Building Mat Land Together

In groups of four, children carry mats by the handles or edges and place them to match a photo, building the play space and then putting it away. They learn mat safety rules and how to cooperate.

How to play

1. Show how to carry a mat: four friends, one at each corner, walking toward the same spot (2 min).
2. Each group carries a mat from the pile to where the teacher points and sets it down on three (3 min).
3. The teacher shows a photo of a layout (a row, a square, a cross) and the groups build it together (3 min).
4. Play for a moment on what we built: everyone rolls or crawls on it (2 min).
5. Clean up together: two groups and the teacher carry the crash mat (2 min).

Rules

• One mat, four hands... even better, eight!
• No one climbs on a mat while it's being carried.
• We set it down all together: "One, two, three."

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: be the architect who holds the photo and says where each mat goes.
• Autism: give a fixed role in the group (always the same corner).
• Hearing impairment: count down to set the mat down with fingers everyone can see.

Learning goals

• Carry equipment safely with others.
• Cooperate to build a shared layout.
• Learn basic mat safety rules.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Mats: 8
• Thick crash mat: 1
• Setup photos: 3

Teacher tip

This is a great start to a mat unit: after this, kids set up and clean up every session. The typical mistake is dragging mats, which tears the covers, so ask them to lift them a hand's width off the floor.

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