Thread: kid belly dance games for family day?

I have had several moms in town (with kids in the 5-10year old range) ask me for a family belly dance day, so I am putting one together this weekend. No just dropping off the kids- this is something parents & kids can do together.

Has anyone done anything like this? I am planning on a nice, up beat review of basic movements, and I have been thinking about how to amend some of the games I grew up with (anyone else familiar with "strut miss lizzie?") and I have some kid sized veils to (literally) play with at the end, but I would love to know if any of you have suggestions!

Teach them how to do a simple version of debke, syrtos, or karshilama line dance.

Read them a children's book such as "Grandma Hekmat Remembers" or "Sitti and the Cats". Come up with a craft project to accompany it. (Grandma Hekmatt contains a suggestion for a craft project.)

i like to use kid-type imagery for moves when im doing audience participation at parties. things like the shimmy=hizzy fit (plus a chance to teach some Arabic there ^_~) undulation=swim like a dolphin (i've read things where people consider undulations not a kid-appropriate move, but i always get big smiles from their parents when i describe it that way) side-to-side undulation=snake, etc.
i think Nancy Ajram has a children's album, but i have NO IDEA how danceable it is

We played Simon Says Shimmy at camp -- lots of fun, even without alcohol.

Originally Posted by aziyade

We played Simon Says Shimmy at camp -- lots of fun, even without alcohol.

LOL! definitely an alcohol free event, this time round...

& I completely forgot about the animal/barnyard song- ack! off to hunt through CDs... why aren't they all on my computer already???

Originally Posted by aziyade

We played Simon Says Shimmy at camp -- lots of fun, even without alcohol.

oh! if they know enough moves you can do simon says shape (like any circle you want, or undulation, crescent, line, etc)

Im a student not an instructor. But I can say as a mother of 4, my kids would LOVE to learn belly dance. But I dont think they would want stories and such. They would want to be up,moving, hearing the music and having fun with props.

this is definitely going to be a more active class- advertised as getting the whole family moving together, & the space isn't really set up for craft anyway. I do appreciate Shira's book suggestions for future reference, just not this time around!

Here's a great game for when you're feeling pooped: dancing cane limbo. Get two Mum's to hold a cane between their bellies and shimmy. Line up the kids, turn the music on and let them limbo. I do this at kids ' parties and they just keep going round and round...

Once you get bored, get another two adults to hold another cane about a metre away. Now the kids have to limbo under two. Then three. Then wave the canes up and down.

Easy way to have a rest and get the mums involved!

Also: musical statues. Teach the kids a few aptly named poses (like a pyramid, or Princess Jasmina), then call out the pose when you turn the music off and they have to freeze in that pose. It's extra fun if one of your poses involves crouching down on the floor.

Then there's walking in a circle waiving veils about. Full sized ones for Mum, narrow scarves for the kids.