Building a Giant Nest Together
Children are birds who search the playground for ropes, fabric, scarves and cushions and carry them to the middle to build a giant nest together, big enough for everyone and their egg. It's a shared project: finding, carrying and placing materials with the final build in mind.
How to play
- We're birds: the teacher has hidden materials around the playground and we fly off with our arms spread to find them (2 min).
- We bring the materials to the middle; small things are carried by one bird and big things, like cushions and fabric, by two (3 min).
- We lay the ropes in a circle to make the edge of the nest; the teacher helps close the circle (3 min).
- We fill the nest with fabric, cushions and scarves to make it nice and soft (2 min).
- All the birds climb into the nest and gently set the egg (the large ball) in the middle (2 min).
- We take a little nap in the nest and then take it apart, putting each thing back in its box (2 min).
Rules
- Big things are carried by two.
- Everything I bring goes into the nest.
- We all fit in the nest.
- We take care of the egg; no throwing.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, the teacher sets out the rope edge beforehand and the birds just bring materials to fill it.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, they bring all the materials and lay the edge with the teacher's help.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the group decides where everything goes and builds a second small nest for the baby birds.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: they're the bird in the middle who receives the materials and places them in the nest.
- Autism: give them one type of material to collect (for example, only cushions) so they always know what to look for.
- More skilled: tie the edge ropes together or fold the fabric into a nest shape.
Learning goals
- Take part in a shared building project.
- Carry objects of different sizes, alone or with a partner.
- Plan where to place each material.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Ropes: 10
- Fabric pieces: 6
- Scarves: 25
- Cushions: 10
- Large ball: 1
Teacher tip
Spread materials across different zones so kids don't all rush to the same spot. For cleanup, set out one box per type of material: that way the ending is part of the game too.
PatioLab has "Building a Giant Nest Together" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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