Freeze Dance

Skills:

Physical: balance with sudden stopping of motion, upper and lower limb coordination, reaction time

Cognitive: sustained attention, selective attention

Social: awareness of personal space if doing with more than one child

Number of participants:

one or more

Equipment:

music

Description:

  1. child dances to music
  2. when the music stops, child stops in place

Wheelchair friendly?

Yes

Modifications to make the activity easier:

Change the task:

  • decrease expectations for the length of time to hold the position to decrease physical and cognitive demand
  • allow more time to assume “freeze” position to decrease physical and cognitive demand

Change the environment: have a warning cue before music stops to decrease cognitive demand 

Modifications to make the activity harder:

Change the task: increase duration of holding the position to increase physical and cognitive demand 

Change the environment: stop music at unpredictable times to increase physical and cognitive demand

Goal examples:

  • the child can hold the “freeze” position without moving for 5 seconds after the music stops, 2 out of 3 times
  • I can dance to the music