Creative Movement and Music at
Sugartree Lane Preschool
Peter and the Wolf is a classic musical tale where each character is brought to life through a different instrument, guiding children into a world of sound, story, and imagination. It’s a story of courage, cleverness, and curiosity that introduces children to the expressive power of music and movement.
Children love to dance to music. When children dance, they don’t just move; they listen, feel, and imagine. The expressive arts are vital for the physical, emotional, social and cognitive development of tamariki.
This creative movement series uses story-based play to develop coordination, rhythm, and emotional understanding, helping preschoolers explore how physical expression communicates ideas, moods, and relationships. This 8-part expressive arts programme complements and extends the Music Mondays sessions at Sugartree Lane, enriching tamariki’s experience of Peter and the Wolf with musicians from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, by translating the music they hear into expressive movement and imaginative storytelling. Prepared for Sugartree Lane Preschool
By Kirrily Denny, Expressive Arts Workshop Leader
Through music, imagination and play, tamariki discover how movement brings stories to life. Each session focuses on a different character and instrument from the orchestra, encouraging tamariki to listen deeply, move expressively, and understand how sound and feeling work together to tell a story.
Exploration Over Perfection
The aim is to help children feel the music, move expressively, and tell a story with their whole body. To encourage creative thinking and active response, tamariki will be asked open questions during each session, such as:
How does this music make your body want to move?
Encourages children to connect sound to a physical response
Can you show me how the wolf might move?
Promotes imagination and expressive movement
What kind of steps or moves might match this sound?
Builds awareness of rhythm and space