Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Dance · Kindergarten

Ways My Body Moves

Kindergartners explore the ways their body can move in dance — wiggling, stretching, spinning, jumping, and swaying — the joyful start of dancing.

KindergartenMovement25 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Move my body.
  • ✓Try wiggle & spin.
  • ✓Try stretch & jump.
  • ✓Have fun dancing.
Essential Question

Your body can move in so many fun ways — wiggle, spin, and jump! What are all the ways your body can move?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Ways My Body Moves Explorer

Project this and tap each move. Have children explore the ways their body can move.

💃 Explore ways to move — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

25 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — So Many Moves

3 min

Your body can wiggle, spin, and jump — what moves can you do?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a fun move.
  • Ask what else.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Move.
  • Think.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Ways to Move

7 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to the Ways My Body Moves Explorer.
  • Try each move.
  • Move safely.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Try them.
  • Move.
3

Create — Create

7 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Wiggle your body.
  • Spin around.
  • Stretch up tall.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Wiggle.
  • Spin.
  • Stretch.
4

Perform — Perform

5 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Follow a dance leader.
  • Show a move.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Follow.
  • Show it.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a way to move.
  • Show it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Show it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.K

Explore ways the body moves.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.K

Move in different ways.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.K

Practice movement.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.K

Notice movement.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Move picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I can ___.”
  • Move together.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with wiggle and jump.
  • Copy the leader.
  • Move slowly.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make a move pattern.
  • Move like an animal.
  • Add music.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎵Music
  • 💻The Ways My Body Moves Explorer
  • 👟Space to move
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

moveto change your bodydanceto move to musicwiggleto shake softlystretchto reach up tallspinto turn aroundjumpto push up highswayto move side to sidebodyall of you
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name a way your body can move.
Wiggle, stretch, spin, jump, or sway.
QUESTION 2
How do you spin?
You turn around and around!
QUESTION 3
Is moving your body fun?
Yes — dancing is fun!

Reflect: move your body.

Have children show a family member three ways they can move, like spinning and jumping. A printable move sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Ways My Body MovesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Ways My Body MovesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Ways My Body MovesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: body, dance, jump, move, spin, stretch, sway, wiggle
  1. to move to music
  2. to move side to side
  3. to change your body
  4. to turn around
  5. to push up high
  6. all of you
  7. to reach up tall
  8. to shake softly

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name a way your body can move.
  2. How do you spin?
  3. Is moving your body fun?
Answer key — Part A: 1) dance · 2) sway · 3) move · 4) spin · 5) jump · 6) body · 7) stretch · 8) wiggle
Part B: 1) Wiggle, stretch, spin, jump, or sway. 2) You turn around and around! 3) Yes — dancing is fun!