Animal Heartbeats Pulse Game
Students learn to take their pulse and move to the heartbeat of different animals, set by a hand drum, from the slow whale to the super-fast hummingbird. It builds rhythm, awareness of effort intensity and knowledge of their own heart.
How to play
- Seated in a circle, teach students to find their pulse at the wrist or neck with two fingers. Each student counts beats for 15 seconds and multiplies by 4 with help (4 min).
- Give each pair a set of animal cards: whale, elephant, human, dog, cat, mouse and hummingbird. Pairs order them from slowest to fastest heart (2 min), then check together.
- The teacher plays the hand drum at each animal's approximate heart rate and students move like that animal, one step per beat.
- For the fast animals (cat, mouse, hummingbird), the drum speeds up and students run with quick, short steps for 30–40 seconds.
- After each fast animal, everyone stops and takes a 15-second pulse: which animal is your heart closest to now?
- Repeat the sequence with the animals in a different order (8 min total) and finish with the whale to feel the pulse slow down.
Rules
- Follow the drum: when it stops, everyone freezes.
- Stay silent during pulse checks so everyone can count.
- Move into open space without bumping, looking ahead.
- If you cannot find your pulse, ask your partner or the teacher for help.
Variations
Easier
Use only three animals (whale, human, mouse) and feel the heartbeat with a hand on the chest.
Standard
Seven animals with the drum and a pulse check after each fast animal.
Harder
In pairs, one student claps the rhythm of a secret animal and the other must guess it by moving.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student follows the rhythm with arm movements or a wheelchair.
- Hearing impairment: also show the rhythm by waving a scarf or flashing a light.
- Shyness: the student can run the stopwatch for pulse checks and call start and stop.
Learning goals
- Find and count one's own pulse at rest and after effort.
- Match movement to different rhythms.
- Understand that the heart beats faster as effort increases.
Equipment for a class of 25
- hand drum: 1
- cards: 91
- stopwatch: 1
Teacher tip
Some children take a while to find their pulse; the neck is usually easier than the wrist. Animal values are approximate: point out that a hummingbird's heart can top a thousand beats per minute.
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