The children explore a meadow beyond the campsite.
3. Midsummer meadow
After an energetic warm-up, pupils use an imaginary compass to search for a nearby meadow 鈥 following straight, direct pathways linked with quick jump-turns to change direction. Next, half the class performs the gentle swaying movements of tall meadow grasses blowing in the breeze, while the other half travels around and between the grasses like busy, fluttering insects. Finally, the children work in groups of 5 or 6 to develop a sequence based on a chosen outdoor game such as frisbee, cricket, rounders or football.
Resources
Download the audio for this dance session as an mp3 file.
Guidance on using the dance sessions in this unit with your group (pdf)
Lesson summary
Good morning. Lie down in a space, as if snuggled up inside your sleeping bag. With the music, perform an exaggerated yawn and stretch鈥riggle out of sleeping bag鈥tand up as you unzip the tent鈥tep outside鈥awn and stretch again. Warm-up muscles with energetic star-jumps.
Using a compass. Follow a chosen route or pathway 鈥 walk or skip forwards with a partner then stop, turn to face a different direction, and walk or skip forwards again.
Midsummer meadow. Partners synchronise gentle swaying movements 鈥 like tall meadow grasses in the breeze. Partners stay close to one another as they travel busily through the spaces 鈥 stretching high and bending low like a fluttering butterfly, a clicking grasshopper, a dashing dragonfly or a busy bee.
Grasses and insects together. Partners 鈥 one person sways gently like tall meadow grass while the other person weaves in and out of the spaces like a busy, fluttering insect. Swap roles and repeat.
Camp games. In groups of 5 or 6. Develop a sequence based on the movements of a chosen outdoor game, eg swing-ball, frisbee, cricket or football.
Camp games (dance development). Select a few key game-playing moves to exaggerate and develop into a group dance.
Cool down. Get back into the tent鈥lose the zip鈥limb into the sleeping bag鈥ave a big stretch and yawn鈥nd snuggle up to dream about your favourite camping adventures.
More units from KS1 Dance: Time to Move
Playground games around the world. collection
Diane Louise Jordan has three sessions full of dances based on popular playground games.
Pinocchio. collection
A three-part unit taking the famous story of Pinocchio as the inspiration for children's dances.
Journey through space. collection
Three dance sessions creating exciting dance sequences exploring space and space travel.
