IntelliDance Brain Dance for Babies
This version of the Brain Dance can be used with babies as young as 6 weeks up to 18 months. This Brain Dance can take as little as 5 minutes to complete or take your time repeating favourite sections or adding movements concepts for a longer more varied experience.
The Brain Dance is a fun easy way to start the day with your baby or a great way to re-energize after a nap. Make the Brain Dance part of your baby's daily routine! Although ideally the whole dance would be completed in the same session, breaking up the dance into smaller sections throughout the day can be beneficial for babies with sensory stimulation sensitivities or for busy toddlers with shorter attention spans. Most important: Have fun getting down on the ground to play and explore with your baby daily!
1.Breath:
Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum
“Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a dish,
How many blows do my dancers wish?” (Blow 2 times from head to toes and from toes to head)
2.Tactile:
Do “Hickory Dickory Dock” variation above with babies on tummy or back or sitting (or alternate each verse).
Hickory Dickory Dock
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse tapped up the clock.
The clock struck 1 (clap once),
the mouse tapped down,
Hickory Dickory Dock”
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse squeezed up the clock.
The clock struck 2 (clap twice),
the mouse squeezed down,
Hickory Dickory Dock”
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse brushed up the clock.
The clock struck 3 (clap three times),
the mouse said “weeeee!”(one big long brush down body),
Hickory Dickory Dock”
“Hickory Dickory Dock,
the Mouse poked up the clock.
The clock struck 4 (clap four times),
the mouse said “no more!”,
Hickory Dickory Dock”
3.Core-Distal:
Do “Twinkle, twinkle” variation above with baby on their backs or sitting in your lap . For core, gently bring in babies arms and legs towards core. For distal, gently stretch arms and legs away from body.
“Twinkle twinkle little star (reaching out to distal)
How I wonder what you are? (curling into core)
Up above the word so high,(reaching out to distal)
Like a diamond in the sky (curling into core, finger in diamond shape)
Twinkle twinkle little star (reaching out to distal)
How I wonder what you are? (curling into core)”
4.Head/Tail:Hey Diddle Diddle
“Hey Diddle Diddle (circle legs)
The cat and the fiddle (lift legs/pelvis up to head and lower)
The cow jumped over the moon. (gently pull babies by hands up to sitting or standing)
The little dog laughed to see such sport (grasping hips gently move them side to side)
And the dish ran away with the spoon. (roll baby onto tummy)”
For crawler/walkers:
“Hey Diddle Diddle (on all fours circle head and tail)
The cat and the fiddle (arch back in cat stretch)
The cow jumped over the moon. (come onto knees, head back, arch back)
The little dog laughed to see such sport (on all fours, shake head and tail laterally)
And the dish ran away with the spoon. (crawl)”
5.Upper/Lower:
Do “Itsy Bitsy Spider” first time baby on tummy:
“The Itsy bitsy spier marched up the water spout. (lower- gently pump legs with toes grounded to the floor)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out. (fingers rain down lower body and gently stretch out legs)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain (upper-gently press up and out on baby's back and stretch out arms)
And the itsy bitsy spider marched up the spout again.”(lower- gently pump legs with toes grounded to the floor)
Repeat a second time with baby on its back:
“The Itsy bitsy spier marched up the water spout. (upper- allowing baby to hold your thumbs gently pull up to sitting position)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out. (gently lower baby back to the ground)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain (lower- gently stretch baby's legs towards their chest)
And the itsy bitsy spider marched up the spout again.”(upper- allowing baby to hold your thumbs gently pull up to sitting position)
6.Body sides:
Do “London Bridges” variation with baby on its back. Holding same arm and leg gently roll baby to its side and back, then switch sides.
For Walkers:
London Bridges falling down, falling down, falling down.
London Bridges falling down, (holding hands, rocking body side to side)
My fair dancers (slide together to side).
Build it up with bricks and clay, bricks and clay, bricks and clay.
Build it up with bricks and clay, (holding hands, rocking body side to side)
My fair dancers (slide together to side).
7.Cross Lateral:
Do “Shoe a Little Horse” variation with babies on their backs or sitting in laps.
“Shoe a little horse,
Shoe a little mare,
With a tap, tap here
and a tap, tap there.” Repeat
(Sitting or standing, for each line hand reaches across body to opposite to foot and tap)
8.Vestibular:
Do “Twisting in the Washing Machine” variation holding baby and moving gently.
Twisting in the Washing Machine
“Twist, twist, twist in the washing machine,
twist, twist, twist, until we're clean. (feet planted, twist body side to side)
Spin and stop! (spin in one direction and stop) Repeat
For more information on Intellidance and the Brain Dance please click here.