Bears Up the Hill, Crabs Down

Children go up a grassy slope moving like different animals and come down as other animals, always keeping their bodies under control. It builds leg and arm strength and coordination on uneven ground.

How to play

1. At the top of the slope, the teacher shows the animals: bear on all fours, frog hopping, crab sitting and moving backward, and penguin with tiny steps (2 min).
2. Everyone climbs up as bears, slowly, with hands planted on the grass (2 min).
3. Come down as penguins with short steps and arms at the sides, braking with the feet (2 min).
4. Go up hopping like frogs and come down like crabs, sitting and moving backward very slowly (3 min).
5. Each child chooses how to go up and how to come down, and we do it two more times (2 min).
6. At the top, sit and catch your breath and feel your heartbeat (1 min).

Rules

• Going down, we go slow and brake.
• If someone is in front of you, wait for them to move on.
• Nobody runs down standing up.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a child in a wheelchair goes up and down the gentlest paved path with help, pushing the wheels themselves where they can.
• Hearing loss: big cards with a picture of each animal.
• Lower skill level: climb as a bear with knees down and come down sitting and sliding.

Learning goals

• Strengthen legs and arms on a slope.
• Coordinate animal movements going uphill and downhill.
• Control speed when going down a slope.

Teacher tip

Pick the gentlest part of the slope and put an adult at the bottom. The usual mistake going down is speeding up without meaning to: walk in front facing them to set the pace.

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