Green Tomatoes, Ripe Tomatoes

Lying down, children are hard green tomatoes that ripen in the sun and turn soft. They relax by contrasting tension and release to calm down at the end of the session.

How to play

1. Lying on your back, you're a hard, hard green tomato: squeeze your fists, arms, legs, and face (1 min).
2. The sun comes out and the tomato starts to ripen: let go of your hands, then your arms, then your legs (1 min).
3. Repeat two more times, getting softer each time and noticing the difference between hard and soft (1 min).
4. The teacher walks by as the gardener and gently lifts each child's arm to check if the tomato is ripe and soft (2 min).
5. Sit up very slowly, like tomatoes in a basket, and take three breaths (1 min).

Rules

• You can close your eyes or look at the sky.
• Tomatoes don't talk; they just listen to the sun.
• Get up slowly, no jumping.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do it seated in the wheelchair, squeezing and releasing the parts the child can move.
• Autism or touch sensitivity: the gardener asks before touching, or just says "Show me your soft arm."
• Hearing impairment: the teacher stays in view and shows the change from hard to soft with their own body.

Learning goals

• Tell the difference between tension and relaxation in the body.
• Lower the heart rate after activity.
• Enjoy a shared moment of calm.

Teacher tip

If you have tomato plants, show a green and a red tomato first so kids can feel the difference. Speak softly and slower and slower.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Elementary