Dots and Brushstrokes with the Whole Body
Children become paintbrushes moving around the yard to the drum: quick taps are dots (little hops), one long beat is a brushstroke (a long run), and a drum roll is a swirl (spins). They practice matching movement to rhythm while warming up.
How to play
- In a circle, the teacher shows the three drum sounds and the move for each: dots, brushstroke, and swirl (1 min).
- Standing in place, we practice dots with tiny hops, a brushstroke by stretching our arms to one side, and a swirl by turning slowly (1 min).
- Now we travel: for dots we hop around the yard with feet together, and for a brushstroke we run with arms stretched out like a long line (2 min).
- We add the swirl: on the drum roll we spin in place, and when the drum stops we freeze like a paint splotch (2 min).
- We finish with dots that get slower and slower until we're still, then take a deep breath (1 min).
Rules
- Listen to the drum before you move.
- Brushstrokes go into open space, without bumping into friends.
- When the drum is quiet, you're a still splotch.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only dots and brushstrokes, with the teacher doing the move while playing.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use all three sounds in changing order.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, hop dots on one foot and do brushstrokes backward or sideways, and let a child play the drum.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: dots become hand taps on the legs, and brushstrokes are done by moving the wheelchair with help or by stretching the arms.
- Autism: post three picture cards (dot, line, spiral) and point to the current one.
- Hearing loss: the teacher pairs each sound with a big drum gesture (taps, a sweep, a circle).
Learning goals
- Match movement to different rhythms.
- Alternate controlled hops, runs, and spins.
- Warm up with gradually increasing intensity.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hand drum
Teacher tip
Make the sounds clearly different: dots short and crisp, the brushstroke a single beat that sounds long as you drag your hand. If they get dizzy on the swirl, have them spin with arms out and only a few turns.
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