Easy Percussion for Kids: The Plate Dance for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Each week we attend Wiggly Woo – a fun music and dance class for 1-5 year olds. Last term Immy’s favourite dance was the ‘plate dance.’

It’s a wonderfully, simple idea – all of the children and adults are each given two plastic plates to use as cymbal-like percussion instruments as the Can Can music is played.

It is amazing the effect this produces as we all clap the plates together to the music – fast, slow, softly, loudly, behind our backs, under our legs, above our heads, and you can also rub them together to produce a totally different sound. It’s awesome and the kids LOVE it!

Here’s the music if you’d like to try it yourself…

Or try a bit of Mozart! It’s fun too.

Who would imagine that the humble plastic plate could be so musical. I urge you to give this a try at your house, playgroup or at childcare – I promise you’ll have fabulous fun.

Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.

Read more of Christie's adventures at https://childhood101.com.

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

mum space says
August 3, 2009 at 1:40 AM

Loving your activities Christie.
I have posted a blog love token/award for you over at my blog today.
Have a great week. Sandra x
Lovingmums says
August 3, 2009 at 3:33 AM

My kids used to do similar activity at Mainly Music. In one song they used the 2 paper plates while singing about animals. The children had to put the plates over their eyes for the verse about owls, on their ears for the elephant or by their sides for fish fins etc. Such a great prop to have!
Alexandra S. says
February 2, 2014 at 11:04 PM

I always love safe musical instruments for my toddler, he is so rough on things. He has no intention of braking things or being rough just the exploration, then the "no, mine" starts and he is pulling and grabbing everything. We have a bunch of left over plastic plates from his birthday party, one of his favorite colors- yellow!
- Christie Burnett says
  February 10, 2014 at 9:02 PM
  
  Sounds like a great activity for your son, Alexandra :) Have fun!

Easy Percussion for Kids: The Plate Dance for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

The Book

E-magazine

Activities by Age