In celebration of International Dance Day, we have a super fun challenge for you and your family. AND it’s educational as it encourages little ones to develop a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) mindset. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time for you and the kids to put on your dancing shoes and get ready to dance!
In this STEM quest your children will get to take the lead as they adopt the role of disco dance instructor(s). It’s a great way to help children develop STEM skills like coding and sequencing, whilst building their confidence and initial leadership skills.
The challenge for your child/children in this STEM quest is to make up a dance routine with lots of fun moves that the family must follow. The crazier the moves, the louder the laughter! Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Your child gets to pick their favourite song – it can be as funny and as crazy as they like as they are the disco dance instructor!
Step 2: The dance instructor should think of a series of dance moves they would like to use when dancing to their favourite song, e.g. side shuffle, jump, spin, moonwalk, etc.
Step 3: The dance instructor gets to decide on objects or pictures to represent each different dance move. For example, red paper or a red piece of Lego could indicate a ‘side shuffle’ whilst yellow paper or a yellow piece of Lego could signal a ‘jump’. Alternatively, they could draw the dance move symbols or names of the moves on pieces of paper. The sky is the limit in terms of creative options!
Step 4: The dance instructor should place the objects or pictures in a specific order which provides the instructions (or programme) they need to follow to complete the dance routine.
Step 5: Let the disco dancing fun begin!
You can either turn the quest into a dance contest, with participants dressing up in costumes and taking turns, or try out the dance routine as a group. To make it even more challenging, the dance instructor could let other participants (e.g. Nan and Grandad) add a new move to the routine until it gets too difficult and you’re all rolling around the floor laughing!
This is a lot of fun for parents (or teachers) and children of different ages to do together. The great thing is that the quest can be adapted to suit the age and development level of the child/children. Children find their energy by feeling useful, having a purpose, and helping others so this should have them feeling VERY energetic! This energy gives them confidence and a sense of purpose. What are you waiting for?!
At QuestFriendz we believe that imaginative and hands-on purposeful play, when combined with problem-solving through play, are key to providing young children with an engaging and memorable experience. Starting STEM at an early age helps children to make important connections between everyday life and the STEM disciplines. Research also shows that children become better equipped to face a fast-paced and evolving world, when problem-solving skills and learning to fail are introduced from a young age.
Click here for more fun STEM quests!