«Debajo un Botón»: The Teeny-Tiny Mouse

With the traditional Spanish song «Debajo un botón» («Under a button that Martín found, there was a teeny mouse»), we tap the beat on our knees, grow tall like Martín and shrink tiny like the mouse, ending up curled in a quiet little ball. It works on big-versus-small and relaxing.

How to play

1. Sitting, sing and tap your knees on each «ton, ton» and «tin, tin» (1 min).
2. On «Martín» slowly grow tall onto your knees; on «mouse, so teeny-tiny» curl into a ball (1 min).
3. Fingers become little mice tiptoeing across the floor, up the legs and arms (1 min).
4. Sing in a whisper, each one curled up like a mouse under its button (1 min).
5. The teacher wakes each mouse with a light tap on the back, and it stretches slowly (1 min).

Rules

• Light taps, no hitting.
• Curl into a ball in my spot.
• Sing super softly, like a mouse.
• Wake up when the teacher taps me.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: grow and shrink with arms and back from the chair.
• Autism or sensory sensitivity: wake them by softly saying their name, no touch.
• Hearing impairment: the teacher shows «ton, ton» with visible taps on her knee.

Learning goals

• Wind down at the end of the session.
• Tell big and small movements apart.
• Enjoy a traditional song.

Teacher tip

Waking them one by one is the calmest moment, so take your time. Dim the lights if you can.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Elementary