Posted in Action Poems, Circle games, co-operation, Coordination games, Drama, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, Drama games for 3 year olds, Drama games for 4 year olds, Movement activities, Movement stories for children

Movement Activities for Children that focus on Coordination (Drama Games)

Group Of Children With Teacher Enjoying Drama Class Together
From more movement activities, games and stories, click on the image above.

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The following movement activities promote the following types of coordination skills:

Gross motor coordination: This type of coordination is the movement of arms, legs and body that allows children to walk, run, jump, throw kick and twist.

Fine motor coordination: This type of coordination allows children toperform tasks that require precision. Activities that require children to manipulate small objects will improve their fine motor skills.

Hand-eye coordination: This type of coordination allows children to guide their hand to complete the task.

Movement Activities:

Movement activity: Doors and Windows

Age: 5 years

Minimum number of participants:10

Resources needed: Clear space.

Other benefits: Spatial awareness, group work.

Instructions: The children form a circle while standing and holding their hands. The group spreads out enough so that everyone’s arms arestraight in the circle. This should form large spaces between the circle members. These large spaces represent the windows and doors. Then one child is chosen to be the runner. The runner starts running,and weaving in and out between the windows and doors. The children inthe circle randomly drop their arms down trying to touch or trap the runner who is weaving his/her way in and out of the windows and door.Once the runner is caught or touched by the arms of someone in the. circle, they are out. The runner chooses another child in the group to take his/her place and they become the next child to weave in and out of the windows and doors.

Movement activity: Centipede

Age: 5 years +

Minimum number of participants:

Resources  needed: Clear space.

Other benefits: Teamwork, trust.

Instructions: Divide the group into groups of 5 or 6. The children ineach group sit on the floor and hold the ankles of the child behind them. They call out left, right and the group has to try to move while everyone is holding the ankles of the child in front of them. If there is more than one group they can have a centipede race.

 Movement activity: Object Relay

Age: 5 years +

Minimum number of participants: 4

Resources needed: Clear space, a ball and a variety of objects (optional).

Other benefits: Imagination, teamwork, focus.

Instructions: Children stand in a line. If there are lots of childrenin the class you make more than one line. Each line has a ball. The ball must be passed down the line. The teacher calls out the instruction of how the ball should be passed down the line. Once the ball gets to the end of the line it has to be passed back. Suggested instructions:

  • Pass the ball overhead.
  • Pass the ball between your legs.
  • Pass the ball without using your hands.
  • Pass the ball by just using your chest.
  • Pass the ball by just using your head.

If a team drops the ball then they have to go back to the beginning.

Extension: You could have a box of different objects that they must pass down the line. Each line should have the same objects. The line that gets all the objects down safely is the winner.

Movement activity: Bean Bag Balance

Age: 4 years +

Minimum number of participants: 2

Resources needed: Clear space, bean bags for each member of the class Other benefits: Focus, imagination, problem solving.

Instructions: The teacher gets the children put a bean bag on their heads and they walk slowly around the room. Once they feel comfortable the children can walk faster and faster. They can see if they can run with the bean bag on their head. Once they have mastered balancing the beanbags on their head then they can see if they can balance the bean bag on other parts of their body. Suggested Body Parts:

  • Knees
  • Foot
  • Hands
  • Thighs
  • Shoulder
  • Face
  • Wrist
  • Toes

Again, they start off slowly and then they get faster and faster. The child that can balance on the most body parts and move the fastest is the winner.

 

Movement activity: Pick Up the Bean Bag

Age: 3 years +

Minimum number of participants: 2

Resources needed: Clear space and a variety of bean bags, a basket orbox for each child.

Other benefits: Warm up, teamwork.

Instructions: The teacher gets a variety of bean bags and spreads them across the space. The children have 10 seconds to see how many beanbags they can collect. The group could divide into sub-groups of three or four and have a race to see who can pick up the most beanbags in the time allotted.  

Movement activity: Roll the Dice

Age: 3 years+

Minimum number of participants: 2

Resources needed: Clear space, a dice for each member of the group.

Other benefits: Creativity, memory, focus.

Instructions: Everyone rolls their dice together. Each number corresponds to action such as: 1 Wiggle your body for 10 seconds. 2 Spin around 5 times. 3 Stand on your right leg for 15 seconds. 4 Hop 10 times. 5 Make a large circle with your arms 10 times. 6 Close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths. Once the children have become used to the actions, get them to come up with their own actions for each number.  


Movement activity: The Troll’s Bridge

Age: 4 years +

Minimum number of participants: 3

Resources needed: Masking tape, objects to carry.

Other benefits: Energy, focus.

Instructions: Make a bridge with the masking tape. Tell the children that they are crossing a very narrow bridge and there is a troll thatlives underneath it. The children are crossing the bridge going to visit their friend. They are carrying a variety of objects with them.The children are told the troll won’t bother them if they stay on the narrow bridge and don’t drop anything. If they fall off the bridge or drop anything then the troll chases them. The troll can be the teacher or another child. If you want to make it more difficult tell them. to carry the objects over the bridge on their head.  

Movement activity: Cooperative Chase

Age: 3 years +

Minimum number of participants: 6

Resources needed: Clear space.

Other benefits: Warm-up, teamwork.

Instructions: One child volunteers to be “It.” If he catches another child in the group then they join together and connect. The connected pair need to work together to catch a third child who in turn would connect to them. They do it until everyone is connected. If the group catches someone and the connection is broken, then that child is free to go.  

From more movement activities, games and stories, click here.

For free movement activities click on the following: 

 

The hare and the tortoise movement story. 

Goldilocks and the three bears movement story

More movement activities for children. 

