Are you looking for ways to entertain your little ballerina while you're stuck at home for the day? What about ways that you can help them advance their skills while they still have fun?
There are plenty of activities for kids at home that can help your child learn while playing. Don't let them waste all of their time watching television or playing indoor games. Let's get productive!
Keep reading for some great at-home activities for kids when dance classes aren't in session.
1. Morning Yoga
A great way to get your young dancer ready for the day is by starting it with morning yoga. There are plenty of great videos online for childhood yoga, or you can get them involved with your more advanced routines for adults (though you may need modifications).
Yoga has so many benefits for dancers and non-dancers alike. It's a great way to build up strength in the entire body. Core, leg and arm strength can all contribute to ballet. Alongside that, it's a great way to bond with your child right at the beginning of the day.
Read up on yoga for kids to give you a good starting point and see how your little ballerina likes it. Soon enough you'll both have a calm and mindful start to your days.
2. Faux Rehearsal
Being at home doesn't mean that your child can't put on a performance. As a matter of fact, it's great for your child to get practice at home when they don't have access to the stage. This keeps their lessons fresh in their minds in between dance practice.
Make it a real event. Clear out the living room and gather the other family members, pets, and stuffed animals to fill the seats and watch your little ballerina perform. Help them get all dolled up in their gear and watch them dance.
This will help your child remember their routine and give them a great boost in confidence all at once. Not only that, it's a lot of fun for the whole family!
3. Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts are a great activity for any child, but you can find ballerina-specific crafts so your child can turn their passion into artwork.
Start with some accessories that they can wear to their DIY rehearsal. These are things like paper crowns and even tutus made of tulle that any child can make on their own. All you need is a few fun colors of soft tulle and some stretchy elastic.
Take a piece of elastic that's as wide as your child's waist with a bit of extra room. Sew it together so it's a circle. Then, cut the tulle into 2-foot pieces.
You have options now. For younger children, have them tie the tulle in whatever color patterns they like around the elastic. The knot should be in the center so the tulle goes in front of and behind the elastic.
For older children, you can teach them how to hand-sew or even use a sewing machine. In this case, fold the tulle over the elastic and stitch them together. If you choose this method, leave extra room on the elastic. Make sure you stretch the elastic while you do this to make sure it's still large enough to put on.
Your child can put the tutu on over their leotard and have a totally custom piece, even if it's only for at-home use.
4. Obstacle Course
How can you keep your child's physical fitness up outside of dance class? Not all fitness has to revolve around dance itself. Making a fun obstacle course for your child can improve their flexibility, problem-solving skills, strength, and stamina so they're ready to hit the dance floor again.
Your ideal course will depend on your child's abilities. You don't need fancy equipment to make it happen.
You can start with something simple, like hop-scotch or a sensory path. These things help improve your child's balance.
From there, consider adding something that your child will have to climb. If you have an outdoor playset, this is a great use for it.
You can set up areas along the course where they have to complete a certain task to move forward, like several successful pliés or jetés.
End the course with a few minutes of stretches, both to prevent future soreness and increase flexibility.
5. Random Dance Party for Your Little Ballerina
Do you feel like your child isn't getting the most out of their days at home? Help break up a day full of chores and homework with a minute of random dancing.
Set a timer to go off several times throughout the day. You can do it once per hour or at random times to keep your child on their toes. When the timer goes off, everyone stops what they're doing to do some kind of dance move.
You can let them do silly dances, or you can make something more structured like practicing their ballet skills or mimicking a dance from the internet.
This helps your child think on their feet, retain their dance skills at home, and get moving throughout the day. Movement breaks can help your child focus on important tasks.
6. Watch and Replicate
An important part of dancing is the ability to replicate and retain dance moves. What better way to do this than mimicking the process at home?
You can do this in several ways. There are plenty of ballet videos online that can make step-by-step routines for your young ballerina.
You can also do something a bit sillier that will still help them learn how to replicate choreography. There are fun dances on TikTok and YouTube that are short and simple enough for children of all ages.
Let your child use some of their screentime to watch and learn the moves and then have them try to do it without the screen! This works your child's body and brain.
Activities for Kids at Home
These activities for kids at home are perfect for your young dancer. They're great for any active child who needs to retain their skills between dance classes, and they're great for bonding!
Are you looking for some new activewear for your child's next ballet class? We have plenty of options for all ages between dance shoes and dancewear. Visit our shop and find the perfect outfit for your child.
