During the summer, many towns and cities have parades along with other celebrations, and letting kids play parade is a great way to encourage fun, learning, and kindergarten readiness. Little ones may only want to march around and make noise, er…music but older kids can include dressing up and maybe even making their own instruments and decorations.
Costumes for a parade can be as handy as a few clothes for dressing up. Big t-shirts, blouses, and shirts are handy because they are not too long for kids. Old costume jewelry and scarves are also fun as are grownup shoes. Of course, some of these might require extra supervision to be on the safe side. Parades have clowns and princesses.
To make instruments, two disposable pie plates make cymbals by taping some spools to the centers to be handles. Coffee cans, cookie tins, and plastic ice cream pails with lids can be used as drums. If there’s a handle on the pail, it can be attached to a belt so both hands will be able to play. To make shakers, just about any small plastic container will work with a few things inside to make sound.
There’s lots of learning in this activity. Rhythm and coordinating movement to a beat are physical skills that are developing in young children. Just marching left, right, left, right can be tricky, let along making sound on an instrument at the same time.
A parade promotes sharing and cooperating strategies and, probably, some negotiating ones too. After all, not everyone can be first to lead the parade. A paper towel roll covered with foil can be the baton for leading the parade and kids can take turns.
Music is optional. Usually, when just a few kids start to march around, others will be eager to join and the parade gets bigger and bigger. The fun gets bigger and bigger, too. Know any great songs that are simple enough for singing, marching and playing on homemade instruments? Best of all, since it’s summer, kids can have the parade outside. Can your children celebrate summer with a parade?