Motor Skills and Movement Ideas for All Ages to Use in Music Therapy Sessions
Our intern, Mary, will be diving into a variety of music therapy topics to increase her knowledge as her final project! She not only is gathering this information for herself, but also to share with you in the form of a blog post. Thanks for reading!
Overview
Movement is a part of everyday life and can be a beneficial aspect of music therapy. I have come to find a great deal of my clients have goals that implement movement in almost every session. In a study done by Latif, et al. (2021), they found that when movement experiences were included in music therapy interventions, participants produced greater movement compared to a non-music therapeutic intervention. The benefit of movement paired with music is something that music therapists can use to their advantage. Back in 1984, Hibben noted the importance of increasing movement training for music therapists to facilitate proper movement activities in sessions. Now, this skill is more integrated in music therapy education. I personally experienced a therapeutic movement class taught by a dance therapist during my undergraduate studies. While this class was held via Zoom, it encouraged us to consider the reasoning behind movement activities as well as the populations it could benefit.
Possible populations include individuals or groups of older adults, as well as adults with various forms of dementia, children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people in recovery, people in the hospital setting, and more. Movement activities are fairly accessible, as they can be adapted to serve each individual’s unique needs, abilities, and goals. Goals and objectives that movement experiences may aid include exercising fine and gross motor skills (aiding with ADLs or building strength/muscle), social interaction with therapist(s) or group members, academic skills, following directions, self-expression, and creativity.
Props
Ribbon Rings
Ribbon rings are a fun prop to include in sessions, especially since clients can help put them together! This process exercises fine and gross motor skills as well as creativity skills through pulling the ribbon around the ring, tying it, and waving it around. The ribbon can be switched out for different colors depending on the client and season.
Sensory Beach Ball
My supervisor purchased a pack of sensory beach balls for the team, and they have been useful for multiple clients! A few of my clients like to hold the ball close to their face and watch the sparkles fall. Clients can exercise motor skills by passing the ball back and forth, as well as social skills if you incorporate names in this activity.
Bean bags
Cornhole or Bags? These bean bags are a nice way to add some diversity in the music therapy sessions. I have had clients with motor skill goals practice throwing the bags into a floor tom or tubano while listening to preferred music.
Scarves
Scarves are an iconic prop in the music therapy field! Due to their light weight, they are an accessible addition to most interventions.
Parachute & Octoband
The parachute and octoband are best for big groups! Smaller versions are available, but they still work similarly to one another with multiple people holding on to each end. The octoband is stretchier than the parachute, so facilitated movement can include clients pulling the handle towards them, away from them, etc.
Musical Movement Books
These musical books include directed rhythms for the reader to play, which then encourages the main character of the book to continue in their mission. Rhythms include eighth and quarter notes! These are great ways to target reading skills along with motor skills and keep interventions musical.
Movement Songs as Books
Games
Musical Obstacle Course
A music therapy obstacle course is a great way to incorporate multiple goals in one activity. The course will be created by the therapist with client goals in mind. Clients can follow the course around the room, stopping at each activity. Aspire created an Olympics-themed obstacle course this past summer that is useful with multiple clients and adaptable!
Just Dance Videos
Many Just Dance recordings are available on Youtube! These are nice for clients working on following instructions and movement abilities. These dances can also be re-created with the client dancing and the therapist providing a live version of the song.
Little Sally Walker
Little Sally Walker is a silly game I played in grade school and summer camp settings, but it can definitely be utilized in sessions with clients who require practice with movement skills, creativity, and turn-taking. If you are not sure how to play this game, all participants stand in a circle and one person skips around the middle, stopping in front of another person when prompted by the song. This person is given the spotlight to create their own dance move for the other person to copy. They then switch places, and the game continues until everyone has a chance to create their own move. Find an example video here.
Freeze Dance
A simple idea to include movement in music therapy is with a freeze dance game! The therapist will play an upbeat playlist and the client(s) will dance until the music stops - then freeze! Basically musical chairs without the chairs, but no one is eliminated!
Music Technology
Patatap
My co-intern found this webpage that has been useful for clients who work on fine motor skills. Each letter on the computer keyboard creates a different sound. Multiple sound palettes can be found by clicking the space bar. Unfortunately, there is no recording feature on this website, but I have made my own recording on my phone. This is a fun and simple way for clients to create their own music while reaching identified goals!
Launchpad
Launchpad is a free app that can be downloaded on phone or tablet and offers clients an opportunity to select their own beats and practice fine motor skills, such as finger isolation.
There is also a physical version of Launchpad that a couple of our therapists have used in sessions! When the pad is connected to your computer, you can select a variety of pre-loaded sounds to include in your creation.
Boomwhacker Videos
These boomwhacker videos from Swick’s classroom are super fun! I know my cohort and I loved bringing them into music therapy class facilitations and sessions. They are simple to follow along, and the Youtube speed can be changed if the song is too fast or slow for a specific client. I’ve included one of my favorites here.
Adapted: Clients can play the boomwhackers with a mallet if this works best for them.
Structured Movement Ideas
Cupid Shuffle by Cupid & Cha-Cha Slide by Mr. C
These songs take me right back to middle school, but whenever they come on, you have to dance along! Both are super catchy but also encourage clients to follow instructions while practicing movement skills.
Adapted: Rhythm sticks can be used as a way to make this experience more accessible.
When the Saints Go Marching
“When the Saints Go Marching In” is an upbeat iconic song that could encourage kids to “march” around the room, “jump,” “tip-toe,” etc. and facilitate marching and stepping with seated older adults.
Adaptation: This experience can be adapted to utilize hand movements instead of feet. The therapists could also provide hand-over-hand if needed.
Music For Kiddos Songs
Stephanie Leavell’s Music For Kiddos has various resources I have used throughout my education, including fall tunes such as “Leaves Are Falling,” in which one can utilize their prop as a leaf, or “Wave Like the Wind,” which directs contrasting scarf movements for clients to follow in the chorus and verse. You can find her Spotify here with all of her music.
Adaptation: Therapist can wave the scarf and place it over the client’s head, providing sensory stimulation.
“Cups” by Anna Kendrick
If you haven’t seen Pitch Perfect, this is one of the songs from the first movie. The “Cups” movements are a classic and ones I’ve learned at camp growing up, but it is also a great way to incorporate motor skills in sessions. This intervention could also include goals such as following one-step directions and focusing on a new skill.
“L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole
“L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole is a song I have facilitated movement to in sessions with older adults, utilizing scarves to draw the letters in the air.
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is an upbeat song that even those who are not familiar with can follow along! I have used scarves and the parachute as props with this song and directed clients to lift their arms up high, low, and horizontally apart to move with the song’s chorus.
Resources Cited
Hibben, J. K. (1984). Movement as musical expression in a music therapy setting, Music Therapy, 4(1), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.1093/mt/4.1.91
Latif, N., Di Francesco, C., Custo-Blanch, M., Hyde, K., Sharda, M., & Nadig, A. (2021). Joint engagement and movement: Active ingredients of a music-based intervention with school-age children with autism. NeuroRehabilitation, 48(2), 167–185. https://doi-org.libproxy.udayton.edu/10.3233/NRE-208012
