Couch, Bed and Rug Starts
In short side-by-side lanes, children take off running at the sound of the drum from three cozy home positions: sitting on the couch, lying in bed or kneeling on the rug. It practices quick starts from different positions with no winners.
How to play
- Chalk 5 lanes about 20 feet long with a cone at the end, and explain the three positions: couch (sitting), bed (lying on the back) and rug (kneeling) (2 min).
- Practice the positions together in place: the teacher calls one, everyone gets into it, and at the drum they stand up (2 min).
- Groups of five go, one per lane, starting from the couch: at the drum they run to their cone, tap it and jog back around the outside (3 min).
- Repeat from bed and from the rug; the teacher calls the position and waits a different amount of time before playing (3 min).
- Mixed-up house round: each child picks a favorite position and everyone goes together in lanes (2 min).
Rules
- Everyone runs in their own lane without crossing.
- I go when the drum sounds, not before.
- I tap my cone and jog back around the outside.
- Nobody wins here: we all get there.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, only couch and rug, 13-foot lanes, and the teacher counts "one, two, and..." before the drum.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, all three positions, and the teacher varies the wait without counting.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, add bed on the tummy and starting with their back to the cone, and at the end they strike the home position the teacher calls.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: a child in a wheelchair starts at rest with hands on knees and pushes to the cone; their lane is wider.
- Hearing impairment: pair the drum with an arm dropping sharply, visible from the floor.
- More skilled: move their cone farther out so the challenge fits them without changing the game for others.
Learning goals
- Take off running from sitting, lying and kneeling.
- React to a sound signal at the right moment.
- Run in a straight line in one's own lane.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Cones: 10
- Chalk: 1
- Hand drum: 1
Teacher tip
Children waiting sit behind the start line and cheer runners by name. The typical mistake is watching the child in the next lane instead of the cone, so have them look at their cone before starting.
PatioLab has "Couch, Bed and Rug Starts" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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