Family Photos with My Chair
While the music plays children dance around the room and, when it stops, they pose frozen with a chair for a “photo” in the position the teacher calls or one they invent. It works on body expression, creativity and posture control next to an object.
How to play
- Chairs spread out; the teacher shows three photos: sitting very serious, standing behind with hands on the back, and squatting beside it (2 min).
- Dance freely between the chairs; when the music stops, the teacher names the photo and everyone freezes: “Click!” (3 min).
- Feelings photos: sitting very happy, behind very scared, beside very tired (2 min).
- Two-person photos: when the music stops, two friends share a chair, one sitting and one standing beside it, and invent their photo (3 min).
- Whole-class photo: everyone with a chair in their favorite pose, frozen while the teacher counts to five (1 min).
Rules
- I dance without touching the chairs.
- When the music stops, I freeze like in a photo.
- Only one person sits on each chair; the other stands beside it.
- Nobody stands on a chair.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, only two photos (sitting and standing behind) and the teacher poses with them.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, feelings photos and two-person photos.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, each child invents a pose and the others copy it in the next photo.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: poses from their wheelchair with face and arm gestures.
- Hearing impairment: the lights go off and on with the music, and the photo is shown on a card.
- Autism: they can always pose with the same chair, their own.
Learning goals
- Express feelings with the body.
- Hold a still pose for a moment.
- Create new poses together with a classmate.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Chairs: 25
- Music
Teacher tip
If you have a camera or tablet, take real photos and show them at the end; they love seeing themselves. Stress that in two-person photos only one child sits.
PatioLab has "Family Photos with My Chair" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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