Siturtaq/Monkey Dance
Skills:
Physical: balance in motion, power, gross motor skill, upper and lower limb coordination, agility
Cognitive: selective attention, sustained attention, divided attention
Social: understanding of personal space, turn taking
Number of participants:
3 or more
Equipment:
none
Description:
- children start in a squat position facing each other in a circle
- children take turns kicking one leg out while maintaining squat position with the other, alternating legs back and forth
History:
A traditional Inuit game of a dance contest to test agility and endurance.
Wheelchair friendly?
This activity might not be suitable for people who use wheelchairs. “Wheelchair Friendly Activities” has a list of activities that are easy to adapt for wheelchair users. This list isn’t exhaustive, so we invite you to come up with your own creative ideas to make any activity work for you. If you have an idea on how to make this or any other activity more accessible for wheelchair users, We’d love to hear your ideas on how to make this or any other activity accessible for wheelchair users. Thank you for helping make play more inclusive!
Modifications to make the activity easier:
Change the task:
- have the child try to balance in squat position with one foot out before attempting to alternate legs to decrease physical demand
- have the child put their hands on the floor to help with balance to decrease physical demand
Modifications to make the activity harder:
Change the task:
- challenge child to kick out their legs several times in a row to increase physical demand
- have child increase speed of kicks to increase physical demand
Goal examples:
- child is able to hold out one leg without relying on a friend for physical support, 3 out of 5 times
- I can dance with my friends
