Soft Toy Shuffle

The Basic Idea

Let your cuddly dinosaur (or any toy) lead you in a dance around the room! Spin in circles, move them fast and slow, high and low, and let your body follow them, pretending they are in charge of the dance.

Over to You, Wee One

Hand the toy to your wee one and ask them “Where will she take you dancing?” and see how they move. Grab another toy or object for yourself and move around the space together – maybe the toys will want to race, or all dance together.

Cheeky Bonuses

• Moving in lots of different ways helps develop balance and coordination
• Exploring vocabulary like fast, slow, high, low, gentle (etc.) helps wee ones understand their own bodies and how they move

Variations

• Try mirroring your child’s movements – it could end up being beautiful or really silly, both are great ways to bond
• Try playing different types of music – do the toys want to dance in different ways?

And Remember...

There’s no right or wrong way to dance or move – if you know your wee one loves running or high energy movements, get outside and explore big, fast movements first – often, the slower, more deliberate moves will appear afterwards.