Excite young ones by making the ball a time for dress up. Establish the ball as a formal affair, for example, by asking parents to dress their children in slacks or dresses. Deciding with the children what kind of theme they want is an ideal preparation activity to get kids excited about the ball. Determining a theme – classical or Latin music, for example – gives kids the opportunity to dress up in a way that compliments the sounds they will hear. Give girls shawls or top hats for boys as a way to introduce a costume theme to the party.
Combining music with movement can turn your ball into a chance for the kids to exercise. Turn on different types of music and encourage the children to move and dance in a way they feel is natural to what they hear. Playing short bursts of a variety of music, back to back, will keep the kids engaged and at the ready. Swinging arms and jumping up and down when popular music is played, for example, would follow slow movements and tip-toe dancing after the sounding of soft, elevator music.
Musical chairs and London Bridges are two of many games you can incorporate into a preschool ball. Musical chairs, for example, involves a group of kids circling a few chairs until music is stopped. Once the music stops, the children must find a chair. Those who find a seat in the provided chairs, wins; those who are left standing are out. London Bridges allows children to sing while racing under an arch formed by the arms of the tallest children. When the music stops and the arms come down, whoever is trapped is out. Incorporate a humming game: stand children in a circle with one kid in the middle who is blindfolded. The circle of children begins humming the same song, while the child in the middle spins. The blindfolded child stops and points to a student. The student to which the blindfolded child points continues humming, while all others cease. The point is to get the blindfolded child to guess to whom he pointed.
Turning the ball into a dramatic event gives children a chance to show their stuff to fellow schoolmates, teachers and parents. Guiding boys through the motion of respectfully asking a girl to dance, for example, and teaching kids hand positioning and foot movement – even if it is only rocking back and forth – helps kids learn proper etiquette and dancing style. Casting other students to act as musicians, playing homemade instruments, adds to the spectacle. Demonstrating the dance to a supportive crowd is sure to boost the students’ confidence.