Song and Dance
Rhythms
Make homemade drums to make a variety of rhythms. (See the Crafting Corner to make the instruments!) Start simple with basic rhythms and progress to more complicated rhythms. Have your child copy your rhythm patterns, and then you copy rhythms that your child makes. This activity should incorporate fun and creativity along with interactive play between you and your child.
Basic rhythms
- Alternate hands hitting once with each hand. Do 10 in a row.
Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left- Right-Left-Right
- ·Alternate hands hitting twice with each hand. Do 10 in a row.
Left-Left-Right-Right-Left-Left-Right- Right-Left-Left
Slightly more complex rhythms
- Twice with one hand and once with the other
Left-Left-Right Left-Left-Right Left- Left-Right
and then switch to
Right-Right-Left Right-Right-Left Right-Right-Left
- Twice with both hands and clap (Similar to what you’d hear in the song “We Will Rock You”)
Both-Both-Clap Both-Both-Clap
More Complex rhythms
More Complex rhythms can involve more body parts such as stomping or hitting hands on knees, more steps in the rhythmic sequence, or using each arm/leg with different patterns (instead of a simple alternating pattern).
- Alternate stomping then Clap
Left Stomp – Right Stomp – Clap Left Stomp – Right Stomp – Clap
- Alternate stomping then alternate hands
Left Stomp – Right Stomp – Left Hand – Right Hand
Left Stomp – Right Stomp – Left Stomp – Right Stomp – Left Hand – Right Hand
Left Stomp – Left Hand – Right Stomp – Right Hand
Left Stomp – Right Hand – Right
Stomp – Left Hand
Sensory Station
Our sensory systems are important body systems that help us stay focused and be able to participate in our day. Things like stress, anxiety, noise, lights, textures, and other sensations can all be overwhelming. Finding strategies that help handle these overwhelming situations can make a huge difference. Check out the different ideas below and find what works best for you and your family. Please be aware of precautions and contraindications that may be specific to you/your family, and avoid movements that may be harmful or dangerous to your situation.
Heavy Work and Deep Pressure (Proprioceptive Input)
Heavy work and deep pressure activities can be very calming and can help decrease anxiety
Heavy Work Ideas:
- Carry a heavy backpack
- Carry firewood
- Carry, Push, or Pull full laundry baskets
- Push a rolling chair with a adult in it
- Play tug-of-war
- Shovel or dig in snow or dirt
- Carry full grocery bags
- Sucking applesauce or pudding through a straw
- Blowing through a straw to move a ping pong ball or cotton ball across a table
Deep Pressure Ideas
- Wear tight form-fitting clothing that give a gentle “squeeze”
- Lay heavy items across your lap when sitting
- Give big hugs/squeezes to each other
- Roll a pilates-size ball over your body with a little pressure to feel a gentle “squeeze”
Movement for Vestibular Input
Playing outside or in large open spaces is a great choice for giving your body the sensory inputs it needs. Moving through space and allowing your head to be in a variety of positions (especially upside down) help to give your body the movement inputs that is needs.
Vestibular Ideas:
- Somersaults
- Cartwheels
- Running, Skipping, Jumping
- Log rolling down a hill
- Spinning in circles (be sure to go both ways)
- Walking along a log or beam
- Swinging
- Teeter Totter
- Jump rope
- Riding a bike or scooter
- Handstands/Headstands
- Hanging upside down off of edge of bed or couch to pick up something from the floor and sitting up in between each
Crafting Corner
Egg Carton Crafts
Be creative with left over egg cartons!
- Use them to organize beads, buttons, or other craft items
- Use them to hold paint during crafts
- Cut them to separate each cup and use them to make a variety of things:
~ Arrange them in a circle to make a flower, glue them together, paint them, add a puff ball center and a pipe cleaner stem
~ Arrange several in a line to make a caterpillar. Glue them together, paint them, and add a puff ball head and pipe cleaner legs
Homemade Lava Lamp
You’ll Need:
- Vegetable Oil
- Food Coloring
- Small cup
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- 1 L bottle or cup
- Spoon
1. In your 1 L bottle or cup, add 3 Tbsp. of baking soda
2. Fill 2/3 of your bottle with the vegetable oil, making sure it rests on top of the baking soda and doesn’t mix with it
3. In the other smaller container add some vinegar and 3 drops of your food coloring
4. Add the vinegar solution to the big 1L container, slowly, and watch what happens!
Homemade Music Instruments
Maracas: Use a small plastic bowl with a lid. Put items in the bowl to make noise such as beads, buttons, small rocks, popcorn kernels, nuts/bolts, paper clips, or keys.
Drums:
- Drum 1: Empty containers wit lids on, varying in size from small food containers up to empty storate totes.
- Drum 2: Trash cans – on side or upside down, varying in size
- Drum 3: Boxes that are taped closed
- Drum 4: Pots and Pans – turn upside down
*Note* For the drums, use hands, spoons, wooden spoons, chopsticks, etc to hit the containers to make rhythms.
Guitar: Use an open container such as a plastic bowl and stretch rubber bands across the opening. Pluck the rubber bands for noise. Vary the size of the container, the thickness of the rubber bands, and the tightness of the rubber bands for different tone ranges
Homemade Play Doh
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup salt
- 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- Food coloring (gel food coloring gives a richer color)
1. Add the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and vegetable oil to a sauce pan.
2. Add some food coloring to a cup of water, then pour into the sauce pan
3. Stir over medium heat until the mixture gets sticky and fully combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Remove dough from saucepan and knead into a smooth ball of play doh
5. Store in a sealed plastic bag with air squeezed out to prevent dough from drying out.
Body Movements
Slow Motion
Make a game out of slow movements. Whatever activity you’re doing, do it in slow motion – pretend to be a snail or sloth, or anything else that moves slowly. Focus on keeping your body in control during the slow movements. By staying in control, you are working to improve balance and total body control as well as focus and attention
Animal Walks
- Use animal walks during your day
- Bear Walk (Hands and Feet – Face Down)
- Frog Jump (Squat and Jump)
- Crab Walk (Hands and Feet – Face Up)
- Bunny Hop
- Snake Slither (Flat on belly and go!)
- Penguin Waddle (Keep knees straight!)
- Duck Walk (Squat and walk)