 

Posted in Action Poems, Circle games, Closure activities, creative arts, Drama, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, English as a second language, English teaching games, Esl, Esl Drama, Movement activities, Relaxation games

Action Songs and Poetry for preschoolers.

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Dingle Dangle Scarecrow
When all the cows were sleeping and the sun had gone to bed
Up jumped the scarecrow and this is what he said
“I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat,
I can shake my hands like this and shake my feet like that.
When all the hens were rousting and the moon behind a cloud,
Up jumped the scarecrow and shouted very loud
“I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow with a flippy floppy hat,
I can shake my hands like this and shake my feet like that.

Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o’er your shoulder like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?
Do your ears hang high? Do they reach up to the sky?
Do they droop when they are wet? Do they stiffen when they’re dry?
Can you semaphore your neighbour with a minimum of labour?
Do your ears hang high?
Do your ears flip-flop? Can you use them for a mop?
Are they stringy at the bottom? Are they curly at the top?
Can you use them for a swatter? Can you use them for a blotter?
Do your ears flip-flop? Do your ears hang out? Can you waggle them about?
Can you flip them up and down as you fly around the town?
Can you shut them up for sure when you hear an awful bore?
Do your ears hang out?

The Hokey Cokey
You put your right hand in
Your right hand out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
Chorus
Whoa, the hokey-cokey
Whoa, the hokey-cokey
Whoa, the hokey-cokey
Knees bent, arms stretched, rah, rah, rah!
(Chorus)
You put your left hand in
Your left hand out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Chorus)
You put your right foot in
Your right foot out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Chorus)
You put your left foot in
Your left foot out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.
(Chorus)
You put your whole self in
Your whole self out
In, out, in, out
Shake it all about.
You do the hokey-cokey
And you turn around.
That’s what it’s all about.

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Hoppin through the forest

Scooping up the field mice
And bopping them on the head.

Down came
The good fairy
And the
Good fairy said:

“Little bunny foo foo
I don’t wanna see you
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping them on the head!”

“I’m gonna give you
Three chances
Then I’ll turn you
Into a goon!”

Little bunny foofoo
Hoppin’ through the forest
Scoopin’ up the field mice and bopping
Em’ on the head

Down came the good fairy
And she said:

” little bunny foofoo I don’t want to see you
Scooping up the field mice and bopping em’ on the head
I’ll give you two more chances then I’ll turn you to a goon”
*the next day

Little bunny foofoo hoppin’ through the forest scooping up the field
and boppin’ em’ on the the head

Then the good fairy came down
And she said

Little bunny foofoo i don’t want to see you scooping up the field
much and bopping them on the head!I’ll give you one more chance
and then I’ll turn you into a goon!
*the next day

Little bunny foofoo hoppin through the forest scooping up the field
mice and bopping them on the head

Then the good fairy came down and she said:

Little bunny foofoo I don’t want to see you scooping up the field
mice and bopping them on the head I gave you 3 chances and I’m
going to turn you into a goon!

POOF!

For more movement games and activities, click here.

 

Posted in Action Poems, Circle games, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, Movement activities, Movement stories for children, Relaxation activities for kids, Relaxation games

Four Fun Movement Games for Children.

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Game: Doors and Windows
Age: 5 years+
Minimum number of participants: 10
Resources needed: Clear space
Other benefits: Spatial awareness, group work
Instructions: The children form a circle while standing and holding their hands. The group spreads out enough so that everyone’s arms are straight in the circle. This should form large spaces between the circle members. These large spaces represent the windows and doors. Then one child is chosen to be the runner. The runner starts running, and weaving in and out between the windows and doors. The children in the circle randomly drop their arms down trying to touch or trap the runner who is weaving his/her way in and out of the windows and doors. Once the runner is caught or touched by the arms of someone in the circle, they are out. The runner chooses another child in the group to take his/her place and they become the next child to weave in and out of the windows and doors.

Game: Centipede
Age: 5 years +
Minimum number of participants: 5
Resources needed: Clear space
Other benefits: Teamwork, trust
Instructions: Divide the group into groups of 5 or 6. The children in each group sit on the floor and hold the ankles of the child behind them. They call out left, right and the group has to try to move while everyone is holding the ankles of the child in front of them. If there is more than one group they can have a centipede race.

Game: Object Relay
Age: 5 years +
Minimum number of participants: 4
Resources needed: Clear space, a ball and a variety of objects (optional)
Other benefits: Imagination, teamwork, focus
Instructions: Children stand in a line. If there are lots of children in the class you make more than one line. Each line has a ball. The ball must be passed down the line. The teacher calls out the instruction of how the ball should be passed down the line. Once the ball gets to the end of the line it has to be passed back.
Suggested instructions:
Pass the ball overhead.
Pass the ball between your legs.
Pass the ball without using your hands.
Pass the ball by just using your chest.
Pass the ball by just using your head.
If a team drops the ball then they have to go back to the beginning.
Extension: You could have a box of different objects that they must pass down the line. Each line should have the same objects. The line that gets all the objects down safely is the winner.

Game: Bean Bag Balance
Age: 4 years +
Minimum number of participants: 2
Resources needed: Clear space, bean bags for each member of the class
Other benefits: Focus, imagination, problem solving
Instructions: The teacher gets the children put a bean bag on their heads and they walk slowly around the room. Once they feel comfortable the children can walk faster and faster. They can see if they can run with the bean bag on their head. Once they have mastered balancing the beanbags on their head then they can see if they can balance the bean bag on other parts of their body.
Suggested Body Parts:
Knees
Foot
Hands
Thighs
Shoulder
Face
Wrist
Toes
Again, they start off slowly and then they get faster and faster. The child that can balance on the most body parts and move the fastest is the winner.

For more movement stories, activities and games click here.