Non-Halloween Music & Movement Activities for Fall

It’s the most wonderful time of MY YEAR! As a Midwesterner, Fall is my favorite season. I love the brief, mild weather before we freeze up for months. I love the smells of the leaves, the gorgeous changing colors of the season, and the many holidays that include delicious FOODS! 

Music and Movement in the Classroom

As a school music therapist in a culturally and religiously diverse area, I also love how many traditions my students celebrate this time of year. I know that some clients may not celebrate or enjoy the holidays of Halloween or Thanksgiving, so I’ve come up with a list of activities that allow my clients to share in the joy of the season in other ways.

Football Dancing

Get the full Canva presentation here

Goal areas: gross motor, fine motor, choice making, limb extension, core strength, parallel play or reciprocal play

You don’t have to play the sport or watch football games to see footballs, jerseys, and team logos everywhere in the Fall. I use this as a peak activity when I know it is appropriate to engage the WHOLE body. Every dance move can be adapted for those who use wheelchairs, utilize adaptive seating, or have limited mobility.

How To Use It:

1. Introduce the basics of American football (not soccer/futbol) and let participants know that we will end the dance by talking about our favorite SNACKS! Every good football game includes snacks, and nearly everyone is delighted to talk about their favorite foods.

   
   

2. Learn 6 simple movements to accompany a song of their choosing (see step 3). These moves are outlined in the presentation above and include:

   1. Running in place!

      1. This could also be moving legs up and down or tapping on the leg/knee of the client with a soft item

   2. Throwing a football

      1. Simply mime the motion

      2. Use a squish mallow, soft dice, or a bean bag to throw back and forth to each PARTICIPANT, 1 at a time

      3. Let peers throw back and forth to each other!

   3. Field goal arms

      1. Both arms are raised above the head, then come back down

      2. Repeat as desired

   4. Kicking a field goal

      1. Kick a paddle drum, scarf, a soft ball back and forth, or the air

   5. Touchdown victory dance

      1. Dance any way you want!

      2. You can watch end zone celebrations for inspiration and vote on your favorite! Ms. Alyssa might suggest Cam Ward's celly dance =]

   6. And finally EAT A SNACK

      1. Mime eating something

      2. There is an opportunity here to have peers ask one another what snack they like best after doing a lot of activity

         
         

3. Give a few choices of songs that include a higher tempo and a strong beat. I have the group vote on which song really "gets their body moving"!

   Favorite songs include:

   1. "Try Everything" by Shakira, from Zootopia

   2. "What Does the Fox Say" by Ylvis

   3. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift

   4. "I Like to Move It Move It" from Madagascar

      
      

4. Then we follow the moves of the presentation and GROOVE!

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Make a Pie!

Get the full Canva presentation, recording, and video demo of the short song here

Goal areas: gross motor, fine motor, choice making, parallel play, sensory regulation

Most cultures have some kind of wrapped or baked dough treat they eat at celebrations: pies, tarts, baklava, gujiya, pierogi, rugelach, hotteok, and more! I use this as an opportunity to work on choice-making, gross motor imitation, sustained attention, and regulation - all in one intervention!

How to Use It:

1. Lay a scarf on the ground/legs/drum, this will be your 'dough'

2. Roll out the dough using a cabasa

3. Choose a filling

4. Choose to chop or squish the filling on the ground/legs/drum

5. "Bake" by counting to 5, 10 or skip this if needed

6. "Taste" your creation!

You can adapt this to be a savory pie or candy-filled pie, or get a little silly and add superhero characters or their favorite vehicles. The possibilities are endless as long as you embrace the impractical! You can even pretend to cut and serve your dessert to others to work on reciprocal or cooperative play skills. My favorite ending is pretending to wash up the dishes using the scarf as a sponge to practice practical life skills, because you know we all get messy in the kitchen!

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iSpy in the Fall Time

Full Canva presentation with a video of the song on the last slide here

Goal areas: color/shape/categorical ID, choice making, reciprocal communication, 1 step direction

I use the same short and simple song to play musical iSpy year round. During the Fall you can utilize any Fall scene you like or make your own using Canva, GoogleSlides, or even BoomCards.

How to Use It:

1. Clients have 2 choices of 'player' - to be the PICKER or the GUESSER

2. The PICKER chooses an item from the fall display

   1. The MT should write/draw/circle on a printout or otherwise note what was chosen in case it is quickly forgotten

3. The PICKER gives ONE HINT to the group/peer; "I spy with my little eye something that is a FOOD!" using the learned musical cue

4. GUESSER: ask a YES or NO question to the PICKER

5. PICKER: answers questions using ONLY YES/NO

6. If it gets too tricky, the GUESSERS can ask for another CATEGORY/CLUE or describing word(s)

7. Repeat until everyone has had a turn, or after 3 guesses you take a DANCE BREAK!

I hope these resources bring you joy all Fall long! You can adapt them for any age and stage of life to work on a variety of skills.

For more tools, tricks, and tips, visit our free resource portal at www.dynamiclynks.com/resources