You need to have several “tricks” to pull out of your back pocket when kids need to have a brain break, to expend some energy, to divert attention from something else going on in the room (a potential meltdown for ex.), to prepare them for a high-concentration activity, or when you the teacher need to have a mental break yourself.
And so, the Jumping Game was born!
- Stand in a circle
- Play a song with a good beat (see Spotify playlist below)
- T stands on the outside of the circle and taps a child on the shoulder.
- That child goes into the middle and begins to jump
- Prepare kids for the jumping game by talking about how they can be creative by using feet together, feet apart, 1 and 2-foot jumping/hopping, use of arms, bending knees, turning as you jump, etc.
- Everyone in the circle imitates the leader in the middle
- T occasionally comments about some of the fine points of the jumper. “Ooh, did you see how they alternated bending their elbows as they jumped?”
- Tap the next child in the circle after about 10 seconds, continuing to make your way around the circle.
- In a class of 25, this gave the class about 4 minutes of jumping.
The Music
I used anything with a good beat that I knew would engage the kids. If we were near a seasonal event, I’d play something related.
Here’s my Spotify list of some possibilities or use the player below!
SCROLL the titles to find lots of options!
If you’d like TIMELY tips delivered to your inbox,
every Monday morning, get the Oodles Newsletter!
You might also like these other movement-based resources.
