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Events Love Your Body Week Discussion Prompts/Movement Activities Activities for Young Children

Activities for Young Children

Preschool: Option 1

Preschool Materials: printed prompt sheets, crayons or markers, tape, book: I Like Me by Nancy Carlson (1988), Puffin Books

Read I Like Me, then have dancers draw pictures of parts of their bodies that they like, just like the piggy likes her body in the book!  We recommend using sheets that already read “I like my _______ because it helps me ________” to make this process run smoothly.  Help dancers by filling in the words of their statement about their body part(s).  Post their artwork on the mirror. 

Preschool Prompt Sheets

 

Book: What Do Your Love About You by Karen Lechelt (2017), Scholastic

Materials: book, “I love my...” papers, crayons or markers, tape

Dancers, for Love Your Body Week this year, we have a book to read you that’s about a whole bunch of different animals. They each have something that they love about themselves!

After reading, ask the following questions to the whole group:

  1. Dancers who had a favorite page in our book that you want to share about? What did you like about it?
  2. Do all the animals look the same, or do they all look different?
  3. Do people all look the same or do they all look different?
  4. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
  5. What’s a part of you that you love? What does it help you do?

Pass out the prompt sheets (they will have printed on them “I like my _______ because it helps me ________” to make this process run smoothly) and crayons or markers.

Dancers please choose one part of your body that you really love, and draw a picture of it on your paper. You can even choose your whole body if you want to! Think about some of the wonderful things that body part helps you do.

Teachers/facilitators can help dancers by filling in the words of their statement about their body part and what it helps them do, and then dancers hang their drawings on the studio mirrors.

 

 

Materials: printed prompt sheets, crayons or markers, tape, book: Shapesville by Andy Mills & Becky Osborn (2003), Gürtze Books
Read the book, then ask the following questions to the whole group: 
• Do you think it's okay for kids to be different shapes, sizes, and colors?
• Do you think it's okay that kids tease each other about being different shapes, sizes, and colors?
• What special talents do you have that make you a star?
• What activities make you feel good about your body? 
 
Pass out papers and coloring supplies.

Prompt Sheets

Ask to draw a picture of a part of their body, and write a statement about what it allows them to do.  “I like my _______ because it helps me to ________.”  We are looking for functional answers (i.e. a part that helps them to do something - I love my legs because they can jump high). Dancers in this age group may or may not need help writing their statements. Post their artwork on the mirror
 

 

 

Materials: paper, crayons or markers, taper, book: We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio (2017), Knopf Books for Young Readers
Read the book, then ask the following questions to the whole group: 

• Auggie says that he doesn’t look like other kids - do all the kids in the book look the same? 
• Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
• How does Auggie feel when other kids laugh at him or say mean things about how he looks? 
• Have you ever felt like that?
• At the end of the book, Auggie remembers that he is a wonder because he is unique!  What makes you a wonder? 
 
Pass out paper  and crayons or markers. Dancers in this age group that are more proficient writers can use blank paper, but it can be helpful to use preprinted sheets that read “I am a wonder because...”

We Are All Wonders Handout

Dancers choose something that makes you unique and wonderful, and draw a self-portrait on your paper.
 
Teachers and/or NHSDA members can help dancers by filling in the words of their statement about themselves and what they can do, and then dancers can hang their drawings on the mirrors.