Whether you’re rewarding your music students for their awesome behavior or you just want to give them a chance to move and relax for a short time, freeze dance is a great way to get it done.
But do you know how to play freeze dance?
- Play music while students dance. Choose music they know and like first; then challenge them by playing music they don’t know.
- Stop the music randomly. The students must stop right there (freeze) and hold the position until they music starts again.
- If they move or don’t stop, they are out!
- Repeat until you have a winner. OR when there are ten or more people out, let every come back in.
Look ahead for more details on this fun and easy game for pretty much any grade level.

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Table of Contents
Reasons To Teach Freeze Dance
There are two schools of thought with music teachers when it comes to freeze dance:
11 Vocal Warm Ups For Kids
11 Vocal Warm Ups For Kids
- It’s a great, fun game!
- It’s a complete waste of time.
And in my experience, you either belong in one camp or the other.
To be honest, I was in the second camp for the longest time. I felt like doing freeze dance was kind of a cop out.
Over time, I learned to relax a bit and offer some twists to make freeze dance align better with my music curriculum.
It’s the same kind of thing with musical chairs.
But why even bother in the first place? Here are some reasons I felt the need to figure it out.
Brain Break
The general rule of thumb is that students need a change of pace every ## minutes of their age + 1.
This means a first grader (who is 6 years old) can pay attention for 7 maximum minutes before they need a switch.
As part of this switching time, students should move. This increases their blood flow, gets more oxygen to the brain, and maximizes time on task afterward.
This information is according to Real Mom Nutrition.
Why shouldn’t we take advantage of this during our music time?
By playing freeze dance for even 2 minutes, we break up students’ attention and get these benefits after we’re done.
Students Love To Dance
Kids just love to move. We all know this, and anyone who is a parent such as myself sees it in action all the time (more than we want to, that’s for sure).
Any type of movement will keep them happy, but many students love the chance to move freely to music.
Freeze dance gives them this opportunity to show off their uniqueness.
Increases Focus
As blood flow and oxygen to the brain increases so does focus.
If we want students to be prepared for longer and higher concentration activities, we should set them up for success any way we can.
Freeze dance is even better than regular dancing or movement because the game itself requires a degree of focus and control.
When played correctly, the body is expressing music while still being prepared to stop at a moment’s notice.
Adapted For Laban Movement Concepts
The dancing can be adapted beyond free movement to popular songs to include expressive movement.
Laban movement ideas are a staple of most major methodologies and are widely accepted to be the way students can express the emotional qualities of music.
See the tips and ideas section below for more information on this.
Read more about Laban movement.
Introduce Classical Pieces
Students don’t always want to just listen to big pieces like Carmina Burana. Sometimes, you have to go about it in a sneaky way.
But if you’re playing freeze dance, it’s simple to switch to a classical piece you want to expose them to.
After you’re done, you could always transition into a literacy or other movement activity with this piece. (Check out the best children’s books with movement.)
Build A Bond With Your Students
It’s hard in our limited time to really build deep bonds with our students. But the effort is well worth it.
Some teachers say that building bonds with students is more important than anything else we can do.
It builds the trust and safety needed to learn as well as increasing engagement during lessons.
But when you see your kids only once a week, it seems impossible.
Playing games like freeze dance may seem silly, but if you dance with them, they’ll learn something about you and learn to trust you more because you’re being expressive with them.
I like to take the opportunity to sprinkle in school-appropriate songs I personally enjoy. This way the students learn more about me as a real person and not just a “teacher.”
Motivates Behavior For Other Learning
Last but not least, I am not ashamed to admit I will sometimes use freeze dance as a motivator for good behavior.
There are those who may judge you about using instruments or games as a “bribe,” but in my experience, these people have been removed from reality.
Getting students to do all tasks first is the first step. Then, over time, you remove the “bribes” until they just do what they’re supposed to do.
It’s similar to how complimenting yourself in the mirror every morning can actually make you appreciate yourself more. Even though it’s fake at first, it becomes real over time.

Freeze Dance Rules
The rules for basic freeze dance are quite simple. But it’s important to set up the procedures for the game properly.
Here are the basic rules for freeze dance:
- Teacher plays music, and students dance around the room.
- When the music stops, students freeze.
- If they move or fall over, they’re out.
- Repeat for as long as you want.
Note: I don’t usually point kids as out until we’ve played the game for a couple of minutes OR if the student isn’t following directions at all.
