15 Preschool Dance Class Games Your Little Dancers Will Ask For Again

If you've taught preschool dance for longer than a week, you already know better than to try and make a three year old stand at a barre and work on tendus. Not only are 3 year olds not developmentally ready for that; their attention spans aren’t either! However, your three year olds will happily point their toes twenty times if their toes are saying good morning to the sun.

That’s the beauty of dance games. They aren't filler like they’re so often thought of. For this age group, your teaching will be much more effective when you plan out your class as a series of mini dance games. And be sure to always have a few extras as backup. This is how little ones learn to dance and enjoy dance. It’s also how they learn to listen, take turns, and hear the music.

In today’s blog, I have 15 dance games you can use in your preschool dance classes. I've sorted these by where they tend to fit in a lesson, because personally I find that more useful than one long list. (Remember to keep two or three in your back pocket for the day your lesson plan runs ten minutes short. It happens to all of us.)

Welcome and Warm Up Games

Good Morning Toes

Sitting with legs stretched long, dancers point their toes to say “good night” and flex them to say “good morning.” Try both feet together, then one at a time, then fast and slow. It teaches point and flex, and it gets everyone sitting tall without you having to ask.

Butterfly Flights

In butterfly stretch, ask each dancer where her butterfly is flying today and what it sees there. Flutter the wings quickly to fly, then fold forward to smell a flower. It's a gentle hip stretch, and it gives every child a turn to speak early in class, which I think helps the shy ones settle in.

Jack in the Box

Dancers plié slowly down, down, down into their box while you turn an imaginary crank, and then spring up when you say “pop!” The waiting is the hard part (and the point). Should you make them wait a long time? Sometimes. They love not knowing when it's coming.

Games That Teach Ballet Steps

Puddle Jumps

Scatter floor spots or scarves around the room as puddles. Dancers travel between them and sauté over each one, landing quietly so they don't splash. Older dancers can jump from two feet to two feet, then try one foot to the other.

Tiptoe Past the Sleeping Giant

One dancer (or you) is the giant, asleep at the far end of the room. Everyone else walks on relevé as quietly as they can to get past. If the giant stirs, freeze. This is my favorite way to get high, quiet relevé walks, because the story does the correcting for you.

Pony Gallops

Hula hoops along the wall are stables. Ponies gallop across the floor one or two at a time and trot back to their stable to rest. It's a simple way to teach across-the-floor turn taking, and you can change the animal to fit almost any theme.

Princess Walks

Each dancer balances a beanbag on her head and walks across the room like royalty. It's posture practice, really, but they don't need to know that. For ages 5 to 7, add a curtsy at the end without dropping the crown.

Listening and Musicality Games

Freeze Dance, Ballet Style

You know this one, but try giving the freeze a job. Freeze in first position. Freeze in a high shape, then a low one. Freeze balancing on one leg. It turns a party game into a quick review of whatever you taught that day.

Tambourine Says

Shake the tambourine for tiny quick runs, tap it for marches, and stop for a freeze. Once they have it, change the rules or hand the tambourine to a student. And it costs you nothing but one instrument.

Echo Clap

Clap a short rhythm and have dancers clap it back. Then ask them to stamp it, tiptoe it, or jump it. I think this is one of the best early steps toward tap, so it's especially good for your 5 to 7s.

Prop Games

Hula Hoop Houses

Spread hoops around the floor. While the music plays, dancers skip, gallop, or tiptoe around the room (you call it). When the music stops, everyone finds a house. Unlike musical chairs, nobody is out, and sharing a house is allowed.

Scarf Painting

Each dancer gets a scarf and paints the room. Paint the ceiling, paint the floor, paint a giant rainbow from one side to the other. It's port de bras in disguise, and it's lovely with slow music near the end of class.

Parachute Garden

Dancers hold the parachute edge and make small waves, then big waves, then lift it high and take turns running underneath like flowers popping up. If you don't have a parachute, a large flat sheet works (not quite as well, but it works).

Imagination and Closing Games

Follow the Leader

Each dancer gets a turn to lead the line around the room with a movement of her choosing. Keep turns short so everyone gets one. It's a good peek at what they've actually absorbed, because they'll usually pick a step you've taught them.

Sleeping Fairies

Dancers lie down as still as they can while soft music plays. Tiptoe around with a wand or scarf and wake each fairy with a gentle tap, and she quietly goes to line up for her sticker or stamp. So your cool down and your dismissal are taken care of at once.

A Few Questions I Get Asked

How many games should I put in a 30 minute class?
I'd say two or three, with one more ready in reserve. More than that and the class can start to feel scattered, I think.

How long should one game last?
For ages 3 to 5, around three to five minutes. Stop while they still want more, and they'll be thrilled to see it again next week.

What if a game flops?
Move on without a fuss and try it again in a month. Sometimes it's the game, but often it's just the day.

If you'd like games like these already built into full lesson plans, that's what I make each month inside the Little Dancer Program. We’ve got an option for studio owners and an option for dance teachers.

Enjoy!

Ashley and the Little Dancer Team