Locomotor Freeze Dance

[Armanda Kicks]

As a teacher who uses the Orff Approach, experiencing beat, rhythm, melody, form, and expression happens first in the body with movement. From the beginning, with youngest ages, we move, experiencing non-locomotor (in place) and locomotor (traveling) movement. Reaction training games are elemental, basic games - playing a beat on a drum, students move. When drum stops, students freeze. Subdivided beats (eighth notes) played on temple blocks indicate running. This is such a playful beginning exercise in responding to music, awareness of physical space, pathway, and personal space. Adding a wind chime and asking students what to do (float, turn in place, wiggle), and alternating between walking, stopping, running, stopping, and wiggling/floating/turning allows students to playfully experience responding to musical cues and signals.

Once students experience basic movements (walk, hop, turn, skip, freeze, jump, etc.) we add direction (forward/backward, sideways, etc.), and levels of high, medium, and low, we are ready for more complicated and sophisticated movements but we never stop working on the basic concepts- they simply spiral. Dalcroze movement stories are IDEAL experiences to help students growth and they are easy to implement. My students love this one!

This is one of my favorite first experiences with "folk dancing". The song gives the directions: Go all around the circle (walking clockwise), go up and down the ladder (moving in and out of a circle), kneel and face a partner, and swing and swing your partner (right elbow swing). It is a wonderfully playful dance and students gain rich experiences in moving, changing partners, all while singing! It is a fast favorite and a fabulous opener if you have a family folk dance night or experience with a multi-age community of children and adults.

Teaching Movement and Dance by Phyllis Weikart - this is THE RESOURCE everyone needs. Yes, it is $55.00 but oh so worth it. The way in which Weikart breaks down dance and movement steps is simply amazing. Forward, 2, 3, 4, side close, in, 2, 3, 4 - this is the language students learn to speak to make dances accessible and attainable in a VERY short amount of time.

Performance Event: Students create and perform dances based on bread. Before or after performing the dance, students describe the dance.
Directions: Create a dance using locomotor and non-locomotor movements based on a kind of bread you eat. Be prepared to describe the dance.

The taggers have bean bags and try to hit the other kids in the feet, when a kid gets hit in the foot, they freeze. To unfreeze them the other players must give them a high five. Each round will consist of a different locomotor skill that all students must perform.

Materials Needed: Locomotor licenses for each child. You can make a number of them on the computer or students can make their own as part of a classroom project. Students love making up their own "vanity plates" with their name or different word puns on it. Cones to define the playing area.

After quickly reviewing what it means to travel safely in general space (move away from others--no crashes; move to all the areas; you can't follow anyone), introduce the activity by going over a few of the movement prompts found below.
Let students know the teacher will be the "police officer" who is looking to see that they can travel safely...and if they forget a "rule of the road", they will receive a mark on their license (a "ticket") for being an unsafe driver. If they receive 3 tickets, they will lose their license.
After handing out all the licenses, the students spread out in a self space around the gym and begin to move according to the prompt called out (i.e., bumpy road ahead means skipping, narrow road ahead means galloping, etc.):

• Speed limit 30 mph - walking
  
• Bumpy road ahead - skipping
  
• Narrow road ahead - galloping
  
• School crossing - walk really slow
  
• Road construction - leap over the potholes (use hoops on the floor)
  
• Flat tire - hopping
  
• Interstate driving - running
  
• Out of gas - take a break--sit where you are!
  
• Traffic jam - do 3 modified push-ups
  
• It's raining - put on your windshield wipers by doing jumping jacks
  
• Emergency - freeze
  
• Ambulance - students pull over to outer side of area
  
• Stuck in the mud - jog in place
  

If the teacher observes any student disobeying the traffic laws, then that student should receive a warning or a ticket by putting an X on their license. If a student receives 3 tickets their license is "revoked" (i.e., they sit out for a few minutes to observe how "safe drivers" travel).
This is a good activity during which to assess students' ability to correctly perform each locomotor movement or their ability to safely move through general space. Use our Teachers Cue Checklist Sheet to note information about each student's performance.

