• Home
    • Praise and Press
    • About
  • TLB Classes
    • Class Descriptions
    • Online Parent Education Classes
  • Blog
    • Homeschooling
    • Charlotte Mason
    • Booklist
    • Reading and Storytelling
    • Cultivating Love of Learning
    • Parenting Thoughts
      • Memory-Making
    • Five in a Row
      • Before Five in a Row
  • Shop
    • Request/Pre-Order Books Here
    • TLB Gift Card
    • My Account
    • View Cart
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Lost password
  • Book lists
    • Living Books Planning Tool
    • Filipino Living Books Book List
    • Philippine History: A Booklist
    • Catholic Homeschooling Booklist
  • Search the TLB Book Shop
    • Picture Books By Age
      • Board Books
      • Ages 0-2
      • Ages 2-4
      • Ages 4-6
      • Ages 6-8
    • Chapter Books
      • Ages 8-10
      • Ages 10 up
    • Homeschooling
      • CM Homeschooling/Living Books
      • Five in a Row
      • Before Five in a Row
      • Math Books
      • Catholic Books
    • Philippine Published Books
      • Free Downloads
      • Ages 0 to 2
      • Ages 2 to 4
      • Ages 4 to 6
      • Ages 6 to 8
      • Ages 8 to 10
      • Ages 10 and up
      • Chapter Books
      • Board Books
    • Classics
    • Award-Winning Books
    • Recommended Reads for Parents
    • Educational Toys and Materials

The Learning Basket

You Are Your Child's First and Best Teacher

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

From One Pretend Ballerina to Another: Ballet Fun at Home

July 5, 2011 by The Learning Basket 18 Comments

  • Total2.1K
  • 36
  • 0
  • 2.0K

 

What do you do when your little girl catches the ballet bug and starts gliding, twirling, and standing en pointe anytime and anywhere? When she insists to be in her pink leotard from her Dress Up Box the whole day, through lunch and naptime? When she makes her pink ballet shoes her house slippers? When she announces that she is a ballerina? When the inevitable question comes…

Are you going to send her to ballet school?

We almost did send her. But then I googled (“what age should a child start ballet?”), asked around, and stumbled upon a thought that changed my mind as fast as a ballerina’s pirouette:

She twirled at play.
She pretended. She imagined. She played.
Why ruin it with formal lessons?

 

I know ballet classes can be fun. For Little T’s age, the kids just do stretching exercises and different movement activities, and the teachers do not really teach them the ballet positions yet. It’s not like they’re training for Black Swan, right? But like my stand about going to school really early, I believe that it’s still best to just let a very young child, my child who is just three, twirl and pretend to her heart’s content at home. I leave her be and let her imagination flourish as she creates her own little dances.

With the ballet school question settled in my mind, I set out to encourage Little T’s fascination with ballet.  I put on my dancing shoes, twirl and do the plié with her, and arrange our Learning Basket whenever she asks for “pretend ballet lessons” with me.

BOOK Our “lessons” are based on “The Little Ballerina,” a vintage book I bought at Books for Less because of the charming illustrations of a girl going to ballet classes. Pictures of the first to fifth positions as well as the arabesque and ronds de jambe thrilled Little T and actually inspired her to ask me to “study” it. We also learned all the ballet vocabulary I use freely in this post.

 

COSTUME Ballet at home does not require a costume but it certainly makes it much more fun and exciting. We have:

  • Three hand-me-down leotards 
  • A pink skirt for a tutu
  • Pink ballet slippers given by Little T’s aunt last Christmas
  • An old pink cape for when she is the “Flying Ballerina”
Leotards can be bought at Yvonne’s at many department stores, but it can be just a one-piece bathing suit! Tutus can be any fluffy skirt. Ballet slippers are available at SM for P150, but dancing barefoot is great too.

 

BALLET MAT To help Little T remember, I created a ballet mat with the first to fifth positions by tracing her feet on a manila paper. For clear pictures of the feet and hand positions, I looked at this site.

 

MUSIC Though Little T dances and does ballet poses all around the house without any music, we still have a dedicated music and dance time. Dance with Me by Kindermusik’s ABC Music and Me is our default CD because it has classical, tap, waltz, and jig music.

Little T, Baby Boy, and I dance our own brand of ballet and tap and have a rocking good time feeling the different rhythms of the two dances. I swing Baby Boy in the air for ballet and hug him close to me as I do some tap and Little T prances around us. For your own ballet lessons at home, any classical music you can sway with will be perfect already.

We don’t have to be dancers to have a good time dancing with our children. A little creativity and imagination can go a long way. Especially if you are a former pretend ballerina who used to glide, leap, and twirl across the living room.

Our Ballet Learning BasketLittle Ballerina by Dorothy Grider
Ballerina! by Peter Sis
Ten Little Ballerinas Sticker Book
ABC Music and Me Dance with Me Magazine and CD
Leotards
Tutu
Bar
Homemade ballet mat
Make magic!
Mariel Uyquiengco

 

Related Posts

  • 7 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate All Saints’ Day With Your Kids7 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate All Saints’ Day With Your Kids
  • First and Best TeacherFirst and Best Teacher
  • Got Milk? Tie-Dye It!Got Milk? Tie-Dye It!
  • A Fun And Easy Way To Teach Children ShakespeareA Fun And Easy Way To Teach Children Shakespeare
  • Celebrating the Father of My ChildrenCelebrating the Father of My Children
  • Sand in a Box (Literally)Sand in a Box (Literally)
  • Bahay Tsinoy: Museum of Chinese in Filipino LifeBahay Tsinoy: Museum of Chinese in Filipino Life
  • AlphaBooks: A Letter of the Week Reading GuideAlphaBooks: A Letter of the Week Reading Guide
  • Total2.1K
  • 36
  • 0
  • 2.0K
«
»

About The Learning Basket

TLB is composed of two moms who love to read and are homeschoolers.

Welcome


Hi there!

Whether you are a busy working mom, a work-at-home mom, or a stay-at-home mom, you are sure to find parenting and learning inspiration on our pages and parent education workshops to empower you to be your child’s first and best teacher.

Make magic with your child!

Search for Blog Posts

Search Learning Ideas

  • Before Five in a Row
  • Booklist
  • Charlotte Mason
  • Cultivating Love of Learning
  • Educational Materials
  • Five in a Row
  • Fun Friday Ideas
  • Homeschooling
  • Memory-Making
  • Parent Education
  • Parenting Thoughts
  • Past Parent Education Classes
  • Reading and Storytelling
  • Uncategorized

Upcoming Events

preschool homeschool

NOW OPEN — Everything you need to start homeschooling your preschooler is right here (Feb 11 to March 4 2023)

In these uncertain times, we can still enjoy our children while helping them to love learning. Learn everything you need to know to start homeschooling your preschooler in this comprehensive online parent education program.

Subscribe

Get updates on learning ideas, parenting events & shop offers!

Copyright © 2023 · Web Design by Fancy Girl Design Studio · Shop Set Up by Marge Aberásturi

Copyright © 2023 · Learning Basket Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in