A Hundred Ways Through the Tunnel

Fabric tunnels and tunnels made from boxes open at both ends are spread around the yard, and children go through each time in a new way: crawling, army-crawling, on their backs, backward, or sideways. They explore ways of moving and invent new ones.

How to play

1. The teacher sets up 4 or 5 tunnels (fabric and taped-together boxes) and everyone goes through crawling, the easy way (2 min).
2. Now we slither like snakes, tummy on the floor, pushing with elbows and feet (2 min).
3. We go through on our backs, pushing with our feet like an upside-down crab (2 min).
4. We go through backward: feet come out first (2 min).
5. Each child invents a way and shows it on the way out; the others try it in the next tunnel (4 min).
6. We go through every tunnel in our favorite way, slowly, and sit down at the end (2 min).

Rules

• I never stand up in a tunnel.
• I go in when the tunnel is empty or the child ahead is halfway through.
• If a friend invents something, I try it without laughing at them.
• When I come out, I leave the exit clear.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: make box tunnels wide and low to scoot through seated, or turn them into arches to roll under in a wheelchair.
• Autism: always start with the familiar way, and skip ones that feel uncomfortable, like going on their back.
• Visual impairment: straight-line tunnels, with the exit marked by the voice of a waiting classmate.

Learning goals

• Explore different ways of moving through low spaces.
• Invent and share new movements.
• Choose how to get through each tunnel.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Fabric play tunnels: 2
• Large cardboard boxes: 8
• Mats: 5

Teacher tip

For cardboard tunnels, remove the tops and bottoms of large boxes and join them with wide tape; put thin mats underneath so kids can slither without scraping. Model each way at the entrance yourself; at this age they learn by watching.

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