Transform Story time with “Winter Dance”: An Engaging Movement Lesson

“Movement is the door to learning.” — Paul E. Dennison

I spent so much of my childhood playing, dancing, and just moving—there was nothing better than stretching my arms wide and imagining myself in the middle of some grand adventure. As a teacher, I loved bringing that same energy into the classroom, using movement to make learning more fun and meaningful.

When I taught at a fine arts preschool, one of our favorite activities was bringing children’s books to life through movement. And even now, I love doing this with my girls—it turns story time into something magical! Whether it’s as simple as hopping like a bunny in the living room or as elaborate as a full storytelling adventure, movement makes learning come alive.

If you’re looking for an easy way to add movement to story time, here’s a simple lesson plan to try with your kids or students!

Children explore the book “Winter Dance” through movement. 

Materials Needed: 

• The book “Winter Dance” by Marion Dane Bauer
  • Amazon Link
  • Youtube Link to book 
• Space to move around 
• Optional:
  • Scarves to move with 
  • Little objects to gather 

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students and introduce the book Winter Dance.
• Ask: “What do you think animals do in winter? Do they all do the same thing?”
• Explain that we will read about a fox discovering how different animals prepare for winter and then move like the animals in the story.

Read Aloud & Movement Exploration (10-15 minutes)

• Read the book aloud. After reading about each animal, pause and invite students to move like that animal:
  • Geese – Flap arms like wings and “fly” around the space.
  • Bear – Stomp heavily, then curl up in a ball to “hibernate.”
  • Turtle – Crawl slowly, then tuck into a shell (hug knees).
  • Squirrel – Scurry around and pretend to gather food.
  • Butterfly – Flutter lightly and pretend to migrate.
  • Fox – Twirl and dance to celebrate winter!

Creative Movement Game (5-7 minutes)

• Call out different animals from the story, and students quickly transition into that movement.
• Let students take turns choosing an animal for the class to imitate.

Wrap-Up & Reflection (3 minutes)

• Discuss: “Which movement was your favorite? Which animal would you want to be in winter?”
• End with students doing the fox’s joyful winter dance together! 

I’ve found that keeping it simple with little ones is usually the best approach—but with older kiddos, feel free to dive deeper into each animal’s movement and behavior. Want to extend the fun? Try adding a craft, like making a fox mask, or take the learning outside and pretend to gather like the squirrels. However you choose to do it, movement makes the magic happen! -xo Eliza