Bouncing with 1-3 Year Olds

Today I would like to suggest two fun books to explore in parent/child dance classes or at home with a little one. The action of bouncing is a favorite with preschoolers. How many ways can we bounce – in place, around the room, and with different body parts?

Both Bouncing Time (Patricia Hubbell with Melissa Sweet) and Bounce (Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin) are great starting points. Read a book with the kids, and then improvise. 

There are many ways to use a book in a dance class. With these two books, I suggest sitting down and reading them first, to inspire movement exploration. Then, see how many ways you can bounce. Use the text for ideas, and maybe pull word phrases from the actual text as prompts.

Have fun!