Katie
180 Katie loves anything that gets the heart beating faster! Try:
- Fast‑paced dance routines
- “Follow the leader” movement games
- Dancing with scarves or ribbon sticks
- Jumping, twirling, and spinning challenges
Encourage children to notice:
- “Is your heart beating faster now?”
- “Are you feeling warmer?”
- “What movements make your heart go boom boom boom?”
Great for teaching children about healthy hearts and active play.
Dance Themed Activity Ideas with All of the Characters
Around the World Dance: Play music from different cultures and encourage children to try the movements. You could explore:
- Salsa
- Bhangra
- Irish dancing
- African dance
- Line dancing
Dance Storytelling: Use music to act out parts of a story – animals, weather, transport, emotions.
Freeze Dance: Play a song, stop the music suddently, and children greeze in a funny pose.
Balloon Dance: Children dance while keeping a balloon in the air – great for coordination.
Shadow Dancing: Partner activity! One child leads movement, the other copies like a shadow.
Mini Disco: Lights off, disco lights or torches on. Dancing freely to upbeat songs.
Remember the Importance of Parent Partnership
- Record short videos for parents demonstrating dances the children enjoyed and remind them of the 180 Katie message
- Let children create their own moves and name their dance styles then share these with the parents and ask them to try them out at home.
- Provide scarves, ribbons, pom‑poms, or fabric pieces to enhance movement in setting and give parents ideas to try at hoe such as using tea towels, pillow cases, scarfs etc