I follow these steps when teaching the game:
- Explain the rules.
- Model the correct and incorrect behavior.
- Ask for a student model.
- Ask for a small group model.
- Whole group plays the game.
- Reinforce as needed.
Watch out! Look for kids who talk when they dance, follow other students, and touch other kids. Redirect or ask these students to sit out.
33 Best Freeze Dance Songs

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Here are some of my favorite freeze dance songs sorted by category. This list focuses on the uptempo songs.
Popular Songs:
- Uptown Funk (KidzBop)
- Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
- Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine
- Counting Stars (KidzBop)
- All Star by Smash Mouth
- Shake It Off by Taylor Swift
- Megalovania by Tobey Fox
- Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake
Beatles Songs:
- Yellow Submarine by the Beatles
- Octopus’s Garden by the Beatles
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by the Beatles
- Got To Get You Into My Life by the Beatles
- Happy Birthday by the Beatles
- Help by the Beatles
- Here Comes The Sun by the Beatles
- Love Me Do by the Beatles
Kids Songs:
- Freeze Dance by the Kiboomers
- Animal Freeze Dance by the Kiboomers
- Baby Shark by Pink Fong
- Get Yo Body Movin’ by Koo Koo Kanga Roo
- Shake Your Sillies Out by Raffi
- Move And Freeze by the Learning Station
- Jump! By Patty Shulka
- Bumping Up and Down In My Little Red Wagon by Raffi
Classical Songs:
- Flight Of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Karsakov
- In The Hall Of The Mountain by Grieg
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart
- Stars and Stripes Forever by Sousa
- William Tell Overture by Rossini
- Fur Elise by Beethoven
- Jupiter from The Planets by Holst
- Humoresque by Dvorak
- Pride Of The Wolverines by Sousa
Freeze Dance Lesson Plan Ideas And Tips
Freeze dance on its own is a simple, but fun, game. It doesn’t really reinforce other musical concepts, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get more motion out of the game.
Here are some basic ideas and extensions to use when you need to play this fun game.
Ideas And Extensions
Animal Movements – Tell students that without making the noises, they must dance how they would imagine a specific animal to dance. Switch animals throughout the freeze dance.
Leading Movements – Challenge students to lead their dancing with a specific body part. This results in some interesting interpretations of dancing.
Laban Movements – Rotate through different movement challenges based on the following Laban ideas (pulled from First Steps In Music handout, click for details):
- Awareness of body parts and whole body
- Time (fast/slow; time passing)
- Awareness of space
- Level awareness (high/low)
- Weight (strong, weak, heavy)
- Locomotion (how to move)
- Flow
- Shape
- Awareness of others
Some of these are covered in the other ideas on this list.
Match A Color – If red were a color, how would it dance? And so on and so forth…
Mirror Dance – Partner up. One student is the leader, and the other must follow their motions. After the freeze, the leader job passes to the other partner.
Check out these partner songs for music class.
Leader Dance – Students stand in a circle. One person is in the middle as the leader, and the class must match the dance of the leader. Rotate leaders throughout.
General Freeze Dance Tips
These are some tips that may help you and your students have a positive experience when playing freeze dance:
- Insist on no voices
- Follow the modeling process (teacher ⇾ single student ⇾ small group ⇾ whole group)
- Students who don’t know/feel comfortable with dancing should be given a choice (dance by hopping with two feet or walking and waving hands)
- Establish that any arguing with the judge (you) results in an “out” for the rest of the whole game
- Do a practice round
- Make your early rounds longer in time (10-15+ seconds)
- Decrease and vary time spent dancing as the game progresses
- Choose music that’s uptempo (at first)
- Get in there and show kids that it’s OK to be silly and how to let go of the competitiveness
Commonly Asked Questions
What Is The Objective Of Freeze Dance?
The objective of freeze dance is to get students moving to music by tricking them into it with the gimmick of freezing.
The end-game of the “game” itself depends on how you want to play.
There are a few variations involved in the objective of freeze dance.
- Eliminate those who move until you get a winner.
- Eliminate people until the end of the song. Everyone left wins!
- When people are caught, they need to do an exercise (10 jumping jacks, for example) to stay in.
- When caught, they need to sit out for a single round.
Is Freeze Dance Appropriate For Toddlers?
Freeze is not only appropriate for toddlers, but it’s a ton of fun!
Toddlers can’t really be expected to completely freeze when the music stops.
