Top 16 Dance Games for Kids

If you are having a party for your child, you know that it will be difficult to keep the kids engaged at all times. With their lower attention span and bubbling energy, it will be challenging for you to keep them busy and entertained throughout. In this case, kids dance party games can help you. Dance games keep the mind and body engaged, and help improve various skills. So, bring your speakers out and get some feet tapping with fun dance moves for kids. Watch as everyone gets into the groove while taking part in the game. Here are some super fun dance games for kids to get the party started. 

16 Engaging Dance Games for Children

Here are our top dance activities for children between the age group of 5-8 years. Take your pick and have a fun party for your child, fun of entertainment.

1. Say Ola to Hula!

This is a popular Hawaiian dance tradition that has become a global kids dance game. You will need a hula hoop for this, and we have modified this to fit kids who may not have learnt to hula hoop as yet.

How To:

• Play a nice Hawaiian song.
• A Bollywood beach song is a good alternative.
• Make the kids dance with the hula hoop.
• The best hula dancer can claim the throne of the entertainer.
• It is not necessary that the kids know how to hula hoop around the waist. It could be around the arm too. They can also use it as a prop and make crazy dance moves.

2. The Pool Ball Dance

A party at the pool during summers is quite common, but if you have arranged a pool party for your kid, you should also organise a pool dance game for all the children attending the party.

How To:

• You will need a ball that is easy for kids to catch and throw.
• Make sure the children stand at random positions in the pool.
• Play some music, go for fun songs.
• The ball is thrown to one child who will begin to dance to the song that is being played.
• Change the song, and the child holding the ball will throw it to any random child, who will then start dancing and, thus, the game continues.
• There is no winner in this dance game, but it sure is fun.

3. The Animal Dance

This dance also involves using chits. This game is good for the imagination and knowledge. This makes use of various animal movements and sounds that children very cleverly observe.

How To:

• Write the names of different animals on separate chits.
• Call-out an animal name from a chit.
• Children will have to make the noise of the animal and dance as they perceive the animal to be.
• It is best not to interfere and teach them animal movements.
• It is quite interesting to see the animal moves they come up with.
• Make sure you have a variety of animals that children connect with such as snakes, birds, lion, rabbit etc.

4. The Balloon Dance

The balloon dance is a great dance game for birthday parties where balloons can easily be used as props. Don’t be taken away just by the name; this dance is an activity for hand and leg coordination.

How To :

• Give each child a balloon.
• Once they begin dancing, they juggle the balloon.
• Tell them that the balloon they are holding should not fall down.
• The one who dances with the balloon for the longest time wins the game.
• It can be made tough by asking them not to use palms.

5. The Emoji Dance

Everything is digital these days. If there is one thing that children connect with, it’s emojis. This game helps them express emotions better too.

How To:

• Take a print out of popular emoji expressions, such as happy, sad, angry, and amazed.
• Make them into large flashcards.
• The card you flash is the theme on which they dance.
• Play music as per the theme.
• Music needs to change along with the expression.
• Happy emoji can be on a peppy song; the sad expression will be comical (surprisingly) on a sad song.
• Kids will love dancing to such songs that express different emotions.

6. The High Five Dance

Children love high fives. It’s one of their favourite mode of expression. It is one cool thing that connects them with other children. A good icebreaker, this dance is a must if you want all the children to interact.

How To:

• Ask children to team up, i.e every child needs one partner, and give each pair some time to prepare.
• Each pair comes up to the stage area and faces each other.
• They will have to create a dance with claps, high fives, double fives, low fives and snapping.
• This one can even be done without music if required and claps can be used for rhythm.

7. The Paintbrush Dance

The best part is that you don’t need a paintbrush for this game. You need to make children imagine that they have a paintbrush on a particular part of the body and they will have to paint the space around them with that body part. This improves their imaginary and cognitive skills.

How To:

• Write down different parts of the body on separate chits of paper.
• For example, you can write down elbows, hands, nose, knee, head, etc.
• As the chit is called out, one child will paint the floor and everything around him with that part of the body, that is mentioned in the chit.
• The imaginary paintbrush then shifts to the next body part that is called out in another chit.
• For example, if the paintbrush is on the elbow, the child will paint around him with the elbow. If it comes to hands, the child will do dance moves using his hands.

8. Jumping Jack Dance

If one thing is abundant in children, it is energy. Kids don’t need sugar to get high on energy, they are already bubbling with energy. It is a good dance game to exhaust their energy and engage them in some good physical exercise.

How To:

• Music needs to be peppy. The peppier, the better.
• In this dance game, kids need to jump as much as possible.
• The highest, the weirdest, and the best jumps from children will be considered and you can give those children some stars.

9. Remote Dance

For once, you can control your children at a party. This acts as an activity for spontaneity and quick thinking.

How To:

• You need a pretend remote, a real one or even a flashcard with remote buttons terms.
• Play the music low every time you call out a term.
• The terms on the flashcard remote could be, fast forward, rewind, pause, and play.
• Children make moves according to the term that is called out.
• For example, if you call out ‘Rewind’, children need to walk back or jog backwards. If you call out ‘Forward’, their dance moves will be quick.

10. Sack Dance

Sack game is a traditional sport around the world. This is a dance originated from that and worked well with younger children.

