The Best Props for Dance Class

I LOVE a good prop!  They can really make or break a dance class.  A good prop will add to the dancing and help dancers to explore and create.  They’re also inexpensive and fairly indestructable.  These are the props that I carry around in my big dance bag, and rarely leave home without (except the hula hoops…I keep those at work)!

Non-slip mats (or Dance Spots)

Any kind of mat that will not slip when stepped on will do the trick here.  I use these grippy cabinet and drawer liners because they are so cheap and easy to replace if needed.  I just grab a 12″x 12 ft roll and cut into 12 squares.  We use these mats for leaping over, dividing the room in half, “islands” to escape from the “evil eel”, puddles to jump over, puddles to splash in, and more!

Hula Hoops

I have a conglomeration of hula hoops that have just kind of ended up in the dance equipment closet.  They are our “lily pads” when we dance the story of Thumbelina.  We use them to practice jump turn arounds.  We leap from one to the next with only one foot inside each hoop.  We do monkey jumps around them in gymnastics.  We straddle stretch beside a hoop and try to reach to the other side.  And, of course, sometimes we use them to hula hoop.  (If you don’t have a bunch lying around already, you can get a matching set here).

Tulle Ribbons

Grab a roll of 6 inch tulle.  I usually get mine at Wal-Mart for about $3.  Or you can order it here.  Cut it into sections about 3 feet long.  Give a ribbon to each child and go dancing!  We especially like to toss and catch with these ribbons because they fall so slowly.  We talk about floating in the air a lot with these.  We also practice spinning, leaping, and jumping with our ribbons.  We make rainbows over our heads.  Sometimes, I’ll turn on windy music and these become our “wind scarves”.  We’ll run around the room making a tornado with them, then get sucked up into the tornado and spin as quickly as we can.  Possibilities are endless here.

Small Scarves

We use scarves almost exactly like tulle ribbons.  They do look better than the tulle for a performance though.  And they don’t stick to your clothes when static-y like tulle does.  You can grab those here.

Big Scarves

I got my big scarves here.  I actually thought they were small scarves when I ordered them, but these babies are 54″ square!  That’s pretty big for any child!  So, we don’t dance with these often.  But, they are the very BEST for being ghosts at Halloween!  And, we will use them to sit on at story time on occassion.

Fuzzy Dice

My favorite activity for fuzzy dice is The Dice Game.  I got my fuzzy dice at Wal-Mart for $3 a pair and just cut off the strings.  However, you can get a much better deal ordering them off

of Amazon, here.  We also use fuzzy dice like balls, tossing and catching, rolling, balancing on our heads, balancing on our feet, and deciding the number of times to do an activity or step.  Kids get so excited about fuzzy dice, that I believe the investment to get a dozen fuzzy dice (instead of regular small and hard dice) is worth it!

POCKET DICE!!!

I know, overuse of the exclamation point there, but, seriously.  I have wanted these for so, so, so long!  And I’ve finally found them at a price I can afford.  Or at least, hope to afford one day. 🙂  Have you ever wanted the fun of fuzzy dice, but the flexibility of word strips?  Enter the pocket die.  Pocket dice have a clear pocket that you can put any word or picture you want inside.  So, instead of printing out and hanging the visual aids for animal conditioning, Under the Sea, or Superheroes!, you could print them 2 sheets to a page, cut them out, and put

them in a dice to roll.  I’d buy a lot less masking tape that way.  You could also put word strips for class segments (warm-up, across the floor, stretching, etc.) or creativity prompts (jungle dance, underwater swimming, super secret agent, etc.).  So, I’m a little excited about these, if you didn’t notice.  If you are too, you can order them here. 🙂

Ribbons

Ribbons, glitter, sequins, tutus: a dancer can never have enough.  Especially ribbons.  I usually just grab the rolls of ribbon at Wal-Mart that are about $1.  (You can also order them here).  Satin ribbon (NOT grosgrain) works best, and I’ve found that 3/4″-1″ widths work the best.  I will cut the ribbon into lengths of about 3 feet, then put clear nail polish over each end so it doesn’t fray.  My ribbons have lasted over 2 years of almost daily use this way!  You can spin, jump, leap, and shake with ribbons.  Make a ribbon snake or a ribbon tail.  Make a rainbow.  Make a tightrope on the ground to tip-toe on.  Make a storm cloud.  Toss and catch.  Make circles.  Draw letters in the air.

Artificial Flowers

I just grab these at the dollar store and cut them apart with wire cutters.  We will hold them for tip-toe walks and chaine turns.  Sometimes I put flowers throughout the room and we

pretend to be bumble bees, buzzing from flower to flower.  Then, when the music stops, freeze in a down low shape.  For some reason, handing a flower to the girls in my ballet classes always makes them more serious about adagios…

Cones

Short cones are one of my most-used props.  We jump over them, leap over them, use them to divide the room in half, make circles to practice pirouettes inside of, pas de chat over them, and use them as place markers for stations.  I almost always prefer these short cones over ones that are 6″ tall because even 2-year olds will try to jump over these!  You can order the ones I use here.

Mini Trampoline

Trampoline time is a treat for my students! Sometimes I have to take away trampoline time for bad behavior. 🙁  But usually, it is our end of class fun!  Our trampoline is small, and not really that bouncy, but for preschoolers and elementary age students, it’s great to practice straddle jumps and tuck jumps!  We usually use it as part of “stations” or an obstacle course at the end of class.  This trampoline is the one I have used in the past.  It is a great price, but it will probably only last you 1-2 years.

Glow Sticks

I usually buy glow sticks at the dollar store.  However, I’ve been disappointed with quality lately, so I think I’m going to try these.  Glow sticks are super fun for night time classes.  If we turn out the lights, we can draw shapes with our glow sticks, or go exploring outer space.  We’ll also free dance with glow sticks to the song “Fireflies” on our Bug day!

Flashlights

We use these just like glowsticks!  But, we can also use these for “spotlights” when we’re performing for each other!  Just be careful not to go too cheap on flashlights.  Otherwise the light is too dim to really be much fun.  The ones I use are here.

Balloons

I use balloons frequently to play The Balloon Game.  I pick up balloons from the dollar store, Wal-Mart, or party stores, but you can also order them here.

Binoculars

My classes love a jungle theme day, or our Dinosaurumpus class, when we pull out the binoculars.  Whoever’s turn it is to pick a dinosaur gets to look through the binoculars to find it!  I love this kind because it fits a child’s face well, and I am not scared about them getting dropped on the floor!  (You can order them here).

Pop-up Tunnel

We crawl through tunnels as part of our end-of -class obstacle course.  It’s especially fun for the very littles! (Order it here).

Bean Bags

Bean bags are great for balancing! We’ll balance them on our heads or on different body parts.  Sometimes we also toss and catch.  One of our very favorite beanbag activities is to gather them all up, then I’ll throw them all into the air at the same time while the children all “Explode!”  (Order the ones I use here).