From Drizzle to Downpour

Children are raindrops moving with the weather: drizzle tiptoes, rain walks fast, and a downpour runs. They practice changing speed and listening for a signal.

How to play

1. Sitting in a circle, we make rain with our fingers on the floor: soft, hard and super hard (1 min).
2. Drizzle: the teacher brushes the drum and the drops tiptoe all around the room (1 min).
3. Rain: calm drum beats, and we walk lightly, wiggling our arms like drops (1 min).
4. Downpour: a fast drum roll and we run without bumping; when the drum stops, the drop sticks to the window (2 min).
5. The rain stops and the sun comes out: we walk slowly, shaking the water off our arms and legs (1 min).

Rules

• I listen to the drum to know how it's raining.
• Raindrops don't crash: I look for empty spaces.
• When the drum stops, I stick like a drop on the window.
• I run with my eyes open, watching my friends.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: makes the rain with hands on legs or the wheelchair tray and moves at their own pace.
• Hearing loss: along with the drum, the teacher shows a gray cloud (rain) or a black cloud (downpour) card.
• Autism: give a heads-up before the downpour and offer an "umbrella corner" if the noise is too much.

Learning goals

• Match movement speed to a sound signal.
• Move through the space without bumping.
• Stop with control when the sound stops.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Always start in a circle making finger rain so they understand the three speeds before standing up. Kids often forget to stop during the downpour; keep stops few and very clear.

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