Games like Danny Go!
Danny Go! is a favorite for high-energy breaks: running on the spot, freezing, jumping and silly dances, all along with a video. If your kids already love it, here are eight more free ways to get that kind of break at home or in class: other dance-along channels, games that need no screen at all, and a camera game where the game sees them move and reacts.
More dance-along channels (free on YouTube)
Put one on the TV or the classroom board and everyone moves together, the way they do with Danny Go!.
1. Koo Koo Kanga Roo
A goofy duo with dance-along songs and big, simple moves. Younger kids can join in from the first beat.
2. GoNoodle
A big library of dance, movement and calm-down videos in one place. Our GoNoodle alternatives list has more like it.
3. Jack Hartmann
Counting and alphabet songs you move to: jump as you count, stretch for each letter.
4. The Learning Station
Action songs and freeze dances for the youngest, roughly pre-K to first grade.
The same kind of break, no screen
These breaks are built from a few simple moves, so you can run them yourself with nothing but a song.
5. Freeze dance
Play any song. Everyone dances, and when the music stops, they freeze. Anyone who wobbles does five jumps, then joins back in.
6. Run-in-place trip
Call out a place: "Run to the park!" Everyone runs on the spot, faster and faster, until you call "You're there!" and they freeze. Add hills (knees up high) and puddles (one big jump).
7. Stepping stones
Lay cushions across the floor and cross the room without touching it. Move one cushion after each round to make the gaps bigger.
A game that sees them move
8. Hopadoo
With Danny Go!, kids move along with a video. Hopadoo works the other way round: the game sees them move and reacts. Hopadoo has free games kids play by moving in front of the camera on a laptop, tablet or phone. They jump, and their runner jumps the hurdle in a jungle race. They step into the lane with the right answer in Sum Run, or copy the monkey's poses in Monkey Mirror, which has no jumping at all.
It plays one or two kids at a time, side by side, so in class it suits a station or a pair who finished early. There are no logins and no ads, and the camera video never leaves the device.
Why the camera? It’s how the runners copy each move, and the video never leaves this device.
How to pick one
- A whole room or one or two kids? Dance-along videos suit a whole room; a camera game suits one or two at a time.
- Wind up or wind down? Dance-alongs and running games burn energy. Finish with freeze dance or a slow stretch before the next thing.
- Short on space? Pick a run-in-place game, or Monkey Mirror, which needs no jumping.
- Keep it short: one to three minutes a break is plenty.
Questions
What can kids play if they love Danny Go!?
Other dance-along channels such as Koo Koo Kanga Roo and Jack Hartmann, no-screen games such as freeze dance and stepping stones, or a camera game such as Hopadoo, where the game sees them move and reacts.
Is Hopadoo like Danny Go!?
It's the same kind of break, with kids on their feet jumping and dodging. Instead of following a video, the game sees them move and their runner copies them. One or two kids play at a time.
Is it free?
Yes. Hopadoo, Sum Run, Word Pop and Monkey Mirror are free for good. The optional Family Unlock adds Sneak, Ten Jar, Word Hop and Number River, with one payment and no subscription.
More ideas: Free GoNoodle alternatives · Brain breaks kids play on their feet · All guides
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