Grandma, What Big Ears You Have!
Using the famous exchange between Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, children find, enlarge and move different body parts. It builds body awareness, body vocabulary and expression through gesture and voice.
How to play
- In a circle, recall Little Red Riding Hood's talk with the wolf dressed as Grandma. Each question names a body part (2 min).
- The teacher says “Grandma, what big ears you have!” and everyone touches their ears, makes them huge with their hands and answers “All the better to hear you with!” leaning side to side (3 min).
- Keep going with eyes, nose, hands, feet, arms and mouth: each part gets big and does something “all the better to…” (big feet to jump with, big arms to hug you with) (3 min).
- In pairs, one child is Red Riding Hood and asks about a body part; the other is the wolf-grandma, makes it big and answers with a movement. Swap roles (3 min).
- Ending: “What a big mouth you have!” and, instead of eating anyone, the wolf yawns and falls asleep (1 min).
Rules
- We touch our own body parts, not our friends'.
- In pairs, one asks first, then the other.
- The wolf in this story doesn't bite: he yawns.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, only ears, eyes, nose, hands and mouth, all together with the teacher.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add feet, arms and tummy, and try it in pairs.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, use trickier parts (elbows, knees, shoulders) and each pair invents the “all the better to…”
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: use the body parts the child can move and point to or name the others.
- Hearing impairment: the teacher points to each part while saying it and uses a body poster.
- Autism: keep the questions in the same order and let the child watch before joining a pair.
Learning goals
- Name and locate body parts.
- Show size and action with gestures and movement.
- Act out dialogue from a traditional tale.
Teacher tip
Make the wolf silly from the start, since some 3-year-olds get scared. Ham up Grandma's voice and you'll have everyone laughing and joining in.
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