Looking for a fun new way to entertain your children? It really isn’t a “new” concept, but just might be a fun new idea to incorporate into your family life (or for those days where your kiddos are whining “Mom, I’m bored!!!”) In my pre-ballet class, I have truly enjoyed reading books to the class where we can learn dance moves that correspond with the plot. I came across this concept on the Maria’s Movers blog in a segment she calls Picture Books and Pirouettes.

Living in a small agricultural community, it only made sense for me to read Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton today. We got to stomp our feet, bow to cows, make animal sounds, trot like turkeys, and swing with a partner (to name a few). I had so much fun watching the girls interact with the words and turn them into sounds and actions. They got to release some energy, use their imaginations, and learn about teamwork for the partner dancing section (believe me, there was a lot of room for improvement with this section…getting 3-6 year olds to hook arms with a friend and dance around in circles is harder than it sounds..hehe).

So, if you hear “Mom, I’m bored”, you are with a child that needs to get some wiggles out, or you just want to do something that is plain ol’ FUN, grab a book that the listeners can interact with and get them MOVING.