Musical Movement Animal Walk

A phone or speaker for playing music at different tempos

Open floor space for safe movement

Clear an open space in the room for safe movement. Push furniture back if needed.

Start with slow, heavy music and show your toddler how to walk like an elephant — big, stompy, heavy steps with arms swinging like a trunk.

Switch to fast, light music and bounce like a bunny together — quick little hops with hands up like ears.

Try medium-tempo music and waddle like a duck, swaying side to side with arms tucked like wings.

Call out different animals: "Now we're birds! Flap your wings!" Always match the animal to the music's energy.

Let your toddler pick an animal and move however they think that animal would dance. There are no wrong answers.

End with slow music and slither like a snake, getting low to the ground. This naturally winds down their energy.

The connection between tempo and movement is the real lesson here. Slow music = slow movement, fast music = fast movement. This is musical literacy.

Toddlers between 12-18 months may mostly walk or bounce regardless of the animal. That's fine — they're absorbing the idea.

By 2-3 years, most kids will genuinely try to embody each animal with distinct movements. Their creativity will surprise you.

Add sound effects: "Elephants go STOMP STOMP. Bunnies go boing boing." The words reinforce the movement.

This is also a great wind-down strategy. When your toddler is wired, start with their high energy ("Let's be cheetahs!") then gradually shift to slower animals until you reach sloths and sleeping cats.