But this practice is great for their self-control!
And we all know how much practice they need with self-control.
Freeze dance is a regular music activity I’d do with this age group.
It’ll help them experience more music, and by doing it young, they won’t be as embarrassed when dancing as they get older.
Check out these otherpreschool music lesson plansin our article.
How Do You Play Freeze Dance On Zoom?
Playing freeze dance on Zoom or any video platform is possible, though it’s more difficult.
You shouldn’t expect your kids to perfectly freeze, as there is often a delay.
So, in this case, the game is more just for fun (and that’s OK!).
There are two main ways to go about this:
- As the meeting host, play the music just like normal. Pause periodically and otherwise play freeze dance as you typically would.
- Find a pre-recorded freeze dance track that pauses on its own. Then, everyone will be closer to freezing at the same time.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about how to play freeze dance.
The game is simple in concept, but with a little twists here and there, your students can get a lot of mileage out of this fun game.
What songs do you like to use with freeze dance?

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FAQs
What song do you do the freeze line dance? ›
It's not clear how Ronnie Milsap's catchy 1980 song “If You Don't Want Me To” became associated with the line dance known as “The Freeze."
How do you play the game freeze dance? ›Explain to your preschooler that you are going to play music and begin to dance. As soon as the music stops, everyone has to stop dancing, or “freeze!” Describe how your child's body has to be frozen like a statue when the music stops. Play music (any songs will do!) and dance along with your child.
What is the game where you dance and freeze when music stops? ›When the music stops, each player must freeze immediately and hold that position until the music begins again. If a player does not freeze immediately, s/he does 10 jumping jacks during the start of the next round and then rejoins the dance. Since this is an aerobic game, it is better not for players to get “out.”
What age is freeze dance for? ›Freeze Dance with Chilly - Best Active Play for Ages 4 to 9.
What were the line dances in the 70s? ›Other notable disco line dances were Travolta's Night Fever Line Dance from Saturday Night Fever, the Hollywood Line Hustle, Rollercoaster, the New Yorker, the Pump, and Disco Duck.
What line dance was popular in the 90s? ›The Macarena is a line dance that became popular in the 1990s and is done to the song “Macarena” by Los del Río. It is also easily one of the most recognizable dance/songs from the 90s era.
What are the props for freeze dance? ›Props Freeze
Each child chooses a prop to move with. This could be a scarf, a cloak, a feather boa or perhaps a hat. The prop will suggest how they are going to move. For example, they may use the cloak to be mysterious and creep through the space.
#5 – Snowman Shake
Decorate white ping pong balls to look like snowman faces. Fill an empty tissue box with the snowmen ping pong balls and tape the tissue box (or use a velcro belt glued to the box) to someone's backside. Player has to shake all of the snowmen out of the tissue box before the time runs out.
Start with everyone along the starting line, When you say 'Green Light' everyone will move towards the finish line, When you say 'Red Light' everyone must immediately stop. If players are still moving when you call 'Red Light', they must go back to the starting line.
How do you play Bobs and statues? ›Musical Statues
Start the music and everyone dances until the music stops playing (out of view of the children, hit the pause button), then they freeze in position. Anyone still moving when the music stops playing or who moves while the music is off is out for that round. The final person dancing is the winner.
What's the game where you tap to the music? ›
Dancing Line combines fast-paced gameplay with a carefully selected soundtrack to create an experience like no other. Featuring different worlds of increasing difficulty, each one paints a unique picture and evokes different emotions. The key is to not only watch for obstacles and traps, but also play to the music.
What is the purpose of freeze dance? ›The Freeze Dance Song helps children to develop their skills in following directions and learning to stop and go. It's a high energy song that provides “brain breaks”, where the children can have fun as they try to keep still and wait for the next direction.
Is it OK to start dance at 13? ›It's never too late to start dance, whether your child is 3, 8, or 17! We have classes in all styles, for all skill levels, for all children. If your older dancer is interested in learning more about dance now is a great time to try a class.
How does freeze dance help with self control? ›A game of Freeze Dance will help students connect the idea of pausing in a moment of impulsivity to FREEZE their actions and PLAN their choices. Say: When you are making choices it can be really tricky to freeze and plan when you want to move quickly, just like having to freeze when you are having fun dancing.
What was the most popular dance in the 70's? ›1970's - Disco, Chicago Stepping, and Salsa
Many people are probably familiar with the big surge in Disco Dancing, but Chicago Stepping and Salsa were also notable dance forms (among a few others) that captivated society and inspired people to get on their feet.
