Sway with me: Benefits of dancing with your little one

Key points:

1. Dancing helps in developing the thinking and gross motor skills of a child.
2. Parents can start fostering their child’s musical and dancing skills from as early as their first reactions to music.
3. Dancing helps in the social and emotional, cognitive, and physical development of a child.
4. Singing a song that dictates and describes the moves and presenting a challenge or question can amplify the benefits of dancing.

Dancing can make your little one think about balancing, moving, and shaking all at the same time. It requires mental concentration and active participation. As your little one dances, they hear the music, move around and plan what to do next; they are not only developing their gross motor skills, but also their thinking skills.

The development of your little one’s musical skills and dancing moves can start very early on. From their first reactions when hearing music, up until when they actually claps their hands in response to the rhythm; but these skills go to a whole new level when they finally give their first steps. This is a great time to have a bonding experience with them too.

From their first until their second birthday, your child is still working on their dance skills. Their dance moves may only consist of them bobbing up and down with their feet planted on the ground. Nearing their second birthday, you will notice that they now incorporate the arms in their new moves. They’ll have so much fun!

Keep fostering it! You can add dancing to your morning routine, or even do it as an alternative activity during a rainy day when you can’t go outside to play. This will help them later in life as they learn to improve their coordination, build their spatial awareness skills, and plan new ways to move their body, which also gives them a sense of accomplishment.

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What comes next?

Later on, around their third birthday, dance can even be a sway, a twirl, or a jiggle! Your child is learning about themselves and the world around them through movement, which brings experimentation and discovery. Dancing is also an art form, so, when combined with your little one dancing freely to the music, it will also promote creativity and self-expression; and if they are following your moves, you’re even fostering their imitation skills.

Little by little, the random movements of your child and the spontaneous swaying and bouncing to the music will develop into the more dance-like movements of your three-year-old. They are now motivated to dance, although their movements are not always coordinated to the music playing. Remember there’s not a right way to dance with your little one, it’s about expressing yourselves and having fun.

Although a steady beat, rhythm, or overall musical effect may still not be accurately connected to their body movements, they are moving closer to coordinating their actions with the music. Dancing can impact your little one in many ways, so here’s a list of the benefits of dancing in each area of development:

• Social and emotional: Your little one wants to dance with a partner or an audience. It promotes social interaction and cooperation. They will communicate with you through dance and the movements of their body. It is an excellent outlet to express emotions and feelings, and it enables your little one to be aware of themselves in a particular music-filled space. Higher self-esteem can also develop after accomplishing new moves.
• Cognitive: Dance develops the brain and teaches your child to think about the different ways in which they will move their body. You have to give them tools to help them be successful with it. Play different music, provide props and become a dance partner yourself. They will be delighted to isolate body parts, change directions and levels, explore each part’s range of motion, and increase their abilities. They’ll experiment with every trick on the book.
• Physical: Dance requires your little one to expand their range of motion and use every part of their body. It includes fine and gross motor skills, as well as spatial awareness, while also improving coordination. It can also expand its benefits to flexibility, posture, weight control, and stamina. You will see how, little by little, they will be able to dance for 45 minutes! Follow their cues and play different music genres until you find the one that inspires them the most.

What can you do to amplify the benefits?

• Sing a song that dictates and describes the moves. This is a great exercise to promote problem-solving skills since your child thinks on which direction to sway, shake, swing, and dance. This simple activity also fosters the development of imagination and self-expression. They might still have difficulty understanding that a relationship exists between the sounds they hear and what their muscles can do. To unlock creativity, play with music and movement.
• Present a challenge or question to which there are many possible ways your little can respond by moving their body. For example, “Can you move your legs to this song?” or “Can you twirl right after me?”

Dance helps your child grow physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively. Many parents can see how dance enhances their child’s physical skills, but are less familiar with how dance develops other skills. Take a moment to dance with your little one! A little sway goes a long way.

Your child will strengthen several skills while working together with their dance partner (that’s you!). Dancing together provides a fun and beneficial bonding experience. Enjoy yourself while you spend quality time with your little one!