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Dance Move Cards Freestyle: Free Printable Card Set for Year 3

  • ForYear 3
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Dance Move Cards Freestyle is a free printable card set for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children cut out the move cards, pick some and build their own dance routine. It takes about 15 minutes, needs space more than equipment, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Page 1 is a set of move cards to cut out. Each card gives one simple action, such as spin slowly like a top, tiptoe like a cat, stomp like a giant or clap a steady beat. Children pick cards, put them in an order they choose, then practise until they can remember it. Last, they perform the routine with control. There is no right or wrong routine, so every child can make something of their own.

  • Spin slowly like a top
  • Jump and freeze
  • Wave your arms like the sea
  • Stomp like a giant
  • Tiptoe like a cat
  • Slide side to side
  • Clap a steady beat
  • Wiggle like jelly
  • Stretch up tall, then curl small
  • March on the spot
  • Sway like a tree
  • Shake it all out

How to build a routine

Choose

Spread the cut out cards face up. Let your child pick the moves they like the look of. Ask them to think about how each one might feel to do.

Order

Lay the chosen cards in a row. Read them left to right. Swap any two cards if the routine would flow better that way.

Practise

Do each move in turn, then link them together. Say the move names aloud while moving. Repeat until the order feels easy.

Perform

Clear a safe space and let your child show the routine to an audience. Ask them to finish with a clear stop so everyone knows it is over.

Why use move cards for dance?

Dance is part of Physical Education in the National Curriculum for England. At Key Stage 2, pupils are taught to perform dances using a range of movement patterns. That means more than copying a teacher. Children choose moves, link them together, remember the order and show control. Freestyle cards give a gentle way in, because each card is a small idea that a child can make big or small in their own way.

Short move cards take away the pressure of inventing a move from nothing. Ideas such as a cat or a tree give children something to imagine, which often makes movement more expressive. Laying cards in a row also makes a sequence you can see, touch and change. That helps children remember the order before they try it on their feet.

Clear a safe space and move furniture out of the way before you start. Check the floor is not slippery. Bare feet or non slip socks or shoes are best. Remind children to keep space between themselves and others, and to stop at once if anything hurts. An adult should do the cutting if scissors are a worry.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Sequencing
  • Creativity
  • Movement
  • Memory
  • Control
  • Performing

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
National Curriculum (England) PE Dance Year 3

What children will be able to do

  • I can choose dance moves from the cards.
  • I can remember a short sequence.
  • I can perform it with control.

Ideas to help children move well

  • Change the speedThe same move looks different when done slowly or quickly. Try a move at two speeds and see which one suits your routine.
  • Change the sizeMoves can be big or small. Ask your child to try one move very large, then very tiny, and choose.
  • Use stillnessA pause is part of a dance. A held shape at the start or end helps the routine look planned.
  • Use the whole spaceMoving forwards, backwards and sideways makes a routine more interesting than staying on one spot.

Key words

  • RoutineA set of moves done in a planned order.
  • SequenceThings that happen one after another in a fixed order.
  • FreestyleMaking your own choices instead of copying a set dance.
  • Steady beatA regular pulse that stays the same speed, like a clock ticking.
  • FreezeTo stop and hold completely still.
  • ControlMoving carefully and on purpose, so you can start and stop when you choose.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
  2. Cut out the move cards. Ask an adult to help if needed. Clear a safe space and move furniture out of the way.
  3. Try a few moves together first. Talk about how each card could be done in a different way.
  4. Let your child pick cards, put them in an order and practise. Then they perform the routine. It takes about 15 minutes.
  5. Come back another day and make a new routine with different cards. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Pick just two cards and repeat each one four times. Count the repeats out loud. Once those two moves feel easy, join them into a tiny routine. Add a third card only when your child is ready and wants to carry on.

To stretch confident children

Pick six cards, then add a start pose and an end pose. Practise until the routine runs smoothly. Then teach it to someone else, using clear words and showing each move slowly. Ask your learner to say what they would change.

Make it a game

Shuffle the cards and deal four at random. Can you make a routine from whatever you get? Once you have practised, perform it for the family. Then shuffle, deal again and see how different the new routine feels.

Talk about it

  • Which card did you pick first, and why?
  • How did you remember the order of your moves?
  • Which move was the hardest to do well?
  • What would you change to make your routine better?
  • How could you make one move look different, using speed or size?
  • If you taught this routine to a friend, what would you say first?

Take it off the page

Mirror dance

Stand facing a partner. One person moves slowly and the other copies like a mirror. Swap roles after a minute.

Freeze game

Play music or clap a beat. Everyone moves in their own way. When the music or clapping stops, everyone freezes in a shape and holds it.

Move story

Tell a short story aloud, such as a walk through a forest. Your child acts out each part with a different movement.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go, then let them lead. Join in with a card or two so it feels like play. About 15 minutes is plenty. Praise effort and ideas, not just neat moves.

Teachers

Use it as a PE starter, a warm up, a plenary, a rainy day indoor task or a dance lesson building block. It needs only printing and cutting. Pairs or small groups can share a set and perform to each other.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider PE or movement plan. It suits a short daily burst of activity and pairs well with music, outdoor play and storytelling. Brothers and sisters can make routines together and perform them.

Where this fits in learning

Before this, children usually learn to copy and repeat simple movements, travel safely around a space and stop on a signal. Those skills give them the control they need to link moves together. Year 3 is a good time to start choosing moves for themselves.

After this, children can build longer routines, work with a partner or small group, and add ideas such as changes of speed, direction and level. They can also start to watch others and say what makes a performance clear and well controlled.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. How did you remember the order of your moves?
  2. Which move was the hardest to do well?
  3. What would you change to make it better?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Dance Move Cards Freestyle for?

It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Older or younger children can join in too. Choose fewer cards for younger children, or use the stretch idea on page 2 to challenge older ones.

What will children practise?

They practise planning, remembering and performing a short sequence of movements. They also use creativity to choose and order their moves, and control to perform them clearly. These are all part of the dance strand in PE.

Does my child need dance experience?

No. The cards are simple actions such as marching, swaying or tiptoeing, so any child can start. There is no right or wrong routine. The aim is to choose, remember and perform with control.

How long does it take?

It takes about 15 minutes. You can make it shorter by choosing fewer cards, or longer by adding a start pose and an end pose, or by teaching the routine to someone else.

Do I need much space?

You need enough clear floor to move without bumping into anything. Move furniture out of the way and keep space between players. A living room, hall or classroom with the tables pushed back is usually fine.

Can a group or class use it?

Yes. Give each pair or small group a set of cards to make a routine, then let them perform for each other. One player can also use it alone. Teachers can use it as a starter or plenary.

Is it free, and do I need colour printing?

Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No colour printer is needed, as it prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. You will need scissors to cut out the cards.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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