Movement on a Monday: Dancing and Drawing

Lately, we've been pushing back the table in the dining room to make room for "ballet" dancing. I found and purchased a download of short ballet classics for children and my daughters have really liked dancing to the music.

They love dressing up and getting out the streamers.

The dancing helps get out some of that extra energy they have now that we aren't outside nearly as long as we are the rest of the year. I've noticed that extra energy seems to manifest itself around the 5 pm hour, just before dinner.

Having a little extra movement earlier in the day has helped make the "just before dinner hour" a little more calm and easier.

Today, we also got out the shaving cream for some drawing and writing. Since my oldest daughter is still perfecting a few of her numeral and letter formations, I was able to easily encourage some practice with the shaving cream.

Shaving cream is another alternative to writing in sand or cornmeal for letter and numeral formation. If my daughter wasn't sure about a letter, I would write it first, she would trace it and then make her own.

My daughters also drew in the shaving cream. The use of the shaving cream on a large surface allows for greater arm movements. The shaving cream and the smooth table surface also provides a great sensorial experience. This photo shows how my daughter was naturally drawing with both hands at the same time, which is a beneficial brain exercise. The shaving cream and the large surface naturally lend themselves to these types of movements. Of course, none of this matters to a 4 and 6 year old, they just care about having fun. And fun, it was!