Activities

I am walking.
I am walking.
1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4
Walking, walking, walking
Walking, walking, walking
1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4

Think of other movements to go with this simple song as you sing, “I am running”, or “I am jumping”, or “I am skipping”.

Other Variations:

Act out the song the first time, before using hand taps.

Example: Walk…Dance with the song.

Try different rhythms for the numbered counts.

Example: 1 and 2, 3 and 4

Try different “Dance Steps”.

Examples: Cross one hand over the other. Step forward and back. Step to the side. Step high. Step low.

Speak a familiar song, poem, or rhyme and tap the rhythm of the words.

Example: 1 and 2, 3 and 4

How many different ways can you tap using one hand, both hands or alternating hands, etc.?

Interesting facts about tap dancing:

Tap Dancing began with “Jam Sessions” on the street corners with Irish immigrants & Afro-American slaves.

“Trading Fours” was a trend where one dancer tapped four measures and then would challenge the other dancer “top” their steps.

“Stealing Steps” is where each person would tap a section of steps and then challenge the other dancer. The second dancer would take the previous person’s steps and make it their own as an echo, without duplicating exactly the first dancer’s steps.

Have a “Jam Session” of your own and try “trading fours” or “stealing steps” with a partner, using your Hand Taps!

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Click here to take a look at a 2 page spread from our recently published book! 

THE ADVENTURES OF HARVEY THE HORSE

Use your Hand Taps to make the sound of Harvey’s feet as you tell the story, and then make up more stories.

Harvey, the horse, was walking around the barnyard. He was smiling and enjoying the day…walking….walking…walking.

He got bored and decided to see if he could jump over the fence. He stopped walking, and counted to 3. 1…2…3…and leaped over in one big jump.

He then danced over some rocks that were in his way and walked carefully and slowly to the edge of a big field.

Then he started galloping, first slo-w-ly and then very quickly. He counted 8 slow steps 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 and then he counted 8 fast steps 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Then he counted 4 steps….and then 10…

Before he knew it, he was all the way across the field and a long way from the barn.

He knew dinner would be ready soon, so he raced back to the barn as quickly as he could. He ran and then he galloped. When he felt the rocks under his feet, he started dancing. He jumped over the fence and landed hard.

Harvey made it back to his stall just in time and waited patiently for his supper!