Children can have so much fun learning curriculum concepts when coupled with movement. Here are 3 ideas you can use when it’s time to reinforce what your child is learning in school or at home.

• Dance the letters: Get some inexpensive 2-inch wide masking tape or colorful duct tape which can be found at most Dollar stores. Find a non-carpeted area in your home/classroom and tape 3-5 words on the floor that your child needs to learn. Tell them that their feet will need to follow the proper letter formation as they would do if they were writing by hand. Use instrumental music that is light, yet slow and rhythmic enough for them to move across the letters where they are making the connection between how their feet should move and how their hands move when they write. Pick music based on what you think works best for your child. I like the instrumental version of Smile by Kirk Franklin for this activity. Check out YouTube. Now, turn on the music and tell them to “dance the letters!” (Note: You can tape down your letters in block-style or with curves as regular letters appear, but, remember, there is no elasticity in duct tape so it will get wrinkly as you make curves. I believe that having the tape bubble up a bit and feel wrinkly under the foot lends itself to a more tactile experience for the student, but both are effective.)

• Dancing magnets: Children always seem to be fascinated by magnets. They love to use those big horseshoe magnets or even common household refrigerator magnets to see how many paper clips, staples, and other items adhere to it. Allow your child to experiment with these items. Remind them that magnetism is a force that can pull an object to itself (attract) or force an object away from itself (repel).

So, when I did this lesson with my 1st grade class, I wanted them to have a deeper understanding of the words “attract” and “repel,” and also reinforce their science and vocabulary skills. I let them see how the same ends of magnets repel (south and south or north and north) and how opposite ends attract (north and south).

“Dancing magnets” is a partner activity, so if there is only one child present, and you are willing, you will need to be the partner. First, you’ll need music. Choose the instrumental version of a high-energy song. Don’t laugh, but I used the instrumental version of the song, “Hot Lunch Jam” from the soundtrack of the original movie, Fame, made back in 1980 about the students from the High School of Performing Arts in New York City! At the time, my 1st grade students didn’t even think 1980 was an actual year!

Anyway, as the music plays, you will alternate between saying the words “attract” and “repel” For example, I would say “Attract!” when I wanted the partners to smile at each other and dance closer (not touching, just close); and then I would say “Repel!” when I would want them to kind of sneer at their partner and dance at a distance. Allow them to dance for about 5-10 seconds after you say, “Attract!” and the same after your say, “Repel!” Alternate saying those words as they dance for about 1-2 minutes. You want to do it long enough for them to feel energized and also get a deeper understanding of the two words through movement.

By the way, you can also add these words to the “dancing letters” activity.

• Fitness dance: In this activity, children get to show what they know about a component of physical fitness. There are 5 components: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. They can do this in pairs or individually. If working in pairs, each student picks one component. They’ll need to read about their specific component. They can do this using a variety of text sources and selected online videos. One video I showed was Schoolhouse Rock: Do the Circulation. It showed how we we need our heart to work efficiently so that we can move and be fit. Next, on poster board, they will write the definition, key vocabulary words, an illustration representing that component, and an explanation of how they will show it through movement. For example, I had students who did cartwheels to show flexibility and lifted weights to show muscular endurance. Give the students time to practice the movement activity that will represent their physical fitness component. Using music is optional.

Whether you are in the classroom or at home, these activities will give the children an opportunity to make meaning through movement.