Three games, ready to play

Dance Games

Three original, ready-to-play dance games for children ages 5–12 at home or in class. No screen, special equipment, or music is needed.

Choose a game, find a little personal space, and follow the words on the page. All three work in place with spoken cues alone.

01

Weather in Motion

  • Ages 5–12
  • At home or in a classroom
  • 2 or more players
  • No screen, props, or music needed

Goal

Turn spoken weather words into your own small dance, then help the group settle.

Get ready

Choose one caller and give everyone a spot with room to move without touching anyone. Sitting, standing, or using a mobility aid all work. The caller says and demonstrates each cue. Begin with “Sunrise”; agree that “Clear skies” ends the round. No music or objects are needed.

Play

  1. At “Sunrise,” choose a gentle greeting movement, such as opening your hands, looking up, or making a small wave.
  2. The caller names and shows a cue: breeze (sway or move one hand side to side), raindrops (tap fingers on your own palm or knee), sunshine (open your hands), or rainbow (trace an arc in the air). Everyone makes their own version in place.
  3. Pause between cues so everyone can return to a comfortable resting position. Make five weather calls in any order; repeat a favourite if the group wants.
  4. Invite the group to suggest one favourite cue for a final call. The caller may choose if no one suggests one. Then the caller says “Clear skies.”

Finish

Make one easy closing breath or small wave, lower your hands, and stop. That ends the round.

Ways to join

Make a tiny movement, stay seated, use a hand or eye movement, watch a demonstration, or pass for a round. A participant may suggest a cue instead of moving.

Stay safe

Stay on your own spot and keep your seat, feet, and mobility aid steady. Skip jumps, rushing, reaching that feels uncomfortable, and touching. Pause or sit out whenever needed.

02

Movement Postcards

  • Ages 5–12
  • At home or in a classroom
  • 2 or more players
  • No screen, props, or music needed

Goal

Share one movement idea and see how a group can echo it in its own ways.

Get ready

Choose a first sender and a turn order so everyone can be offered one turn. Sit or stand in separate spots facing the sender; a circle is optional. Agree that movements stay gentle and no one touches. No objects, screen, or music are needed.

Play

  1. The sender chooses one easy-to-repeat movement, such as a hand wave, finger wiggle, shoulder roll, or foot tap, and demonstrates it once.
  2. Everyone may echo that movement once in a comfortable way. An echo can be smaller, done with a different body part, or simply watched.
  3. The sender changes one quality—make the movement smaller, slower, or use another comfortable body part. The group echoes or adapts it once.
  4. Offer one turn to each person in the chosen order. A player may send a movement, join as an echoer, watch and nod, or pass. No one is out.

Finish

When everyone has been offered one turn, the sender says “Delivered” and makes a small wave. The game is over. A small group may choose to play another round.

Ways to join

Send a seated gesture, use a hand, face, or eye movement, echo in your own way, watch and nod, or pass. Let each person decide whether to lead; passing does not remove their turn to join.

Stay safe

Keep every movement in your own spot; do not touch, spin, rush, or travel across the room. Choose movements that feel steady and comfortable, and stop if anything hurts or feels uncomfortable.

03

Growing Shapes

  • Ages 5–12
  • At home or in a classroom
  • 2 or more players
  • No screen, props, or music needed

Goal

Build a short group dance from three imaginary shapes: seed, stem, and bloom.

Get ready

Choose one caller and keep everyone in their own spot. The caller will say “Seed,” “Stem,” and “Bloom” in that order. These are imagined shapes, so no flower, screen, music, or other object is needed.

Play

  1. For “Seed,” choose a comfortable small shape: rest your hands, curl your fingers, or gather only as much as feels good.
  2. For “Stem,” grow gently through a hand, your gaze, or a small reach. For “Bloom,” open a hand, your arms, or your face in a comfortable direction. You do not need to stand or reach high.
  3. Practise the three cues once in order. Link them slowly into a three-part dance, pausing whenever you like.
  4. Repeat the three-part dance two more times, for three rounds total. A willing player may call each round, or the same caller may lead all three.

Finish

After the third round, the caller says “Garden rests.” Everyone lowers their hands or gaze in a comfortable way and stops. That ends the game.

Ways to join

Join from a chair or mobility aid, use a small finger, hand, or eye movement, make just one shape, copy the caller, or pass. Each person may choose their range of motion and whether to lead.

Stay safe

Stay in place on a steady base. No tiptoeing, floor poses, deep bends, backbends, or touching are needed. Keep every shape comfortable and pause if you feel unsteady.