Big, Medium and Little Puddles

Chalk puddles in three sizes are drawn around the playground, and each one gets its own jump: a huge elephant jump in the big one, a frog jump in the medium one, and little bird hops in the small one. It builds telling big, medium and small apart and adjusting jumping force.

How to play

1. The teacher draws lots of chalk puddles in three sizes, and we look at them together: which is biggest? Which is tiniest? (1 min).
2. We walk in the pretend rain; at the drum beat, the teacher calls a size and we go to a puddle of that size (3 min).
3. Each puddle has its jump: elephant in the big one (strong jump, stomping landing), frog in the medium one, bird in the small one (3 min).
4. The teacher shows the size with their hands (far apart, in between, close together) without saying it, and we find the puddle (3 min).
5. The rain stops: we tiptoe around the outside of all the puddles without getting wet (2 min).

Rules

• Each puddle gets its own jump.
• If a puddle is full, find another of the same size.
• Look at your friends while jumping so you don't bump.

Variations

Adaptations

• Child using a wheelchair: rolls into the puddle and claps loud, medium or soft to match its size.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing child: size is shown with hands and the drum with an arm signal.
• Children needing more support: can walk into small puddles and stomp strongly or softly.

Learning goals

• Tell big, medium and small apart.
• Adjust jump force and distance.
• React to a signal while moving carefully.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tizas: 6
• pandero: 1

Teacher tip

Make big puddles truly big and small ones about the size of a foot so the difference is obvious. Elephant jumps can be loud, but always land with bent knees.

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