Barnyard Animal Stations
A station course where each station is the home of a farm animal. Kids crawl, jump, slither and roll just like that animal, building overall coordination and body control through play.
How to play
- Set up 4 stations, each with an animal picture. In a circle, act out each animal while kids copy you (2 min).
- Make 4 groups of 5 and take each group to a house. Say: "Every animal to its little house!"
- Cat: crawl through the tunnel and walk back outside it. Frog: two-foot jump from hoop to hoop saying "ribbit."
- Snake: slither on the tummy under a rope tied between two cones. Piglet: log roll along the mat.
- Each child starts as soon as the one ahead finishes, nonstop for 3 minutes.
- Two tambourine taps: "The animals go to sleep!" Kids crouch, then move to the next house, until they've done all 4 (12 min).
- To finish, in a circle, each child acts out a favorite animal and the others guess it (2 min).
Rules
- One at a time in the tunnel and on the mat.
- If someone is in front of you, wait until they come out.
- Two tambourine taps: everyone freezes and crouches.
- Walk back around the outside, never through the middle.
Variations
Easier
Use only two hoops and a short mat at each station and stay with each group.
Standard
All 4 stations, 3 minutes each, making the animal sound.
Harder
Add a fifth animal (the chick: squat-walk along a line) and make each path longer.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child moves hoop to hoop any way they can and scoots on their bottom as the snake.
- Autism: show the 4 pictures in order beforehand and keep the next house in view.
- More skilled: frog jumps without touching the hoop edge; less skilled: hoops close together and rolling on flat mats.
Learning goals
- Crawl, slither, jump and roll with confidence.
- Imitate animal movements with the whole body.
- Take turns within a small group.
Equipment for a class of 25
- fabric tunnel: 1
- hoops: 6
- ropes: 1
- cones: 2
- mats: 2
- cardstock: 4
- tambourine: 1
Teacher tip
Show each animal instead of explaining it: three-year-olds copy better than they listen. Set stations in a circle so you see everyone from the middle.
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