Buried Feet: The Tree That Won't Fall

In the sandbox, children bury their feet like roots and stay standing like trees while the wind pushes them, then try balancing on the sand without burying their feet. It works on static balance and feeling a soft surface.

How to play

1. Step into the sandbox, take off shoes if the teacher says so, and each child finds a spot apart from the others (1 min).
2. Bury your feet up to the ankles using your hands: 'These are the tree's roots' (2 min).
3. We're trees: the teacher blows a gentle wind and we sway without pulling our feet out; strong wind, we sway more (2 min).
4. Pull your feet out and try being trees with no roots: on both feet, on tiptoe and on one foot (2 min).
5. Bury just one foot again and stand like a tree on that leg (2 min).
6. Dig your feet out slowly, shake off the sand and smooth out your spot (1 min).

Rules

• Sand stays down low; we never throw it.
• Every tree stays in its own spot without touching the next one.
• Sandy hands stay away from faces.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a child who can't stand buries their hands or feet while sitting on the edge and sways the trunk in the wind.
• Autism: if they dislike the feel of sand, they can be a tree in socks or from the wooden edge.
• Visual impairment: an adult guides the child's hands to bury their feet and says out loud whether a gentle or strong wind is coming.

Learning goals

• Keep static balance on a soft surface.
• Feel the difference between being anchored and standing free.
• Follow the sandbox rules.

Teacher tip

Check the sandbox first for glass, animal waste or broken toys. If it's cold or the sand is damp, keep shoes on and only bury up to the top of the foot.

More activities like this

More main activities for Elementary