Pretend play is still very important to your four- to five-year-old child, and performing is one aspect of that. Your child may act out a favorite scene from a book or movie, or he may ask you to sit and watch as he performs an original idea. He also enjoys expressing himself through singing and dancing to music. Interestingly, researchers Lan Nguyen Chaplin and Michael I. Norton (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-don-t-you-want-to-sing-and-dance-in-public/) found that preschoolers are not usually shy about performing in public, but by middle school, most children avoid it. They felt it had to do with the children’s ability to understand that other people have different opinions and from them. For some reason, once we understand that other people are separate from ourselves, we become shyer about performing in front of others. Knowing that this may happen to your child, enjoy his performances while they last, and encourage him to keep up his singing, dancing, and acting skills!

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Play Tips:

How can you support your child’s development of this Dance and Movement skill at this age? It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Add a prop to your dance. Mix up dance time a little by adding a prop. Scarves are particularly good, as they add another level of expression to your child’s moves. They can become a costume or an extension of his arm. Ribbons can have a similar effect.
2. Sing a song with movement. Combine your child’s love of singing with a fun movement song. The movements add another level of fun as your child acts out the parts of the song. Some examples include “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” “I’m a Little Teapot,” and “Shake My Sillies Out.” Find a few more at http://teaching2and3yearolds.com/action-songs-for-preschoolers/.
3. Find inspiration. If your child is stuck in a pretend play rut, try to find some new inspiration for him. Go to the library and pick out some new books or watch a new movie. After reading or watching, ask him about the characters and if he can act out his favorite scene. If he feels like he’s lacking props, see if there’s a suitable substitute that you can find around the house.

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Dance and Movement  developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Likes to sing, dance, and act

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Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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