Dancing Today Leads to Bike Riding Tomorrow

Riding a bikeIt’s coming, one day soon (if it hasn’t already). Your child will want to learn how to ride a bike—the big kid kind. There will be spills and thrills for both of you as your helmeted child learns how to balance and maintain the right rhythm and tempo for pedaling and braking. Shouts of “Don’t let go!” “I need a push!” and “Arggg!” will be commonplace until that moment when it all comes together and your child successfully rides down the street.

You might not realize it but Kindermusik helps prepare you and your child for this moment (and not just by supplying you with calming music to hum during the process!). When we dance the waltz and the jig or clap and tap a three-beat pattern while listening to a waltz, your child not only builds important musicianship skills but also develops and refines motor coordination skills. This awareness of meter and individual beats in two-beat and three-beat musical patterns builds a sense of rhythm that will help your child play an instrument, dribble a ball, swim with consistent strokes, and yes, even pedal a bike.

Kindermusik Tip: Dance with your child to all kinds of music. Go ahead: Waltz together. Do the Hand Jive. Try the Electric Slide. There is no right or wrong way to dance together. Plus, it’s good for you both!

Take a look at how this sweet Kindermusik child dances with her doll:

[youtube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fhs8xqkn6Q  [/youtube]

Download this free mini-playlist of some of our favorite Kindermusik dance songs.

Contributed by Lisa Camino Rowell a freelance writer in the Atlanta area.

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