Doodle Dancing

What you’ll need

A stick

A piece of long ribbon (ideally 1-1.5m in length)

Benefits

This activity is great at preparing children for learning to write. By using gross motor skills, children learn how to form shapes in the air which they can then use to later mark make. Doodle dancing is a brilliantly physical way to incorporate learning and fun!

The experience

Using the length of the ribbon, tie an end to one end of the stick so that it creates a wand-like device. Next, encourage your child to make different shapes in the air using the ribbon stick. Straight lines from top to bottom are great for children up to 20 months, and anti-clockwise circles can be learned for children 2 years and up. Finally, wavy and zigzag lines from top to bottom, and vice-versa can be taught for children aged 2 years +. The latter exercises will develop as your child gets older and their confidence grows.

To make the activity more engaging, why not try playing music as your child is forming shapes!