Dance, movement and spatial and social awareness.

• Do starting and stopping activities to prepare.
• Vary movements to keep kids amused and attentive.
• Let students choose and lead movements.
• Remember, there are also girl bears in this world... why should he be the only one to go over the mountain?

This is a movement/dance exercise done in a circle (best with children age 5-7). Everybody sings, so tempo can be adjusted for groups need. While singing "The Bear Went Over the Mountain". Group joins hands or not and walks or skips in circular movement, closed circle moving clockwise or counterclockwise. All walk or skip in circle until "to see what he (or she!) could see". Stop on phrase, face center, with binoculars held up to your eyes on first "to see what he could see". Again: "To see what he/she could see" then teacher or someone in middle of center of circler does a series of static movements. Add one each time song is sung through.

For example:

1. one knee up (can be specific about rights or lefts)
2. one knee up, then second knee up
3. knees up, then down on one knee
4. above movements consecutively, then down on other knee
5. above movements, then one elbow down on floor
6. above movements, then both elbows down on floor
7. above movements, then head down on floor (upside down world-stimulates limbic system).

Chorus ends with emphasis.

Of course, teachers can vary these movements or add more, or better yet, have children be the leaders.