Developing fit bodies and bright minds are important parts of the role dance plays in the Primary classroom.  Active bodies are central to dance as an art form and the creative aspect of dance elevates this activity beyond simple exercise.

Current research highlights the important part physical activity can play in nurturing cognitive skills, focus and healthy bodies in Primary aged children.

“Being active can positively affect sleep patterns, mental health, concentration, self-esteem and confidence (DoH 2009, 2017a).” Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Recommendations for children aged 5 – 12 years old include at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.  This can be a hard target to reach as children are attracted to more sedentary screen-based activities in their time away from school.

Using brain breaks and games based learning activities in the classroom can be useful.  However, using dance to integrate with other learning areas enables children to be active, creative and engaged while learning at the same time.

 

 

In Australia evidence suggests that physical activity levels of Australian children remain consistently low, despite access to and availability of facilities and open spaces. There is a strong need for a National Physical Activity Plan to address this. … encourages us all to think more imaginatively about how we might engage all children and young people through diverse physical activity opportunities to be more active.                  (Teich, Fuhner, Granacher et al , 2023)

Here are three ways that dance can be used in your classroom to develop focus and build fitness.

Small movement activities

Movement activities that call for small, focused movements can rest the eyes when they fatigue from reading screens or text. In addition, they promote greater focus and help in developing fine motor skills. 

Occupational Therapist, Lauren Brukner, suggests starting with this small movement activity and working up to larger ones if children are experiencing difficulties reading.

• The children rub their hands together until the palms feel warm,
• close their eyes and place their warmed hands over their eyes (for at least 10 seconds)

To develop further, focus the students cross their arms before putting their hands over their eyes.

Alternatively, you could try a dance activity that uses small, but specific movement.  Try this breathing exercise that combines small hand movements with a conscious breath cycle.

• Sitting on the floor, place the hands in a prayer position.
• Breath in deeply and peel the hands apart, slowly, starting with the heel of the hand. Do this until the fingertips gently release apart.
• On the outward breath, repeat the movement in reverse by gently pressing the heel of the hand together until the fingertips rejoin.
• Repeat this slowly and smoothly several times, increasing the size of the circling of the hands after the fingertip release and increasing the depth of the breathing. The movement should culminate in the children making a full moon shape with their arms extended on the last repetition.

This activity is a lovely way to begin a dance class as it requires the children to centre on their breathing and the details of the movements of their hands.

Big Body Dance Play

In younger students, large general movements assist with bilateral integration, which is essential for writing, cutting with scissors, even riding a bike.  For older students, gross motor activity can help with balance, body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, and mobility.

These activities can include movements that travel through the space, push and pull, jump, leap, and squat amongst others.  Work to use a range of body parts that include large muscle groups, on a range of body planes.

The dance could be themed or just an exploration of a specific kind of movement.  Try using a Space theme that explores,

• Rocket blasting off movements (bend into a jump and landing on bent knees), using the arms above the head will make the movement more complex.
• Moon phase movements (a range of locomotor movements that travel, using skipping, galloping, running, or walking on the balls of your feet from one phase of moon to another), the children make shapes to represent the specific phase of the moon.
• Floating in Space (slow motion, large movements that explore different levels, shapes, and dimensions).

Alternatively, explore moving between large movements that balance,

• on one leg with a bent knee,
• with your heels off the floor and your hands above your head,
• with one straight leg raised at the side of the body while leaning away from that leg (how far can you lean?),
• in a squat with your arms stretched behind your body,

Then try joining these movements together in a sequence using locomotor movements. The children can choose in which order they come and even add their own unique balances.

  …considering the evidence provided from the scientific literature, the relationship between a physically active lifestyle and cognitive function in youth plays a crucial role in academic performance.               Physical Activity and Academic Performance in School-Age Children: A Systematic Review, 2023

Improvising Dance in the Primary Classroom

Improvising dance movements as a group can assist children in developing greater Spatial awareness.  Occupational Therapists stress the importance of body awareness activities for how children experience proximity to others and in turn, how they relate to others.

 

Design dance activities that use under, over, around, and through as stimulus for moving through the dance space with others. Children need to focus to keep distance from other while moving in a range of floor patterns and as they interact with the other children in the space.

As they grow in confidence you can make the space between the children closer until they are working together as pairs.

Dance as a way of developing fitness in children

Using dance in your classroom can be a way to build fitness while developing creativity and great focus.  Dance games and integrated learning activities make the classroom a place full of activity and curiosity.

The next time you’re planning a movement activity think about what skills your class most needs to develop.  If you need help with building dance learning activities become a part of the Dance Teaching Ideas community and save time having your lessons and resources at your fingertips.

Join Dance Teaching Ideas Membership today.

If it hasn’t been in the hands…and the body…it can’t be in the brain.  Bev Bos, Early childhood Educator

References

Teich, P., Fühner, T., Granacher, U. et al. (2023) Physical fitness of primary school children differs depending on their timing of school enrollment. Sci Rep 13, 8788 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35727-y

Latino, F & Tafuri F, (2023) Physical Activity and Academic Performance in School-Age Children: A Systematic Review, Sustainability 15(8):6616