A Dancing Trip Through the Jungle
The teacher tells the story of a jungle trip, and in each part a different piece of music plays and children dance it: the river, the monkeys, the snake, the rain and the sleeping tiger. It works on dancing a story and changing movement with the music.
How to play
- Sitting down, the teacher announces the trip: we put on our imaginary backpacks and hats and dance out of the house to happy music (2 min).
- We reach the river: to flowing music, children dance like water, rippling the whole body, and cross by jumping from one imaginary stone to the next (3 min).
- The monkeys in the trees: to fast, funny music, they dance swinging their arms, scratching and jumping (3 min).
- The snake and the rain: first they dance slithering on the floor to slow music, then, when the rain sounds, they dance with their hands like raindrops, faster and faster (3 min).
- The sleeping tiger: to very soft music, they dance past on tiptoe without waking it, and if the teacher roars, they freeze (2 min).
- Heading home: dancing tired and slower and slower, we take off our backpacks and sit down (2 min).
Rules
- I dance each part of the story the way I imagine it.
- When the teacher talks, I listen; when the music plays, I dance.
- If the tiger roars, I freeze.
- I dance without bumping the other explorers.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only three stops (river, monkeys and tiger), with the teacher dancing the whole story along with them.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, do the full trip with the teacher narrating and dancing.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the teacher only narrates and children invent the dance; at the end, they suggest a new animal to add to the trip.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: for the snake, the child dances with the arms from the chair; for the river, they ripple the trunk.
- Hearing impairment: each part of the story has a picture the teacher shows before the music plays.
- Autism: show the pictures in order at the start and warn about the tiger's roar, or replace it with a gesture.
Learning goals
- Act out story characters with the body.
- Change movement when the music changes.
- Enjoy a danced story with the group.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Music
Teacher tip
Prepare a playlist with one clip for each part and keep the pictures handy. Use few words and let the music do the rest.
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