Explorer Feet: Dirt, Grass and Gravel

Children walk across the park's different surfaces and change the way they move depending on whether they're on dirt, grass, gravel or sand. It warms up the body and teaches them to adjust their steps to the ground.

How to play

1. Walk together with the teacher and stop on each surface: 'What does it sound like? Is it soft or hard?' (2 min).
2. On the grass, walk on tiptoe and then hop like bunnies because it's soft (1 min).
3. On the dirt, take giant steps that leave footprints; on the gravel, take tiny slow steps as if it were hot (2 min).
4. The teacher calls out a surface and everyone walks to it and changes their step (1 min).
5. Meet back on the grass and shake out your feet like wet puppies (1 min).

Rules

• We walk, not run, on gravel.
• We only go to the surfaces the teacher showed us, no farther.
• Little stones stay on the ground, never in your mouth or pocket.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a child in a wheelchair feels how the wheels vibrate on each surface and only uses the firm ones; an adult goes along on gravel.
• Visual impairment: describe each surface before stepping on it and let the child touch it with a hand.
• Autism: warn that gravel crunches and tickles; if they'd rather not, they can watch from the edge.

Learning goals

• Warm up the legs by changing the type of step.
• Feel the differences between surfaces through the feet.
• Adjust walking to the ground to avoid falls.

Teacher tip

Walk the area first to clear out glass, dog poop or dips. No need to take shoes off: they'll feel the difference through their shoes if you get them to listen for it.

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