Finding ways for movement in time intensive kindergarten

I got to to thinking after reading some of your thoughts on the lack of Play in kindergarten that there must be ways to get kids moving and having fun that still fit within the constraints of "curriculum centered, time intensive" kindergarten. Our day is jam packed with curriculum (read: reading, reading, math, science and more reading that is all scripted) that I think I had forgot about what it means to have fun.

You see, even specials have been cut for us 1/2 day kinders. No recess, playtime, pe, music or computer time. Art lit once a month, library once a week (during eld!). That is our fun. The rest is time stamped and pretty closely monitored. where does that leave time for a fun lesson? silly time? anything???

Well, this week I decided that any moment that I found, no matter how short it was, I was going to do something fun! So far it has been through short Mark D. Pencil songs that get the kids doing silly things while following directions and incorporating movement and exercise. The kids have LOVED this time so far and I am actually finding that it is an awesome positive behavior support for my lessons! I told the kids about my goal and that whenever we finished our lessons and had extra time we would do something fun!

I am shocked that I just figured this out...but I am loving it!! I think I had become so focused on trying to get everything in that I forgot what it felt like to be a kindergartner. They need this time!

 I'd love to have you join me in the challenge of "doing something fun!" and hear your feedback of what you try!

(This post was written in response to the Five Star Blogger Challenge posted on the Organized Classroom Blog. I <3 Charity Preston!)

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