Countdown on the Launch Pad
Astronauts check their body piece by piece like a spaceship, suit up, start the engines and blast off after a countdown. It is an orderly warm-up that practices controlled take-offs and soft landings.
How to play
- Ship check: move head, shoulders, arms, waist and legs, saying “Checked!” after each part (1 min).
- Put on the space suit with gestures: legs, arms, gloves and helmet, then lock it with a “click” (1 min).
- Start the engines: rub hands together, then patter the feet in place, faster and faster (1 min).
- Crouch like rockets, count down from 10 to 0 while slowly rising, and on “Blast off!” jump with arms up; do it three times (1 min).
- Fly around the room with arms out and, when the teacher says “Landing!”, touch down softly in a squat (1 min).
Rules
- The rocket only launches at zero.
- When flying, look out for other ships.
- Land softly, no crash landings.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, count down from 5 and fly at a walk.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, count down from 10 and fly at a jog.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, a child is mission control and calls the countdown; after landing, hold one leg up for three seconds.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: blast off by stretching the arms up from the chair and fly with a classmate's help.
- Hearing loss: also count down on both hands where everyone can see.
- Autism: show the sequence with three picture cards (check, suit, blast off) and keep the order the same every time.
Learning goals
- Move the joints in an orderly way.
- Control the jump take-off and the landing.
- Wait for the signal before moving.
Teacher tip
Kids love the countdown and it helps them wait. Stress landing with bent knees: it is the same move they will use in the jumping stations later.
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