Ben Landers, the PE Specialist, has done a video showing his Locomotor License Test assessment he has done in conjunction with this idea. You can see his blog write up here and his video is below too.

Let others know how this idea went when you implemented/tried it with your kids. Include any variations, suggested teaching tips, positive comments, etc. so others can benefit from your tips. Please be helpful and positive with all comments. Look below to see all posted comments.

Balance and coordination are highly important skills that typically develop throughout childhood. These skills impact many aspects of our day-to-day lives, from playing competitive sports to getting dressed in the morning.

With practice, kids can improve their coordination and balance and learn to keep their bodies more stable while completing a task. There are many activities kids can participate in to work on both these skills and have fun while doing so. Learn more about activities for improving balance and coordination in kids!

The two types of balance are essential for comfortable and safe everyday living because they allow kids to function in various environments and participate in many activities while maintaining control over their bodies.

Hand-eye coordination is a great example of using visual messages to inform physical controls and reflexes. Physical activity is the key to improving both balance and coordination in kids, especially as they age.

Balance and coordination skills allow kids to build their physical endurance and minimize fatigue. With a lot of practice and effort, kids learn how to perform tasks like walking and getting dressed. These tasks then become automatic and require less energy. This benefit helps kids manage stable body movements and makes everyday task performance easier and safer.

As kids master balance and coordination, they become more steady and in control of their bodies, potentially reducing the likelihood of accidents and injuries due to imbalance. A kid with strong coordination can perform tasks such as walking on uneven surfaces or participating in sports without easily losing their balance.

When a child recognizes their ability to perform tasks requiring balance and coordination, this can enhance their self-esteem and confidence in their bodies. Developed balance and coordination allow kids to participate in activities and take carefully calculated risks to improve other physical skills and talents.

Self-confidence helps kids establish healthy interpersonal relationships. Building on their balance and coordination skills allows them to establish trust with their own bodies and participate in activities with others without self-doubt. This will enable kids to create a network of friends and peers and enhance their social skills.

While some kids can improve these skills through regular practice, balance disorders can make mastery more challenging. Parents and guardians should pay close attention to the following signs that a child is struggling with their balance and coordination:

If a child is often off-balance and experiences difficulty remaining stable during everyday tasks like getting dressed, this could indicate they are struggling developmentally. Other examples include tripping frequently or having difficulty recovering from being off-balance.

Another sign of a child potentially struggling with balance and coordination is stiff movement when they do physical tasks. Their body does not move in a fluid manner. It may even seem robotic and uncomfortable.

Some kids who feel off-balanced or uncoordinated may avoid participating in activities like playing with others on the playground or joining a physical game. They may experience fear over tasks like climbing a playground ladder or swinging.

One of the most common signs that a child struggles with coordination and balance is meeting developmental milestones after their peers. These milestones may include crawling or walking later than other kids. Kids may also experience challenges when mastering physical skills like riding a bike or climbing a tree.

Some kids with balance and coordination development challenges may also tire more quickly than their peers from physical activities. Because controlling their body requires more thought and energy, kids who feel off-balanced and uncoordinated may have less stamina than other kids.

One of the best physical balance activities for kids is having them walk and play on intentionally unstable or uneven surfaces. Exploring playground equipment like steppers or bridges allows kids to practice maintaining their stability and keeping their bodies evenly balanced.

Kids can begin by sitting with their bottoms on the floor. Their feet will plant right in front of them, and their arms will plant directly behind them with fingers directed forward so they can lift their bottom off the ground. They can then use their arms and legs to move around, mimicking how a crab walks.

Draw the hopscotch squares with sidewalk chalk or use tape. A player will toss a coin, rock or small sandbag into the first box. If they successfully do so without it touching a line or bouncing out of bounds, this player will jump through the boxes on one foot until they get to the top. As the player returns to the starting square, they must pick up the item they tossed.

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