Creative Dance Moves for Babies

Creative Dance Moves for Babies are Important

Creative dance moves for babies are fun and help them to develop physically. But, did you know that creative movement also helps your baby develop mentally, emotionally, and socially?

Your baby should begin physical activity from birth. During the first year, babies build muscle mass and their core muscles (the neck, shoulder, trunk, and hips).

That is the reason tummy time is SO important for your baby. Babies learn to lift their heads, turn over, kick their legs, and reach for things.

Creative dance moves can begin with simple actions. Play music, sing a favorite song, or recite a nursery rhyme and gently stretch and flex baby’s arms and legs.

This first action leads to creating stable muscles and the ability to learn further skills. The development of physical skills does NOT just happen because your baby gets older.

Learning physical skills requires practice and repetition. Lots of it! Watch this video of a dad and his baby. How often do you think he did this activity? My guess would be EVERY DAY several time a day!

“Any skill can be acquired by constant repetition.”

Shinichi Suzuki

Your baby will need help with learning physical activities for quite some time. In addition to moving arms and legs, you can help him to reach for things, and grasp a toy.

Dance Moves for ALL Babies

Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) Baby Class activities give babies a chance to clap and play Pat-a-Cake, grasp the mallets of xylophone instruments, and play a drum. These are examples of how babies use those physical skills to learn how to feel music and keep the beat. This in turn helps the brain to develop.

I wanted to share that early musical and physical activities are vital for all babies, including those with special needs. Although this is off of the subject of early childhood education, it does show how music and physical skills go together. I came across an article about a special needs drum corps from Long Island.

They were the first special needs drum corps to be invited to perform and compete at the world championships in Williamsport, PA. This group of differently abled people prove that life skills can be learned through music, physical skills, repetition, and persistence,

This has inspired me to research more and write about how creative dance moves and how SECE Baby Class curriculum can be used and/or adapted to help special needs babies’ development. Look for that post in the future.

SECE Baby Class Dance Moves

As your baby learns new physical skills, always encourage them with smiles, applause, and actually praise them out loud. Your actions will grow baby’s self-esteem.

As your baby learns more and develops those new skills, they will feel a sense of accomplishment. They will one day be able to say, “I did it! or “I know that!”.

Creative movement also stimulates both sides of the brain and increases memory and the ability to communicate.

Creative dance moves do develop baby’s physical strength . However, just as importantly, creative movement is the first form of communication for your baby.

Creative movement body actions can be used to communicate pictures, an idea, or a story. SECE Baby Class activities provide opportunities for babies and their parents to learn about physical communication skills.

When we do circle activities such as Michael Finnegan and imitate the wind in the song, or put our finger up to our lips and say “Shhhhh”, or mime casting a fishing line into the water, we are communicating those things.

Language and vocabulary are being developed as well. Other Baby Class songs, like Little White Duck, encourage story telling, actions of the different animals , and the sounds they make.

Movement Uses All the Senses

Creative dance moves help babies to learn about the world around them with their senses. on a kinesthetic level. They feel the shapes and actions their bodies make with the physical movement.

For example, we do Pop! Goes the Weasel in Baby Class. This activity allows the baby to physically feel the beat when they (or parent) hop on the word “Pop”.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush is another circle song we do in Baby Class. It allows baby and parent to imitate various daily activities that require many physical skills.

Creative movement helps babies process the images they see others make. Much of SECE Baby Class is based on the repetition that happens as each child or parent takes a turn at an activity.

Your baby will respond with physical movements to the music or rhymes they hear you sing or say. They also learn new physical skills through experiencing creative movement with scarves, shakers, or dancing barefoot in Baby Class.

Physical Movement Increases Social Awareness

While babies and parents are dancing and moving, they learning to express themselves and move independently. But, they also learn to interact with others at the same time.

In Baby Class, we have a time where scarves or shakers are used. Your baby and you can freely move in your own way. Yet, your baby is also learning to share space with others and developing respect for them. Baby and parent observe and learn from the others in class.

Movement, Body Awareness, Control, and Concentration

As your baby gets older, creative movement activities will help her become more aware and in control of her body and feelings. Body awareness and feelings go hand-in-hand.

If we are upset or extremely happy, it affects our entire body. Consistent creative movement and body awareness develop self-control and self-discipline. These lead to learning to focus and concentrate which is crucial to all learning.

Creative Dance Moves for Health and Fitness

I saved the most obvious benefits of creative dance moves for last. We all know that bodies and minds can benefit from more activity. I’ll not argue the pros and cons of sitting in front of a screen for hours. The pandemic has forced us to do many things online that we would much rather do in person.

The solution to that problem is to simply get up and move! Start the creative dance movement routine with your baby now. It doesn’t have to be fancy or long, but it does need to happen many time during the day. (Repetition!)

If you are interested in a fun cardio and weight bearing activity, SECE Baby Class can be a real workout for a parent. In the class information, I state that adults must be able to get up and down off the floor, move around in a circle easily, and be able to hold their baby while doing the activities.

It is a workout and it is the opportunity share the experience of physical activity with your baby. Not only that, you and your baby will be sharing in musical activities, too. Together, they help your baby to connect ideas, increase their memory, and learn to communicate effectively.

If all these benefits of creative dance moves aren’t enough, well then, you and your baby might just have to have your own fun dance party!

On the “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” with you,

Susan

Comment and Share

I’d love to know the kinds of creative dance moves your do with your baby. Share those in the comments. If you enjoyed this post, please like and share.