Looking to make Thanksgiving week a hit for your little one? Check out these entertaining dance and movement games you can play to create lasting memories for your family next week!

Turkey Freeze Dance

This easy-to-follow Turkey Freeze Dance is a great game for kids! It guides them through a series of turkey-related dance moves, such as shaking your tail feathers, strutting, gobbling, and flapping your wings. Your little dancers will love pretending to be turkeys. Be sure they listen carefully so they know when to freeze in place!

Turkey May I (in the style of Mother May I)

Line up the children in a straight line at one end of the room while you stand at the other end. Give a command to the first child, such as, “Take three hops forward.” If the child follows the instructions without first asking, “Turkey, may I take three hops forward?” then they can’t move and must wait until the next round to try again. The child who makes it all the way across the room first wins the game.

Turkey Says (in the style of Simon Says)

Ask the children to spread out across the room and listen for you to say “turkey says” before they do any dance moves, such as...

• For Ballet students: Plie, releve, tendu, and 1st-5th positions

• For Jazz students: Chasse, ball change, and kick

• For Hip Hop students : Wiggle your hips and coffee grind

• For Tap students : Shuffle step, flap heel, buffalo, and Irishes.

Turkey Pokey

This turkey-themed version of the classic Hokey Pokey will get your kids up and moving! The song asks dancers to put their wings, drumsticks, stuffing, wattle, tail feathers, and turkey body in and out—and shake them all about—for some good Thanksgiving fun.

Duck, Duck, Turkey (in the style of Duck, Duck, Goose)

Sit the children down in a circle. Choose someone to be “it” first. Then, play the game just like Duck, Duck, Goose, except tell the kids to say “turkey” instead of “goose.”

We wish all of our Dance Academy USA friends a wonderful Thanksgiving season! If you would like to inquire about dance program opportunities at our studio while you have a little down time over the holiday, we are just one phone call or email away! Enjoy this special time with friends and family!