Dancing in the Basement, the House and on the Roof

Children dance on three floors: the basement (lying or sitting on the floor), the house (kneeling or crouching) and the roof (standing tall on tiptoe), changing floors with the drum. It works on spatial levels and movement variety.

How to play

1. The teacher shows the three floors with their body: basement on the floor, house at middle height and roof stretched tall; everyone visits each one (2 min).
2. The music plays and the teacher calls a floor: children dance only at that height, inventing how to move there (3 min).
3. The elevator: one drum beat goes up a floor and two beats go down; children change level without stopping their dance (3 min).
4. Pick your floor: when the music stops, children freeze on any floor they like and the teacher guesses which one (2 min).
5. The elevator slowly goes down to the basement and everyone ends up dancing very softly lying down (2 min).

Rules

• I only dance on the floor we're on.
• One beat goes up, two beats go down.
• In the basement I move without kicking anyone.
• I change floors slowly, no flopping down.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: floors are shown with the arms (down by the knees, at chest height, above the head).
• Hearing impairment: show the elevator with the teacher's hand rising or falling, as well as the drum.
• Visual impairment: dance in a clear space with a soft floor for the basement, and the teacher calls the floor out loud.

Learning goals

• Move at different heights.
• Invent movements at each level.
• Change levels with control.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Music
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Put down mats or a rug if the floor is hard, because they love the basement. A common mistake is staying on their feet the whole time, so praise children who dance on the floor.

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