What You Need

Scarves – Use scarves from your closet. Find scarves at second hand stores. Make your own scarves out of lightweight see through fabric or purchase dance scarves.

Music - any type of music will do. Play a variety of music types.

Free Play First

Preschoolers learn best and play for longer periods of time when they are allowed to explore with props on their own.

Play different types of music and let preschoolers explore scarf dancing in their own way.

1. Hand Out Scarves

2. Play Music – Play a variety of types of music. Music with different tempos and sounds inspire preschoolers to move in different ways.

Follow the Leader

1. Call out one preschooler's name to be the leader.

2. Tell the preschooler to show one way to move their scarf.

3. Everyone in the group moves their scarf in the same way as the leader.

4. Choose another leader and continue the steps above.

5. Keep choosing leaders until every preschooler has had a chance to be the leader.

Circle Activities to Explore "Inside" and "Outside"

Help preschoolers explore spatial concepts with these simple instructions.

Preschoolers stand in a circle.

1. Stand in place and move your scarf inside of the circle. Move your scarf outside of the circle.

2. Spread your legs side apart. Bend over and move your scarf inside the circle. Move your scarf outside of the circle. (Preschoolers might choose to hold their arms between their legs to put their scarf outside of the circle.)

Partner Activities for older 4's and 5's

One partner holds two scarves. The other partner forms their arms into a circle. Then the partners switch activities so both preschoolers get a chance to do each part of the activity.

1. If you are holding two scarves, face your partner who has formed a circle with their arms. Wiggle your scarves on the inside of the circle (the circle made by your partner's arms).

2. Wiggle your scarves outside of the circle. (the circle made by your partner's arms).

3. Wiggles your scarves both inside and outside of the circle (the circle made by your partner's arms).

Circle Activities to Explore "Over" and "Under"

Preschoolers sit down on the floor.

1. Put one hand under your scarf.

2. Put two hands under your scarf.

3. Put one hand over your scarf and one hand under your scarf.

4. Put one foot under your scarf.

5. Put two feet under your scarf.

6. Put two hands and two feet under your scarf.

7. Put two feet and one hand under your scarf.

8. Put your scarf over your head.

9. Put your whole body under your scarf.

10. Put your whole body over your scarf.

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Physical activity and emotional regulation are directly linked. A preschooler who has had sufficient physical activity handles frustration, transitions, and disappointment more effectively.

• Limit passive sitting to less than 30 minutes at a stretch during waking hours. After 30 minutes of stillness, all preschoolers need a movement break before re-engaging with focused activities.

• Physical fitness in preschool predicts academic performance in elementary school. The brain-body connection is direct: active children concentrate better and learn more effectively.

• Model movement yourself. Children of physically active parents are dramatically more likely to be physically active across their lifespan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is yoga appropriate for preschoolers?

Preschool yoga is not only appropriate but genuinely beneficial — it develops balance, strength, flexibility, and body awareness. More importantly, it teaches preschoolers the foundational self-regulation skills of breath awareness and still-body practice. Children's yoga programs (Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube is a popular free resource) frame poses as animals and characters, making the practice engaging. 10–15 minutes of child-appropriate yoga is appropriate daily from age 3.

Related reading: See also our swimming and water safety guide and our indoor gross motor activities for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🧠 Brain-Body Connection — Research consistently shows that physical activity directly improves concentration, working memory, and academic readiness — making fitness time one of the highest-return educational investments in a preschooler's day.
• 🌱 Lifelong Active Habits — Children who have joyful physical experiences in the preschool years are dramatically more likely to be active adolescents and adults — making every positive movement experience an investment in lifelong health.
• 🏃 Gross Motor Skills — Running, jumping, hopping, and climbing build the large muscle strength, coordination, and body control that physical activities, sports, and even handwriting readiness depend on.
• 🧭 Spatial Awareness — Moving through and around obstacles, understanding where their body is in space, and following directional instructions develops the spatial body awareness that sports, dance, and coordinated movement require.

by Kelly Pfeiffer

Colorful scarves make great dance props for preschoolers. Indoors or out, scarf dancing encourages preschoolers to experiment with creative movement in new ways.

Little arms get a great work out as preschoolers guide scarves through the air. Heart, lungs and muscles get fitness benefits when preschoolers run, gallop, twist and jump. Preschoolers need plenty of age appropriate free play and scarf dancing offers a high interest activity with plenty of fitness benefits.