I have always loved using props in my early childhood music classes and therapy sessions. Props like the stretchy band, puppets and the canopy scarf are not only a fun and engaging companions to our music, but they can also support kids learn or understand new skills and concepts.
A prop I particularly love are movement scarves. Movement scarves are a versatile tool for engaging children in fun and creative movement. These colorful props can be used to encourage kids to move their bodies, develop gross motor skills, and enhance their coordination. From dancing and twirling to tossing and catching, movement scarves can also spark kids’ imagination.
Movement scarves are perfect for group activities in the classroom and in therapy sessions, promoting physical activity and active play! They can also help children express themselves freely and develop a deeper connection to the music we are sharing or making with them.
My favorite movement scarves are from Bear Paw Creek! You can get free shipping on orders over $40 by using the code KIDDOS at checkout.
Looking to incorporate scarves during music time?
Ways To Use Scarves With Kids:
1- Peekaboo
Whether you work with a group of infants or want to bring some silliness to music time with older kids, playing peekaboo with scarves never fails to bring joy to children. Amplify that joyous time with music and scarves with a peekaboo song!
My song Peek A Boo utilizes a musical cue that reinforces the peek-a-boo game and adding that anticipatory cadence makes kids excitedly and effectively wait for that signal to play peekaboo.
Ask kids to hide and cover their faces with their scarf and prompt them with the music to reappear when you sing “ahhhh, boo!”. The simplicity of hiding and reappearing can fill little ones with giggles and excitement. Playing peekaboo helps strengthen the bond between adults and children while also fostering essential developmental skills such as object permanence and social interaction.
A peekaboo song for Halloween:
Little Ghost is a playful song you can use your scarves to play peekaboo with, perfect for Halloween!
2- Pretend they’re wind
Kids have an incredible knack for transforming everyday objects into imaginative treasures through pretend play. A cardboard box can become a spaceship, a wooden spoon is a magic wand, a blanket draped over two chairs becomes a secret fortress protecting against imaginary foes, a colorful scarf can become playful wind; there are no limits to a child’s imagination!
A very catchy scarf song to help kids pretend their scarves is the wind is my song Blowing In The Wind. It has a minor-y feel and it's one of those songs you can learn in about 60 seconds and do acapella!
3- Snowball Fight
We’re having a snowball fight, so bunch up your scarf, make it into a ball… and throw!
Giggles and squeals will echo around your classroom or therapy space with a pretend snowball fight with your scarves.
4- pretend they’re falling leaves
Move your scarves up and down and all around as the wind blows the falling leaves. Pretend leaves are falling from the trees while you dance to our song Falling Leaf.
5- reinforce shapes
Shapes are all around us, and learning about them is an important part of early childhood! Grab some scarves and help kids learn and identify shapes by having fun with our song Make A Circle.
Here are the lyrics:
(repeat the theme as many times as you’d like)
Make a circle
Make a circle
Make a circle
STOP
Way up high
Until it DROPS
Make a circle
Make a circle
Make a circle
STOP
Flying in the air
Until we SWAP (this is interchangeable with “STOP”)
Then explore shapes in the B section— have fun with it! Kids can explore vocally what drawing each shape might sound like as they do it with their scarf, etc.
Then go back to the main theme and repeat as many times as you’d like.
6- movement and dancing
Have fun with your scarf while you move and dance! Movement songs are my jam and I have three to share with you that you might want to pair up with scarves.
1. Just Dance- this is my very favorite movement song and kids absolutely love. Kids start standing with their knees bent and then they twist. As they twist, they get a little bit higher, and little bit higher, and when their legs are straight and they get to the top, they’re free to move depending on the movement we suggest (jump, dance, wiggle, etc.). Kids may also have the chance to contribute to what happens in the song if you're playing this song live.
*you can download the MP3 and lyrics of this song here.
2. Move It, Move It!- this is probably my most popular song that music therapists and music teachers use. It is a really fun, active movement song that I have used for 12 plus years! The most fun part of this song is that it is a “dance-freeze” movement song.
*you can download the MP3 and lyrics of this song here.
3. Swirly Whirly Scarves- this is a scarf song with structured movement prompts. Here are the lyrics:
Swirly whirly scarves swirling all around
Swirly whirly scarves from the ceiling to the ground
Let’s swirl ‘em up high and swirl ‘em down low
Swirl ‘em all around and watch where they go
(Theme can be sung as a round.)
Variations:
Swirly whirly scarves dancing all around...
Flying all around...
Circling around...
Floating all around...
When you’re ready for a trick just toss ‘em
And let them swirl, swirl, swirl to the ground
5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 just toss em’
And they swirl, swirl, swirl to the ground
Swirly whirly scarves swirling all around
Swirly whirly scarves from the ceiling to the ground
Let’s swirl ‘em up high and swirl ‘em down low
Swirl ‘em all around and watch where they go
More ways to use scarves with kids during music time:
pretend to take a little rest
use them for creative play with toys and stuffies
use them for a magic disappearing trick
use them for color identification
count or sort them
Here’s something else you might love…
Laurie Berkner’s scarf songs! Check out her prop song bundle:
12 prop songs
Videos of Laurie showing you how she uses them
Notated leadsheets
Chords/lyrics
…and more!
