Puppy Dog Tails

Have you ever tried to teach your students/children about their bottoms?   What I mean of course is the bottom of their spines.  We have a top (our heads) and a bottom (our tails).  Kids have an easier time moving and leading with body parts they can see.  How can you teach them about their tails -by making tails of course!!

Three Different Ways to Make Tails

1. Draw tails out of paper.  Have the kids cut out the tails and color them.  Tape them to their leotards or clothes and have them explore how they can make the tail move.
2. Collect old stockings or tights.  Cut them down the middle and stuff them with stuffing/toilet paper (anything that will give it a shape.)  Pin, tape, glue or sew them on the children's leotards and have them explore moving with a tail.  This type of tail will have more swing!
3. Take scarves and pin/sew/ glue them on - and create a bottom dance.

Make sure when applying the tail that it is by the end of the spine. (Don't tie it to the children's waists or near their waist.)

To make it even MORE fun have the children explore their heads and tails!

Heads and Tails

1. Create ears!  Buy some headbands.  Have the children color and cut ears out of paper.  It can be cat, dog, elephant, tiger ears - what ever they like.  It can match their tails or not.  Tape them to the head bands and let the children explore how their heads can create and lead movement. ( You can also try attaching the ears to clips or bobby pins.)
2. Now add the tails.  How can the children dance moving their heads and tails toward each other and away from each other.  Can they move their heads and tails to the right, to the left, up and down?

Read Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The wild things in the book have tops that don't match their bottoms.  See if you can create elephant ears with a monkey tail.  How would this animal move?  What about cat ears with a bird tail?  What about puppy dog ears with a fisth tail?  Have a wild rumpus.  The sillier the better!

Exploring movement with themes and props/costumes can help children visualize what they can not see!

Have fun shaking, wiggling and swinging your tail with the children in your life!

Sincerely,
Stacey