Animal Breathing Dice
A giant die with six animals on it decides which breath the group does: snake, lion, bunny, elephant, puffer fish, or turtle. Each picture teaches a different way of breathing. It builds breath control and helps the class calm down.
How to play
- Tape a cardstock animal to each side of the die. Seat the group in a circle and demo the six breaths quickly (2 min).
- Snake: breathe in through the nose and let the air out with a long 'sss.' Lion: breathe in, then breathe out with mouth open and tongue out. Bunny: three short sniffs and one long breath out.
- Elephant: breathe in raising joined arms like a trunk and lower them as you breathe out. Puffer fish: puff up your cheeks, hold for 2 seconds, and let it out slowly. Turtle: breathe in stretching your neck, breathe out tucking into child's pose.
- A student rolls the die gently along the floor, and the whole group does the breath that comes up 3 times. Rotate who rolls (5 min).
- Always finish with the turtle: the group stays tucked in their shells breathing slowly for 1 minute.
Rules
- Roll the die along the floor, never toss it in the air.
- Everyone breathes together, following the roller.
- No lion breath right in a classmate's face.
- Safety: anyone who feels dizzy stops, sits, and breathes normally.
Variations
Easier
Use only three animals, each on two sides of the die.
Standard
Six animals and 3 reps of each breath.
Harder
Roll twice and link the two breaths in the order they came up.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: do the turtle seated, leaning the trunk forward, and the elephant with one arm if needed.
- Visual impairment: describe the animal out loud and let the student touch a raised shape glued on that side of the die.
- Skill level: older students stretch each exhale to a count of 6.
Learning goals
- Tell apart breathing in and out through the nose and mouth.
- Link animal pictures with different breathing rhythms.
- Bring heart rates down after the main activity.
Equipment for a class of 25
- giant die: 1
- cardstock: 6
Teacher tip
The puffer fish and lion get the most giggles, so place them mid-sequence and always end with a slow breath. Laminate the cards so they last.
PatioLab has "Animal Breathing Dice" and 2499 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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