Dance With Just One Part

To music, children dance moving only the body part shown on the teacher's card while the rest of the body stays still. It builds isolated movement and rhythm.

How to play

1. Seated, the teacher shows the cards (head, shoulders, arms, hands, hips, feet) and children touch each part on their body (1 min).
2. Standing in place, the music plays and the teacher holds up a card: only that part dances (2 min).
3. The teacher switches cards often and adds new parts such as elbows, knees or tummy (1 min).
4. Dance around the room with the part the card calls: walking and moving shoulders, walking and moving the head (2 min).
5. Last card: "Whole body!" Dance with everything and freeze like statues when the music stops (1 min).

Rules

• Only the part on the card dances; the rest stays still.
• Look at the card to know which part dances.
• When the music stops, freeze.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: dance seated using upper-body parts; swap the feet card for hands.
• Visual impairment: call out each card and describe the movement.
• Hearing impairment: hold the card high and use a red card to show the music has stopped.

Learning goals

• Move one body part while keeping the rest still.
• Match a picture on a card to a part of one's own body.
• Move in time with the music.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Music
• Body-part picture cards: 8

Teacher tip

Make big laminated cards with simple drawings. At first, let them laugh at how hard it is to move only the head; they'll get it bit by bit.

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