Scarf Movement Activities

Movement props can be used in a variety of ways to target different treatment goals. Below I am sharing movement activities that use scarves!

Directed Movement

Directed movement is when an individual calls out movement ideas for another individual to follow. For example, and dance/movement therapist might encourage clients to use the scarves like windshield wipers, animals, or balloons. The options for directed movement are endless! When you are providing directed movement, you are targeting your child's ability to follow directions, use their receptive language, control their impulses, and work on their gross motor skills. When the child has a turn to lead, they are working on their leadership skills, confidence, expressive language, and creativity. Additionally, in older individuals, directed movement can lead to meaningful processing by exploring how it felt to move the scarves in different ways, or how it felt to be the leader or follower.

Tempo Changes

You can change the tempo of the music or the song you're singing and encourage the child to change the speed and size of their movements with the scarf. For example, if you put on a quiet, slow song, you can encourage your child to move their scarf slowly. Within that activity, you can also encourage your chid to move their scarf with big or small movements. If you put on a loud and fast song, you could encourage the child to stomp their feet and move their scarf in big circles. Modulating between fast and slow or big and small movements helps a child learn to modulate their emotions.

Body Part Identification

This activity can be done in many different ways. First, you can call out body parts similar to Simon Says and say "place your scarf on your.... head!", or "put your scarf on your... shoe!". Another way to target body identification with scarves is to use the scarves paired with a song such as "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" to provide an added visual about where those body parts are. Lastly, you can allow the child to put scarves on your head, arms, knees, etc. This is a very fun game for kids who enjoy dress up, and it allows them to be in control of "dressing" their parent or therapist, which is especially helpful for children who may be sensitive to the feeling of scarves on their own body.

Freestyle

Providing time for your child to dance freely and explore the scarves in their own creative way is a great way to allow them to release energy and emotions that they may not be able to express verbally. Additionally, you can allow your child to be the "leader" and follow their freestyle movements! A great tool to encourage freestyle movement is a highly preferred song.

Comment below what your favorite scarf activity is!