Don't Let the Giant See Us
Turned into elves, children hide behind, under, next to, near, or far from the furniture, as called out by a giant searching for them. They practice spatial concepts through pretend play with excitement and no one ever out.
How to play
- The teacher is a friendly giant asleep in a corner; the children are little elves wandering around the giant's house full of furniture (chairs, tables, cones) (1 min).
- The giant wakes up and says "I'm looking for elves behind things!"; everyone hides behind a piece of furniture so the giant can't see them (4 min).
- More giant calls: "Under!" (under a table), "Next to something tall!" "Far from me!" "Close to the door!" (5 min).
- The giant walks slowly with eyes half closed; if it spots an elf not properly hidden, it tickles them and that elf becomes a helper giant (4 min).
- Everyone turns into a giant, stretches way up high, and goes back to sleep curled up on the floor (2 min).
Rules
- I hide where the giant says.
- Under the table, I crawl with my head down.
- If the giant tickles me, I become a giant and keep playing.
- If a hiding spot is full, I find another.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only behind and under, and the giant speaks very softly so it isn't scary.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use all calls plus the helper giants.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the giant gives two-part calls: "behind something blue and far from the window."
Adaptations
- Autism or fearful kids: preview the giant's role, keep the giant from shouting, and let the child hide with an adult.
- Limited mobility: hiding counts when the wheelchair is placed behind or next to the furniture.
- Hearing loss: the giant holds up a picture card of the position before searching.
Learning goals
- Get behind, under, next to, near, and far from objects.
- Handle the excitement of being searched for.
- Make quick decisions about where to go.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Chairs: 10
- Tables: 4
- Large cones: 6
Teacher tip
Check that the tables are steady and that there are no sharp corners at head height. Use a deep but kind giant voice; if someone gets scared, the giant becomes a very sleepy giant.
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