Dance & Play

Movement props and interactive music tools from Bear Paw Creek, Octaband, SUZUKI and NINO.

These are for the part of a music session where nobody is holding an instrument. Movement, group play and coordination work need something in the hands, and a scarf or a stretchy band does the job an instrument cannot.

Movement scarves are light chiffon squares that float rather than fall, so a child can throw one and still catch it, and the slow descent gives a phrase its length. Bear Paw Creek supplies them in sets of six, packs of thirteen and add-on sets of twelve, and EMUS rhythm scarves come in packs of six.

Ribbon and chiffon streamers come on a hoop handle or a wrist scrunchie, in primary and rainbow colours. The wrist version is worth knowing about, because it stays attached to a child who cannot reliably hold something.

Stretchy bands are closed loops a whole group holds and pulls against, in five sizes. Connect-A-Bands join together through buckle hubs in six, eight and twelve buckle versions, so a circle can be built to whatever size the group is. Octabands are stretchy circular props with eight, sixteen or twenty-four legs, one per participant, and they work seated as easily as standing.

Also here: bean bags in packs of twelve in four styles, a balloon ball fabric cover, SUZUKI musical floor pads in six and eight note versions, SUZUKI ChoirHorns as an eight-note octave set, and the NINO Shake N' Play memory game.