Strengthening & Stretching Storylines | Part 2

Objective: Incorporate additional storylines and pretend play into the basic Leap 'N Learn warm-up strengthening and stretching exercises. 
Age: 3 through 6 with variations in complexity
Music: Tracks #2 and 3 on KIDS! or KIDS! 2

Exercise 2 — Playing in the Snow

1. Snuggle and Stretch
   • It's very cold outside today; let's put on our jackets. Stretch each arm into your jacket.
   • Brrr.... Let’s snuggle into a very small shape to get warm. Then open up very big and look at all the snow around us!
   • Let’s stretch out and roll all the way down on our back to lay in the snow. Bring your arms out to the side so we can make five snow angels. Help me count… 
   • Now let’s roll up a little (lifting head and shoulders off the ground) and gather snow from one side of us to make a snowball. Let’s put it on our tummy. Now let’s go to the other side of our body; gather more snow and place it on our tummy.
   • Now let's roll up a big snowball as we come to sit up straight.
   • Let’s lift the snowball high into the air and let it go. 
     • Variation: Laying down, pretend to roll up a snowball on each side and stack them on our tummy. While on backs, bring arms to first position and lift the top snowball off our tummy. Bringing arms to fifth position, pretend to throw the snowball as far as possible. Repeat with the second snowball. Sitting up tall, pretend to reach and catch each snowball. 
   • Let’s reach up high into the sky and let our fingers wiggle down as we pretend to be the snow and watch it falling from the sky.
   • Bringing arms to fifth position, we see the snowstorm coming, and the wind starts to blow. Let it blow us gently from side to side.
   • All this play in the snow, makes us cold and hungry. Pull legs into a tabletop and let's pretend to eat soup to warm up. Lower legs down. 
   • Pull into a small shape to warm up in our jackets again.
      
2. Foot and Ankle Stretches — Flex and Point
   Note: This is not featured in the video. Please see the previous fresh idea video for stretches and substitute with this storyline. 
   • Sitting tall with legs stretched out front, pretend to push toes down into the soft snow (1, 2, 3), quickly flip snow off (4).
     • Variation: Push toes into soft snow (1), pull out of snow (1, 2, 3).
   • Sitting tall with legs stretched out front, reach forward with arms and body pretending to push off all the snow that has fallen on our legs. Push snow away (1, 2, 3), sit tall (4), push away (1, 2, 3), sit tall (4). Ask dancers to reach as far forward as they can on the push away. Remind them to keep their knees stretched