Five Little Monkeys on the Mats

With the traditional "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," kids jump on mats like monkeys and, when one "falls off," they sit down carefully. It works on jumping, counting down and safe landings.

How to play

1. Lay out mats as the monkeys' beds, five kids per mat (2 min).
2. The teacher shows two-foot jumps in the middle of the mat and a soft sit-down (2 min).
3. Say the rhyme: everyone jumps and each verse one monkey sits on the edge, pretending to rub a bump (4 min).
4. When no one's left jumping, everyone hops up and we start again with new monkeys (2 min).
5. The doctor (teacher) says "no more monkeys jumping on the bed!" and we all lie down to sleep (2 min).

Rules

• Jump in the middle of the mat, no pushing.
• Sit down slowly—never dive.
• Five monkeys per bed at most.

Variations

Adaptations

• A seated child bounces arms and acts out the story on the mat.
• A blind or low-vision child jumps holding the teacher's hand on their own mat.
• Kids who dislike contact get a less crowded mat or one of their own.

Learning goals

• Jump with two feet on a soft surface.
• Get down to the floor with control.
• Count backward with a rhyme.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Mats: 6

Teacher tip

Space mats apart so no one jumps from one to another. The "bump" is pretend—kids touch their head and laugh, no real bonks.

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