The Surprising Benefits of Scarf Play on a Child’s Development
Swish. Twist. Float. Twirl. Bounce. Wave. Scrunch. Toss. Peekaboo. Up high, down low. Fast or slow. Round and round. Side to Side. Over your shoulder. Behind your back. Through your legs.
There are a thousand and one ways to play with scarves. That’s precisely why scarves are such a valuable prop in a music class. But surprisingly, what looks like just fun and games is actually enhancing your child’s development, especially when you combine scarf play with a song, a rhyme, or a recording.
Benefits of Scarf Play include:
Sparking imagination as we explore all kinds of ways to play with our scarves
Teaching directional tracking as we visually track our scarves’ movement
Improving eye-hand coordination as we play catch or peekaboo
Increasing vocabulary as we verbally describe what we are doing with our scarves
Sharpening listening skills as we move our scarves based on musical or verbal cues
Practicing inhibitory skills as we start and stop our movements with the scarves
Scarf Play at home
For babies and toddlers
Get descriptive – Can you float your scarf like a cloud up high? Can you swish your scarf like a broom? Can you make your scarf flap like a flag on the flagpole?
Use some prepositions – Move your scarves up, down, in, out, over, through, or around.
Tell a story – Make up a story and use your scarf as a fun prop as you act out the story.
Add some music – Change up the music and move your scarf in totally different ways.
Pretend play – Scarves can transform into a queen’s royal robe, a superhero’s cape, or a glamorous accessory.
Watch my scarf play video below for songs and play ideas to try too!
I hope you enjoy
Love Elisa xxx