Flag Marching

[20 Minutes]

Make your own flag and create your own marching parade! This is a great multi-task activity - you and your child will focus on keeping the cadence of the march and on performing a routine with the flag! You'll both have lots of laughs - it's not as easy as it looks!

You'll need:

• colorful scraps of material or old colorful shirts • two dowels or smooth sticks • duct tape or a stapler • fabric crayons (optional) • your favorite music - either on the radio or play a tape or a CD

What to do:

1. Together with your child, gather everything you'll need.
2. Explain to your child that the object of the activity is to make flags and then, create your own special marches to your favorite music.
3. Help your child begin your flags by each picking out a piece of material.
4. Invite her to roll one end of the fabric around the stick or dowel (you could even use a yard stick or ruler).
5. Help her tape or staple the material to the stick. Together make two flags.
6. Invite your child to decorate the flag with fabric crayons if you wish.
7. Encourage your child to wave it around a bit to make sure it will hold up.
8. Together, pick your marching area and set up your music.
9. Practice some of your own signature marching moves. For example - challenge her to wave the flag from right to left - first over her head, then in front of her face, then lower, in front of her knees and repeat the sequence. Let her do this as she marches in place, then as she marches around the room. Invite her to march to music.
10. Next make up another flag marching move. For instance - try twirling the flag or try writing your name in the air. Do this to music as you march.
11. With your child, put 2 or 3 of your moves together to form a routine. Try doing the routine together or can make up your own marching routine and then show each other!

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• How many different moves or routines with the flag do you think you can remember?
• Could you do this with 2 flags at once? Did you think it was difficult to march and move the flags? Why?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop creativity and large muscle skills.