Elephants Gather Hoops With Their Trunks

With an arm stretched out like a trunk, children are elephants who hook hoops off the ground and carry them hanging from the arm to the watering hole, where they drop them around a cone. It builds picking up without the hand, carrying with the arm and releasing with aim while moving.

How to play

1. Make a trunk: arm stretched out in front of the nose with the other hand holding the ear, and walk heavily like an elephant (2 min).
2. Each elephant slides the trunk into a hoop on the ground, lifts it to the shoulder and puts it back down (2 min).
3. Carry the hoop hanging from the trunk to the watering hole and drop it by lowering the arm so it falls around a cone (3 min).
4. Strong elephants: pick up two hoops on the trunk before heading to the watering hole (2 min).
5. Switch trunks (other arm) and move to the drum: slow like an old elephant, fast like a baby elephant (2 min).
6. The elephants give themselves a shower by blowing through the trunk, then lie down to rest (1 min).

Rules

• Hoops are picked up with the trunk, not the hand.
• When releasing the hoop, let it drop; don't throw it.
• Elephants walk without pushing the herd.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: rest the hoops on tall cones so they can be hooked from the wheelchair.
• Low vision: use bright hoops and put a bell on top of the cone that rings when touched.
• Autism: practice the trunk motion in front of a mirror or the teacher before starting.

Learning goals

• Pick up and carry an object with the arm without using the hand.
• Release an object accurately onto a target.
• Coordinate the arm with moving around.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Hoops: 30
• Cones: 8
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Use medium hoops (about 20 inches); big ones tangle in the legs. Remind kids the trunk reaches the ground by bending the knees, not just the back.

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