Drawing Numbers with My Elbow

The teacher holds up a big number and children draw it in the air with different body parts: a finger, an elbow, a knee, their hips. It builds number recognition while loosening up the joints.

How to play

1. Standing spread out, the teacher shows the 1 card and everyone draws it in the air with a finger, top to bottom (1 min).
2. We draw a 0 like a big wheel with the whole arm, then with our head, very slowly (1 min).
3. With other cards (2, 3, 7), we draw the number with an elbow and then with a knee (1 min).
4. We draw an 8 with our hips, as if we had a paintbrush on our bottom (1 min).
5. Each child draws a favorite number with any body part and the others guess it (1 min).

Rules

• Draw the number really big.
• Go slowly and don't bump anyone.
• Look at the card before you start.

Variations

Adaptations

• Child with limited mobility: draws sitting down with arms, head or whatever body part they can move.
• Blind or low-vision child: the teacher guides their arm the first time and lets them feel a cardboard cut-out number.
• Children needing more support: trace the number on the card with a finger first, then in the air.

Learning goals

• Recognize how numbers are written.
• Loosen up shoulders, elbows, knees and hips.
• Warm up gently and with focus.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tarjetas de números: 10

Teacher tip

Turn your back to the group when drawing in the air: if you face them, they draw the number backward. Make the cards large and at their eye level.

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