How To:

• Get some clean sacks for each child.
• They need to get inside and start dancing in sacks without falling.
• Increase the intensity by making two children stand in one large sack.
• The one who lasts the longest without falling is the winner.
• This dance is best suited for outdoor parties.

11. Partner Up

This game will get all the kids to mingle. Even the ones that have a hard time talking to new people. This is a great ice-breaker for the beginning of the party as well.

How To:

• Count the number of kids attending, and divide the number in half. For example, 22 / 2 = 11
• Next, write down each number twice, on two separate chits. For example, if the number from the previous step is 11, write down each number from 1- 11 twice, on separate chits. Mix all the chits.
• Have all the kids pick one chit each. The kids will then have to partner up with the person who drew the same number as them.
• Give each pair some time to prepare a fun 1-2 minute dance on any song of their choice.
• When the time is up, each pair gets a turn to dance for the audience. The pair with the most fun dance is the winner.

12. Freeze While Dancing

This game is quite common, with most people having played some variation of it in their life. Definitely an evergreen, foolproof dance game. 

How To:

• Turn on the music and let all the kids dance their heart out.
• Pause the music randomly.
• When the music is paused, all the kids must immediately freeze in their current position. 
• Whoever moves during this time is out of the game.
• Play the music again and continue till a few kids are left standing.

13. Spotlight Dance

This game is purely one of chance, and super fun to play at parties. You’ll see each kid’s competitive spirit rising as they want to stay in the game and dance.

How To:

• Dim the lights and ask all the kids to dance in a circle.
• Give one of them a flashlight and tell him to stand in the centre.
• Then, play some music and ask all the kids to dance. 
• While the music plays, the kid with the flashlight will shine it on the dancers, one by one, at random.
• When the music stops, everyone should freeze. Whoever the spotlight is on, at that moment, is out.
• Continue until a few dancers are remaining.

14. The Balancing Game

Balance is key, in life and in this game. Along with being super fun, this game also helps improve hand-eye coordination in kids.

How To:

• Ask all the kids to stand in a circle, with some distance between each of them.
• Give each kid a book to balance on their head. The book shouldn’t be too heavy.
• Then, play music and ask the kids to dance while balancing the book. If the book falls, the child can catch it while falling and continue dancing.
• If the book falls to the ground, the kid is out. 
• Continue till only one child is left standing.

15. Memory Dance

This game will test the memory of the kids at the party, while letting them get creative with dance moves.

How To:

• Ask all the kids to stand in a circle.
• Play some background music.
• Ask any one child to do a quirky, fun step to the song.
• Going in a clockwork direction, each kid must perform the previous dance moves and add one of their own.
• Continue until each kid has had a chance.

16. Dancing With Hats

You’ll need a few hats for this dance game, but it super fun and worth the search. You’ll also get some fun photos and videos of the kids performing some funky moves.

How To:

• Circulate 3-4 hats among the kids. 
• As the music plays, each kid should wear the hat for a few seconds and then pass it to the next person. 
• When the music stops, the kids wearing the hats are out. 
• Play until a few kids remain.

What Are The Benefits of Dance For Kids?

Kids can actually benefit from dancing regularly, as it involves both the body and mind. Here are some benefits of dancing games for kids.

1. Improves Health

Dancing helps kids stay physically active. It improves strength and hand-eye coordination, apart from allowing kids to let loose. It can also help deal with low mood and improves stamina.

2. Boosts Creativity

Self-expression is a huge part of a child’s life, as allowing kids to express themselves freely makes them feel happy and relaxed. Your child can get creative and form his own dance routines.

3. Develops Social Skills

A fun and engaging dance class will help even the most introverted of kids feel comfortable enough to interact with others. They can make friends and share an activity they look forward to.

4. Aids in Consistency

Dancing can’t be mastered overnight. If your child has developed a passion for dance, he will need to consistently hone his skills by practicing everyday. This forms a habit of consistency and routine from early on.

5. Limits Screen Time

Screens are a huge aspect of the current generation’s daily life. However, it’s essential to limit screen time as too much can be harmful. Instead, dance will actually give your child some time away from the screen. 

How Can You Engage Kids In Dance?

There are many dance activities for kids, right from games to classes to solo practice. You can enroll your child in a dance class, which will help him be more consistent with the activity. Additionally, you can have a weekly dance party with your little one, and watch them jump along to the songs and let loose. Whatever method you choose, make sure that you don’t force your child. Instead, let him choose what activity he would like to do.

When you have kids, you are always on your feet, as they look for something around the house to entertain themselves. Another great way to keep your child occupied is by subscribing to an activity box such as Intellikit. Based on the theory of multiple-intelligence, this box promotes all-round development in kids through activities that mix fun with various types of play to stimulate learning. The result? Your child will learn faster and develop skills that help him through life, giving him knowledge about the unique theme set for each month. Subscribe to Intellikit and get a box of fun learning delivered right to your doorstep every month!

With these dance games for children, you can dance along with the kids and keep up with the energy. These games will make sure that all the children have the best time at the party and also make some new friends. Enjoy, as they groove to the music.

Also Read: 

Memory Games for Kids
Indoor Games for Children
Summer Activities for Kids