There was a time when I wondered if Erin would ever dance. Most little ones love to dance and recreate stories but would Erin experience that after major hip surgery to build her a hip socket? Yet her surgical team have done just that – they gave her the ability to dance and still when I think of that my throat constricts and my heart beats heavily. Dance offers all children the opportunity to play a character, to express themselves and of course keep fit and healthy. Which is exactly why it is part of the national curriculum in our schools.
ichild has partnered with Disney on Ice to promote their Fit to Dance programme. The programme offers cross-curricular educational resources for children aged 4-8, focusing on storytelling, character development, theatrical techniques such as set design and dance and movement. The resources are free to download online with supporting music and videos available to stream as well.
Why Dance?
There are many benefits to dancing. It promotes both physical and mental wellbeing. When dancing children learn teamwork skills, they are active and have that creative outlet. Children are often under pressure and dancing can be a way of alleviating that stress, plus it is fun. Research has shown that dance is a vital part of a child’s cognitive development. The ability to express emotion comfortably in front of others shows mental maturity and learning to do so through movement and dance provides a safe gateway for young children to explore. Plus performing arts activities bring together children from a variety of backgrounds and personalities which is good for inclusion.
Erin is a very bright child and we are always looking for ways to encourage her learning. She is a little sponge soaking up every opportunity with enthusiasm. She will spend hours writing stories and doing maths because that is what she loves but I am very mindful to keep her active too. Like many her age she is very much a Disney fan, she and her friends often act out their favourite stories both at school and at home.
We recently went to watch Disney On Ice in Birmingham and as you can see the dancing was magical. If you have not been to a Disney on Ice show check out what is on as it is a wonderful way to introduce younger children to the theatre with characters the love. You can see what is upcoming via this link.
Fit to Dance for schools
The Fit to Dance programme offers FREE resources for teachers and parents to use at home. In the classroom I always appreciated it when a lesson had been well planned for me and I could just tweak the content to fit my pupils. The resources have been made with cross curricular links and teachers know just how important that is in today’s planning! The ressources are online ready for teacherss to print off and use with their classes.
Erin loves to dance and now does ballet, tap and modern each weekend. It is such a good hobby for her as it is teaching her to control her movements. Being hypermobile Erin is very flexible and it is important that she keeps her joints as strong as possible. Therefore dancing is a great form of fitness and enjoyment for her.
Fit to Dance at Home
The resources for home are also fab and have given Erin inspiration when role playing. We all know that imaginative play is an important part of development but as a busy mum I don’t always have the time to come up with play ideas. iChild have done this for us. There are character ideas, fun worksheets and story prompts all available to print off at home.
Do go and check out the ichild resources as together we can make a positive impact on children’s lives and Dance to Fitness proves just that.
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Disclosure. I was gifted tickets to see Disney on Ice and thank ichild for the opportunity.
