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Some of the Best Dance Craft ideas to make at home

Dance is a fun and creative activity for children that can help improve coordination, self-expression, and physical fitness.

If you have children at home who simply love everything and anything that is about ballet or dance, then this blog is for you!

It makes sense to combine their passion for dance with a themed craft or activity to spice up those long holiday days.

Finding crafts and activities that are themed for dance or ballet sounds simple but it actually took quite a bit of time and research. We’ve done the hard work for you and we scoured the web and found the best dance craft and activities out there for your budding ballerina, hip-hopper and tap dancer.

So here goes, here’s our best list of dance craft ideas for children these holidays.

[While all care and attention has been taken in compiling this list, Balletstuff.com.au takes no responsibility for safety and reliability, readers must do their own research and decide the appropriateness of each craft for their own children].

DIY Dance Costumes:

– Let children design and create their own dance costumes. Provide them with plain leotards, tutus, or t-shirts and encourage them to use fabric paint, sequins, ribbons, and other decorations to make their costumes unique.

Butterfly Wings:

– Use an online template to cut out some butterfly wings from muslin cloth or similar. Your child can trace around the pattern, cut it out and colour in with fabric paint or markers and decorate further with sequins, glitter and ribbons. Your child can then flutter around with these floaty fabric wings on.

For further information, go to https://www.skiptomylou.org/easy-butterfly-costume/

Dance Props:

– Create dance props like ribbons, scarves, or pom-poms that children can use to add an extra element of flair to their dance routines. You can make these props using simple craft materials. One of the easiest things to do is to buy some colourful ribbons, simply tie to a hair tie or piece of elastic that fits around the wrist. Making pom poms is always fun. See how to do this at www.totalgirl.com.au.

Decorate Dance Shoes:

– Allow children to personalize their dance shoes by decorating them with fabric markers, rhinestones, or glitter. You could use henna paint, fabric paint, water colors, even permanent markers. Make some abstract art, add some inspiring quotes, or have your dance friends and dance teacher all sign them. This is an easy way to give your dance shoes a some unique personality. This can make dance practice more exciting and give a sense of ownership over their gear.

Showstopper Magazine has a great article on this, visit @goshowstoppermagazine to read more.

Dance Storyboards:

– Encourage kids to create a storyboard for their dance routine. Provide them with paper, markers, and stickers to help them illustrate their dance moves and choreography.

Dance-themed Artwork:

– Have children create dance-themed artwork, such as paintings or drawings, that can be displayed in their dance studio or at home to inspire them. Or you can print off dance related colouring in for youngsters to do. GBcoloring.com/dance/ have free dance coloring printable templates, including these below.

DIY Dance Medals:

– Organize a dance competition or showcase, and have children craft their own dance medals or awards using materials like cardboard, ribbon, and paint.

Dance Journals:

– Provide each child with a dance journal where they can write down their thoughts, goals, and experiences related to their dance practice. They can also sketch dance moves and costumes. Obviously how intricate your journal is will depend on age. For pre-schoolers, it can be filled with colouring in and some more basic craft, while tweens can go take it to the next level. Have a look at the amazing journal ideas at thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com.

https://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/2014/05/24/dance-mixed-media-fun-art-journal-page/

Dance-themed Collages:

– Encourage kids to cut out pictures from magazines or print dance-related images from the internet to create dance-themed collages. This can be a great way to explore different dance styles and cultures.

It can cater to all ages, but one that your tweens will simply love is the newspaper ballerina. I’m sure a lot of you have seen the newspaper ballerina collage before, it’s classic and so beautiful! There are step by step instructions for this one at the craftysisters, found at this link: https://thecraftysisters.com/2011/11/14/ballet-dancer-collage/

Dance-themed Jewellery:

– Host a jewellery-making session where children can create dance-themed jewellery using beads, strings, and other craft supplies. They can design necklaces, bracelets, or earrings inspired by their favourite dance styles.

Dancing Spinners:

– Create a spinner and watch the colours dance and change as it spins around and around! Such an easy craft that teaches youngsters about patterns and how movement can change patterns and colour.

See makeandtakes.com for more information.

Dance-themed Puzzles:

– Make custom puzzles featuring pictures of dancers or dance poses. Kids can decorate the puzzle pieces before assembling them, adding an artistic touch to their dance-themed puzzle.

Dance-themed Masks:

– Organize a mask-making activity where children design and decorate masks inspired by different dance styles or characters from their favorite dance stories. This is so easy, print a mask template from any online site, grab some glue and some decorations and have fun.

Dance-themed Bookmarks:

– Create dance-themed bookmarks with children, using cardstock, markers, stickers, and glitter. These bookmarks can serve as a fun reminder of their passion for dance. RedTedArt.com has a really cute ballerina bookmark craft, visit this site for more detailed information.

Remember to adapt these craft ideas to the age and skill level of the children, and always prioritise safety when using craft materials. These activities can complement a child’s dance education and make their dance journey even more enjoyable and creative. We hope you have loads of fun with these crafts.