Body & movement
Scarf dancing
- Builds: Tracking and catching
- 10 min
- Ages 1–3
- Energetic
- No mess
From the house
- A light scarf or tea towel
- Music
How to play
- Toss the scarf up. It floats down slowly. Catch it.
- Wave it high, low, fast and slow to the music.
- Hide under it: “Where did you go?” Peekaboo!
- Make it a snake on the floor, a hat, a tail.
Fit it to your child
- Easier: Let it float down onto their lap and let them pull it off, or wave it slowly for them to reach for.
- Harder: Toss it up and clap once before catching it, or try to catch it on their head.
Words to use
- up
- down
- float
- catch
- high
- low
Why it helps
Following the slow, floating scarf with their eyes and reaching to grab it trains eyes and hands to work together, the first step to catching.
Grown-up eyes: Keep the scarf away from their neck, and put it away after play.