Musical Animal Walks

Summer is here and school is out! The summer heat can make it difficult to stay active, and irregular summer schedules can impact kids’ (and adults’!) sensory regulation. Pair music with animal walks for fun, structured indoor movement breaks during these long summer days.

Structured movement to music can help to support a variety of skills, including:

• Motor planning – remembering and performing the necessary steps to complete an action.

• Proprioception – the awareness of your body and its position in space. Working on this skill supports the connection between our brains and our bodies!
• Gross motor movement – animal walks require transitioning from standing to sitting/laying down, along with arm and leg movements and core strength.

Activity Idea:

Animal walks are a great way to get kids moving in ways that support their sensory regulation! While most people are familiar with crab walks or bear crawls, this activity from one of our music therapists adds music to animal walks to encourage movement and creativity. Simply download and print the activity page, pick and play one of the two songs, and chose animal walks for each verse or chorus!

Download the printable for free here: Musical Animal Walks Printable