Our parent/carer participatory Tiny Tots class opens up a world of fun & engaging movement to music. Groove to the beat, dance with the props and meet the puppets, all while developing co-ordination, rhythm, motor skills, confidence and imagination! Whether they are popping a bubble or shaking a parachute, the children are developing their listening skills, learning all the time and having lots of fun!
tiny tots (age 1 – 2½)
- Warm-Up
- Stretch
- Action song
- Movement skill exercise
- Imaginative props exercise
- Rhythm exercise
- Storytime dance
- Sensory cool down
baby boppers (age 2½ - rising 5)
Our parent/carer participatory Baby Boppers class for all pre-schoolers from the age of 2½, opens up a world of fun, funky and imaginative dance, where learning and fun are delivered in equal measures. Underpinned by EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stages) guidelines, you and your child will bounce to the beat, move every bit of your body, learn about different music, get lost in an imaginary storytime dance to music & groove out in the Tot Bop boogie! Whatever the exercise, little ones are developing listening skills together with improving co-ordination, motor skills, rhythm, creativity, confidence and imagination every step of the way!
- Warm-Up
- Stretch
- Centre exercise
- Travelling step
- Music section
- Storytime
- Tot Bop boogie
- Sensory cool down
funky monkeys (age 3½ - 5; pre-school & reception year)
Our Funky Monkeys class opens up a world of fun, funky and imaginative dance, where learning and fun are delivered in equal measures. Similar in structure to the Baby Boppers class detailed above, a little more challenge and independence is introduced. There is a focus on ‘school readiness’ in the content of the exercises, with frequent links to numbers, counting, shapes, colours, lefts and rights, and other learning landmarks outlined in the EYFS (Early Years Foundations Stages) guidelines.
Your child will bounce to the beat, move every bit of their body, learn about different music styles and how music makes us feel and move, get lost in a storytime dance to develop their imagination & groove out in the Tot Bop boogie! Whatever the exercise, children are developing listening skills together with improving co-ordination, motor skills, balance, posture, rhythm, creativity, confidence and imagination every step of the way! Grown-ups stay and watch and jump in if needed but the focus is on building confidence, independence and strutting your funky stuff!
- Warm-Up
- Stretch
- Centre exercise
- Travelling step
- Music section
- Storytime
- Tot Bop boogie
- Sensory cool down
groovy movers (age 5 - 9; Years 1-4)
Our Groovy Movers class develops and builds dance technique in a fun, funky and imaginative way for big boys and girls. Your child will learn moves, positions, steps & sequences to challenge and develop co-ordination, balance & posture, together with building musical & rhythmical awareness. Children learn about different styles of music and build confidence & imagination through learning a fun, choreographed dance routine in a variety of styles throughout the year. They finish off the class with our Tot Bop boogie & sensory cool-down. Grown-ups can either stay and watch or drop off and pick up at the end… whatever suits your child. The focus is on building confidence, independence and developing more skill & knowledge in a super fun, supportive but relaxed learning environment.
- Warm-Up
- Stretch
- Centre exercise
- Travelling step
- Music section
- Learn a fun routine
- Tot Bop boogie
- Sensory cool down
Our syllabus & the EYFS
Our syllabus has been carefully designed to complement the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) framework, with every Tot Bop class incorporating the 7 areas of learning in a fun, inclusive and engaging way.
Structured around developmental stages, our syllabus supports children from age 1 to 9, developing:
- Motor skills, co-ordination, balance & strength
- Rhythm, musicality and listening skills
- Creativity, imagination and confidence
- Independence and social skills
From counting the beat in a rhythm exercise (Mathematics), to exploring dance styles (Understanding the World) and using imagination in Storytime (Expressive Arts & Design), EYFS learning is seamlessly woven into every session.
Inclusive of boys and girls and supportive of SEND, Tot Bop gives every child the opportunity to move, explore, create and learn.
We’re passionate about giving children the very best introduction to dance, building essential skills while inspiring and igniting their imaginations.
- Encourages sense of self through independence and engaging in exercises and movement.
- Builds relationships and social skills through interactions with teachers and other children around them.
- Builds relationships through activities such as galloping in pairs and travelling in pairs from the corner.
- Builds confidence through familiarity of exercises, fun and achievement. (Sticker charts to track achievement at the end of each class.)
- Encourages an awareness of boundaries through following instruction and being respectful of others.
- Encourages turn taking on the travelling step section and sharing of props and musical instruments.
- Enhances both gross and fine motor skill development through practice of walking and running at different speeds, jumping, hopping, skipping, turning etc.
- Encourages dexterity through the use of props.
- Development of co-ordination and body awareness throughout.
- Encourages confident and safe movement skills.
- Teaches an awareness of left and right.
- Teaches spacial awareness, pattern and direction.
- The class provides a safe, open and relaxed environment, where children are free to ask questions.
- Certain exercises have rhymes put to them to enhance the rhythm. For example, when skipping, at the end we say ‘my name is …’ in the rhythm of the skip.
- Children enhance their listening and attention through engagement of the exercise or instruction.
- Children listen to clap the beat.
- Imagery is used throughout to aid the child’s understanding and to spark their imaginations.
- Children are encouraged to say hello and goodbye to the teacher and engage in conversation when receiving their achievement sticker at the end of class.
- Uses rhythmic language and imaginative imagery to enhance learning.
- Children get used to certain words and phrases to describe a movement.
- Action songs associate language with a movement.
- Children count the beat in rhythm exercises using instruments and marching / movement.
- Builds an awareness of basic time signatures and counting 2, 3 and 4 beats to a bar.
- Children learn an understanding of musical phrasing and listening for the 1!
- Children often have to repeat a movement a number of times, where they have to count it. Eg. Hopscotch or 8 jumps.
- Children gain an awareness of shapes through choosing a shape mat to sit on at the beginning of class and in the ‘make a shape stretch’ exercise.
- Children gain an awareness of time through the structure of the class.
- Certain exercises have a theme of ‘being a shape’ or ‘what time is it?’
- Children begin to become aware of certain social dances in the ‘music section’, where they learn about a specific music/dance style for a number of weeks (eg. Rock n roll, Charleston, hip hop etc)
- The ‘storytime’ section ignites imaginations through putting movement into a context of a narrative setting.
- Creativity is encouraged right from the age of 1, in making ‘crazy shapes’ with their bodies.
- There is a strong emphasis throughout on feeling the beat and moving in a way that is initiated by the music. e.g The movement comes from them instinctively and is encouraged to be intrinsic.
- In rhythm exercises and the music section, the children work with a different percussion instruments each week. They have fun exploring how it works and how best to make a sound (e.g. Shake, tap together, pat on knee, tap on floor etc.).
- The children thoroughly explore their imaginations through use of props and in the ‘storytime’ section, whether it’s imagining watering a garden with watering cans, being a woodland creature in a forest or a tight rope walker in a circus!
- Children have an opportunity to ‘freestyle’ at the end of class in the ‘Tot Bop Boogie’. This encourages creativity, improvisation skills and builds confidence.
- Classes get the children used to learning along side others and being respectful of both their peers and the teacher.
- Classes promote social interaction and taking turns.
- Classes get the children used to boundaries and routine within an educational setting.
- Classes encourage fun within learning!
- Classes get children used to listening and following instruction within an educational setting.