Let’s add some fun, excitement and action to your baby’s playtime… Let’s get them grooving! Yes, you read that right. We’re talking about your baby dancing. Wouldn’t it be fun to shake a leg with your little one? You may already have a baby that loves their peppy, jazzy music and can’t keep calm as soon as the speakers come on. Here’s how you can tap their dancing skills and get them grooving while still in the crib!
How To Get Your Baby Grooving
1. Imitation
Babies learn a lot from observation. Show them a step or two which they can follow easily, suitable to their physical abilities. It could be as simple as a head bob or even a two-step to a beat.
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2. Get Them Excited
Let them know that dancing is a way of expressing excitement, but remember that you have to follow their pace. Let them enjoy the music, listen to it attentively and respond in a way they feel natural. Playing music passively, like humming a song while doing your chores or playing some music on a drive, may not register with your child. Instead, let them listen to music actively. You need not have a highly superior sound system. Playing a song on your speakers or out loud on your phone, even singing to them with all your energy is sure to get them into the mood to jive.
3. Play Rhythmic Music
Rhythmic music will instil the idea of a beat in your baby. And when they see you move to the rhythm, either by clapping to the beat, clicking your fingers or tapping your feet.
4. Make Associations
Did you just spot your little one making a dancey move? Let them know! Babies are constantly exploring body movements, so when you associate their movement with dancing, there’s a good chance they will remember it and repeat the moves the next time you ask them to show you a dance!
5. Change The Beat, Change The Step
If you have a toddler who has already picked up some moves, it’s time to take their dancing skills up a notch. Teach them two simple steps by asking them to imitate you.
Dancing Through The Stages
Your baby will learn lots of moves throughout all the development stages. They may not know yet that they are dancing, but nevertheless, it’s going to be a precious moment for you to capture in a video, or in the memories in your heart!
- Right from the time when your baby gets neck control, you can try getting them to dance. While they’re lying down on the bed, look over them, smile and bob your head from side to side. They may follow the movement of your head and do the head-bob dance themselves!
- Once your baby has learnt how to use their hands in coordination, you have another quick little move that your baby will be able to do – clap! A clap can have a lot of meaning. It could mean appreciation, cheering and even dancing. Guide them to clap on beat, perhaps even combine it with their head bob, and there you have a baby that knows how to dance!
- Has your baby started taking their hands above their head? Time to teach them the good ol’ wave! Show them how to raise your hands and wave their hands from side to side. Play some cheerful rhythmic music or even children’s rhymes and let them show off their newly learnt dance step!
- Once your baby begins to sit with support, you will notice that your baby’s head bob will change to bobbing of the whole upper body. When you notice this, encourage it as a dance move and cheer on with some fun music to go along!
- Progressing from bobbing their upper body while sitting, your baby will soon be able to stand with some support, and then, their idea of bobbing will be moving up and down with a slight bend in the knee. This is a great way to strengthen their leg muscles and a fun dance move for you to see!
- It won’t be much longer before your baby can stand without any support at all! This is also when they are learning how to tread and walk. Their ‘dancing’ may not appear too confident at this brief stage, as they are new to maintaining their body balance on their own. Try teaching them a couple of steps using your legs by letting them imitate you. Stepping side to side is one of the first easy ways your baby will learn as they shake their leg.
- What are we looking at! Have you got a little toddler who loves their music and dance? It’s time to teach them how to put it all together. Their side steps can now be combined with their hand waves or claps and head bobs. All you need to do is, play their favourite song and let the little feet get the floor rocking!
Get that boom box going, your little natural dancer is ready to tab their feet to some fun music! Do not forget to keep your video cameras on to capture these wonderful moves!
