Elbow on the Table, Foot on the Rug

The teacher names a body part and a classroom object (“knee on the rug,” “hand on the door”) and children go touch that part to that spot. Combining parts and places, they learn about their bodies and the classroom space at the same time.

How to play

1. Review the classroom objects you'll use by pointing to them: the table, the chair, the rug, the wall and the door (2 min).
2. One-part cues: “Hand on a chair!”, “Back on the wall!” Walk over and touch it (2 min).
3. Two-part cues: “One elbow on the table and one foot on the rug.” Figure out how to position your body to reach both (2 min).
4. Silly cues for giggles: “Ear on the chair,” “Bottom on the floor and one hand on the wall” (2 min).
5. In pairs: one child whispers a cue and the other does it; then switch (2 min).
6. Finish with “Whole body on the rug!” and lie down to rest for a moment (2 min).

Rules

• Walk to each spot; no running.
• If a spot is full, find another one like it: there are lots of chairs and lots of wall.
• Hold still in place until the next cue.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: their cues use parts they can place (hand, elbow, back) and objects within reach.
• Hearing impairment: the teacher touches the body part and points to the object while saying the cue.
• Autism: post photos of the five objects on the board and point to the photo with each cue.

Learning goals

• Name and locate body parts.
• Relate the body to objects in the space.
• Find their own way to follow two-part directions.

Teacher tip

Pick objects that can't tip over and clear anything that could fall off the tables. The silly cues get the biggest laughs; save them for when attention starts to drift.

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