According to the Grizzly Rose club in Colorado, some believe that country line dancing can be traced back to the round and square dances of Europe. Others say it originated with 19th century social settlement movement folk dancing.
What was the popular line dance in the 1950s? ›This was called jitterbug, or swing, Lindy, the rock'n'roll, boogie-woogie or Bop. The word Bop was new then, so almost everything was called the Bop. But that word usually referred to a family of low swiveling Charleston-like steps danced in place, sometimes without a partner.
What is the hardest line dance to learn? ›Four-wall is the most difficult, especially when you're just beginning to learn how to line dance. At the end of the steps, everyone turns 90 degrees and proceeds facing one of the side walls. Throughout the dance, dancers finish and start again by facing a new wall.
What is the most popular dance move of all time? ›The Moonwalk is one of the most popular dance moves of all time. It was popularized by Michael Jackson, however, the dance existed long before MJ took the stage! It was first called the Backslide, and you could see it being executed by dancers as early as the 1930s, especially in Jazz performances.
What is another name for freeze dance? ›Also called “freeze dance,” the musical statues game is a fun party activity that you have probably played at some point in time.
What are 4 props used in a dance? ›
Often dancers hold props like poi, ribbons, swords, or fans. Props may be manipulated for many reasons (for example, to exaggerate gestures, to create rhythms, to convey ideas or feelings).
What are 5 props that you can use when dancing? ›Scarves, hats, and canes are some common and easy-to-find props for dancers, but if you use your imagination, you can create your own props or choose other unique items to include in the dance. These items may include masks, beanie animals, bandanas, fake flowers, baskets, toy instruments, sporting equipment, and more.
How do you play the biscuit sliding game? ›Biscuit Sliding Game
The players have to place the biscuit on their forehead and slide it into their mouth without touching it. If the biscuit falls, the player has to start all over again.
Control Bob with the arrow keys or WSAD, and scan through crates and items with up arrow or W. Your down arrow key or S key doesn't do anything, though. Just follow the letters, grab the money, and get out safely.
How do you play spooky statues? ›1. One player, with a flashlight in hand, closes his or her eyes and counts to 10 while other players strike spooky (or silly) poses in their costumes. 2. The kid with the flashlight then goes from statue to statue, shining the light to examine them.
What is the WAP game? ›WAP Crates
This is a logic puzzle wherein you move various crates across a grid, trying to match a given pattern. You must carefully study the board and pick a strategy with each level.
A fingers game | |
---|---|
Alternative names | Fish fingers, finger blaster, finger it, finger bang, the finger game, finger spoof, finger pat, scoff, udta (Punjab), king's cup (Canada) |
Players | 2+ |
Play | Clockwise |
Playing time | 2-10 minutes |
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is another surprising early 2023 release that's garnered a lot of attention. The traditional rhythm game lets players tap along to a massive collection of songs pulled from Final Fantasy's 35-year history.
What three things create an effective freeze frame? ›This is a frozen picture which communicates meaning. It's sometimes called a freeze frame or tableau. It can provide insight into character relationships with a clear focus upon use of space, levels, body language and facial expression.
How do you play freeze and justify? ›- Actors walk around the space, constantly changing the shapes of their bodies, exploring unusual poses (consider adding instrumental music to help their imagination)
- The leader at any point can call out “Freeze!” at which point all the actors freeze in their current pose.
What is a freeze frame example? ›
A freeze frame can call attention to a specific action or, better yet, focus the scene on narration for a moment. For example, in the movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” director Martin Scorsese freezes the scene to help introduce the main character, Jordan Belfort.
What is the freeze technique? ›freezing, in food processing, method of preserving food by lowering the temperature to inhibit microorganism growth. The method has been used for centuries in cold regions, and a patent was issued in Britain as early as 1842 for freezing food by immersion in an ice and salt brine.
What are the benefits of playing freeze? ›Music and movement activities enhance children's learning. A musical freeze tag game helps with children's listening skills and self-regulation (starting and stopping).
How do you play freeze tag? ›Here's how to play freeze tag!
When the player who is “it” tags another player, they tap them and say “FREEZE!” The participants who are not “it” need to run, dodge, and hide from the players who are “it”. They also unfreeze other participants who have been frozen by tapping them and saying “UNFREEZE!”
