Domino Wave

The whole group lines up like dominoes and, one after another, they crouch down and stand up, sending a wave down the line. It builds attention to a partner, rhythm and leg warm-up.

How to play

1. The teacher shows how real dominoes fall one after another. We stand in a line side by side, an arm's length apart (1 min).
2. The falling wave: the first child crouches down, and as soon as the next one sees it, they crouch too, all the way to the end (1 min).
3. The rising wave: now the last child starts, and we stand up toward the front, reaching our arms high (1 min).
4. Make the line curvy and then spiral-shaped, and the wave goes faster, with a clap each time someone falls (1 min).
5. Final wave in a circle: go all the way around, crouching and rising, until the wave returns to the first child (1 min).

Rules

• Each domino waits for the one next to it to fall.
• We fall by crouching, not by throwing ourselves down.
• We don't touch our neighbor: we just watch them.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: in a wheelchair, falling is leaning forward and rising is reaching the arms up.
• Visual impairment: the neighbor gives a gentle tap on the shoulder when it's their turn.
• Autism: place the child at either end of the line, with only one neighbor.

Learning goals

• Warm up the legs by bending and straightening.
• Wait and respond to a partner's movement.
• Feel the power of doing something together.

Teacher tip

If you have a box of dominoes, set up a short row on a table and knock it over first: they get it right away. The usual mistake is everyone crouching at once; slow down and have them watch their neighbor.

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