Intellidance® Bouncing Into Spring

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Intellidance® Bouncing Into Spring Early childhood teachers know how much children LOVE thematic creative dance activities. Combining imaginative play with movement and music concepts supports children’s understanding of how dance and music can be used to express different ideas, characters, emotions and seasons. The Intellidance® Bouncing into Spring activity pack provides you with six bunny themed activities to explore with children ages 2-6. We’ve created an accompanying playlist of songs to match the activities in this package, as well as additional preschool bunny songs to inspire you to create your own thematic activities. At the end of this activity pack you will also find the Intellidance® Spring Bunnies coloring sheet.

Find the accompanying playlist on Spotify by following Intellidance®!

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1. Sleepy Bunnies (Space/Speed) This activity supports the concept of Space, moving through the space and resting in place, and Speed, responding to changes in tempo. It is suitable for children ages 2-6. “In the spring the bunnies come out to play! Can you find your own special place for your bunny to sleep? When the slow music plays, we will be sleeping bunnies in place. When the fast music starts, the bunnies get to wake up and hop, jump, wiggle and bounce through the space.” Little bunnies snoozing in the morning sun, I would like to wake them up so we can have some fun. Shhhh be quiet! Wake up! Hop hop bunnies, hop and hop, Wiggle your tail, your ears go flop, Hop hop bunnies, hop and hop Hop until you drop! Song repeats twice. Song: Sleepy Bunnies by Denise Gagne Developmental Benefits:

• Cognitive development through matching verbal/musical cues to resting in place or moving through the space.

• Physical development through level and tempo changes and experiencing movement and stillness.

• Spatial awareness development through moving in a shared space with others.

• Social development through observing, participating and engaging with others in the class.

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2. Bunny Hop (Movement/Relationships: Partner Lead & Follow Dance)

This activity supports the concept of Movement, sections of locomotor and non-locomotor movements, and Relationships, dancing in lead and follow, side by side, and face to face (mirroring) with a partner. It is suitable for children ages 3-6. “Today we are going to do a partner dance called Bunny Hop. We will jump like bunnies through the space and then wiggle different bunny body parts in place. We will also take turns being the leader bunny and being the shadow bunny. The shadow bunny must dance behind the leader bunny and follow them as they jump/hop through the space and wiggle in place. We will switch who the leader is and who is the shadow, each time the song repeats. (Jump around the space) Bunny Hop, Bunny Hop, Hop, hop, hop. Bunny Hop, Bunny Hop, Hop, hop, STOP! (Stop in place) (Wiggle body parts when cued) Wiggle your ears, Wiggle your nose, Wiggle your paws, (hands) Wiggle your cotton tail! (bottom) Song repeats 3 times. Extending the dance: The third time the song repeats you can add the challenge of changing the relationship to beside and have the dancers hold hands and dance together during the jumps/hops. During the wiggle section dancer can face each other in a mirroring relationship. Song: Bunny Hop by Katherine Dines

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Developmental Benefits: • Physical development through practicing different locomotor and non-

locomotor movements. • Cognitive development through gaining understanding of difference

between movements that travel through the space and those that happen in place.

• Cognitive development through moving in a lead and follow/side-by-side/ face-to-face relationships.

• Spatial awareness through moving in relationship to a partner and the group.

• Social development through dancing with a partner. 3. Bunny Beats with Rhythm Sticks (Rhythm) Sticks provide children with a strong, staccato sound that is an effective way to work on finding and keeping the beat. For children ages 2-3, keep the activity more basic, focusing on keeping the beat while playing the sticks in different ways (overhead, side to side, behind the back) or in simple patterns (e.g. ground, together, together). “Let’s try different ways of playing along to the beat in place with our sticks. We can tap them together, in front, behind or beside our body, or gently on different body parts. I will use my watching eyes to see all the different ways you can play your sticks along to the song John the Rabbit.” For children ages 4-6 try more challenging variation of turning the activity into a follow the leader game. “Let’s try different ways of playing along to the beat in place with our sticks. We can tap them together, in front, behind or beside our body, or gently on different body parts. When I call your name, you are the leader and get to choose how to play the sticks in place. The rest of the group will copy the leader. We will all get a chance to be the leader during the game.” Song: John the Rabbit by The Nields

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Developmental Benefits: • Hand-eye coordination development through holding and tapping sticks

together. • Motor development through exploring various ways of tapping sticks

(together, on the ground, over-head, rolling sticks, rubbing sticks, etc.) • Motor development through exploring different locomotor and non-

locomotor movements. • Spatial awareness through moving in relationship to a hula hoop. • Auditory development through tapping sticks to the beat. • Social development through enjoyment of making music in a group.

4. The Rabbit Hole with Hula Hoops (Space) Hula Hoops provide young children with a clear visual representation of personal space (place). This allows children the opportunity to continue to explore their own kinesphere and create new understanding of locomotor and non-locomotor movement vocabulary.For children ages 2-3, keep the activity more basic by moving through the activity individually. “I am going to give each of my little bunnies a hula hoop! This is your rabbit hole. Let’s try different ways of moving through the space around the rabbit hole and in place inside the rabbit hole.” For children ages 4-6 try the activity in partners. One partner will be the bunny dancing in the rabbit hole in place (inside the hula hoop), and the other partner will be the bunny dancing through the space around the rabbit hole. Partway through the song switch roles. Song: Mango Walk by Kerri Lynn Nichols Developmental Benefits:

• Physical development through exploring different locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

• Spatial awareness through moving in relationship to a prop and others. • Emotional development by dancing using movements of choice.

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5. Little Bunnies Transition Song (Sung to the Tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

This adaptation of the song Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is a simple way to transition children from gross motor activities to sitting/resting and listening. Complete actions as you sing. “Little Bunnies turn around, Little Bunnies touch the ground, Little Bunnies wiggle your nose, Little Bunnies touch your toes, Little Bunnies rest your head, Little Bunnies time for bed. Shhhhhhhh!” Video Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cud4loJjjak 6. Mr. Rabbit Finger Play Poem (Body Parts) This simple finger play poem is a thematic way to work on body part awareness and identification for young children. (Bounce hands in bunny shape up and down to the beat) Mr. Rabbit has a habit That is very cute to see. (Wiggle ears) He wiggles his ears, (Touch nose) And wiggles his nose, (Hop fingers down legs) And hops on down to (Tickle toes) Tickle your toes!

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Video Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkLTJ2_WUs Developmental Benefits:

• Supporting early language and communication development through rhymes.

• Increasing body awareness through moving and touching various body parts.

• Fine motor development by developing finger dexterity through finger, hand, and wrist movements.

©2019 Intellidance Inc. Please note: No part of the package may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise- without the prior written consent of Intellidance Inc. Intellidance is a registered trademark of Jessica Baudin-Griffin.

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SPRING BUNNIESHop hop bunnies, hop and hop, Wiggle your tail, your ears go flop, Hop hop bunnies, hop and hop,Hop until you drop!