«El Patio de Mi Casa»: Squat, Then Squat Again

We play the classic Spanish circle game «El patio de mi casa» («my house's yard»): circle around, squat when the song says «agáchate,» clap on the letters and swap partners at the end. It works on squats, rhythm and circle play where nobody is left out.

How to play

1. Holding hands in a circle, learn the song walking one way and then the other (2 min).
2. On «agáchate» («squat down») go all the way down, and on «vuélvete a agachar» («squat again») stand up and go down once more (2 min).
3. Try different squats: little gnomes walking crouched, little frogs, or super slow (2 min).
4. On the letters «H, I, J, K…» clap once per letter facing the middle (2 min).
5. On «otro amigo me querrá» («another friend will love me») let go and find a new friend for the next circle; make circles of four (2 min).
6. Final big circle: one round super slow, one super fast (2 min).

Rules

• Squat all the way and stand up without letting go.
• Turn the same way as the circle.
• One clap per letter.
• When I look for a friend, I always find one: nobody stays alone.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: in a wheelchair, lean the trunk toward the knees on «squat» and raise the arms to stand up.
• Autism: they may stay in the big circle without switching partners, next to the teacher.
• Visual impairment: always hold hands in the circle, and clap the letters loudly.

Learning goals

• Strengthen the legs with repeated squats.
• Keep the beat in a circle game.
• Form new groups without leaving anyone out.

Teacher tip

Switching friends is the tricky part: before singing it, say «anyone alone, raise your hand» and pair them up yourself. If the circle spins too fast, someone tumbles when squatting, so stop before going down.

More activities like this

More main activities for Elementary