It's Never Too Late To Start Ballet!
One of the best things about ballet is that it can be enjoyed at any age. Whether you're 5 or 85, there's always something to learn and appreciate about this beautiful art form.
You can begin dancing at any age you want as long as you have the right tools to start. Plus, learning to dance is beneficial for your mind and body. So, no matter what age you are, you'll still feel the benefits of a healthy dose of movement each day.
Is 22 too old to dance? ›The answer from experts and amateurs alike is that it's never too late to start pursuing a passion for dance! That said, late starters should also have realistic expectations about how fast and far they can progress as dancers.
What do children learn from freeze dance? ›This activity helps your preschooler develop motor skills, listening skills, and social-emotional skills.
How does dance keep your mind sharp? ›Other studies show that dance helps reduce stress, increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and helps develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition.
What is the dance and freeze game called? ›Also called “freeze dance,” the musical statues game is a fun party activity that you have probably played at some point in time. Beyond pure enjoyment and giggles, this game offers numerous benefits for children.
What is the frozen theme song? ›
"Let It Go" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards, where a shortened rendition of the show-tune version was performed live by Menzel; with the award, Robert Lopez became one of few people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
What's another song like Cupid Shuffle? ›Cha Cha Slide
Like its spiritual successor The Cupid Shuffle, the Cha Cha Slide's lyrics cue party guests to perform each dance step, like the titular “slide” to the left or right or—of course— “cha cha real smooth.”
The “Electric Slide,” a line dance widely known in the Black community, was popularized after Marcia Griffith's 1989 remix to the song, “Electric Boogie,” and its corresponding video showcasing the well-known and easy-to-follow moves (Screenshot).
What are the benefits of freeze dance? ›The Freeze Dance Song helps children to develop their skills in following directions and learning to stop and go. It's a high energy song that provides “brain breaks”, where the children can have fun as they try to keep still and wait for the next direction.
What is rabbit dance? ›Rabbits have a special happy dance.
It's called the “Binky.” Doing the Binky means jumping into the air and turning your head back and forth while twisting your body in the opposite direction.
The four symbols represent water, earth, wind, and fire, and those spirits rule over the Enchanted Forest.
What are the 7 songs in frozen 2? ›- "All Is Found" Evan Rachel Wood. 2:05.
- "Some Things Never Change" Kristen Bell. ...
- "Into the Unknown" Idina Menzel. ...
- "When I Am Older" Josh Gad. ...
- "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" (Continued) Jonathan Groff. ...
- "Lost in the Woods" Jonathan Groff. ...
- "Show Yourself" Idina Menzel. ...
- "The Next Right Thing" Kristen Bell.
Anna's parents rush her to the sacred realm, where discussions with the trolls reveal that Elsa was born with her powers/ depigmentation and deafness, rather than them being due to illness or accident. Grand Pabbie troll heals Anna but removes her memories of Elsa's magic.
What is the most random song? ›- Sugarhill Gang “Rapper's Delight” (1979) ...
- Lorde “Royals” (2013) ...
- P.M. Dawn “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” (1991) ...
- Baauer “Harlem Shake” (2013) ...
- Afroman “Because I Got High” (2001) ...
- DJ Webstar and Young B “Chicken Noodle Soup” (2006)
- Gayane Suite No. 2: VI. ...
- Careless Whisper. George Michael.
- Mas Que Nada - Radio Edit. Sérgio Mendes, Black Eyed Peas.
- Spanish Flea. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass.
- Theme from a Summer Place. Percy Faith & His Orchestra.
- Pachelbel's Canon In D. ...
- Misirlou. ...
- Baker Street.
What are the oldest line dances? ›
One of the first true line dances was the Madison, a novelty dance created and first danced in Columbus, Ohio, in 1957. The local popularity of the dance and record in Baltimore, Maryland, came to the attention of the producers of The Buddy Deane Show in 1960, which led to other dance shows picking it up.
What are songs like Electric Slide called? ›1 | Cha-Cha Slide | Popular |
---|---|---|
2 | Cupid Shuffle | Popular |
3 | Electric Slide | Popular |
4 | You Shook Me All Night Long | Rock |
5 | YMCA | Disco |
The Electric (better known as The Electric Slide) is a four wall line dance set to Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer's song "Electric Boogie". Choreographer, pianist and Broadway performer Richard L. "Ric" Silver created the dance in 1976 from a demo of the Bunny Wailer recording.