Happy Cat, Grumpy Cat
On hands and knees, children switch between happy cat (belly down, face to the sky) and grumpy cat (back rounded like a bridge). They wake up the spine with a gentle movement and breathe along with it.
How to play
- Sitting in a circle, the teacher shows how to make a little table: hands under shoulders, knees under hips (1 min).
- Happy cat: drop the belly, look up at the ceiling and say a soft «meow» (1 min).
- Grumpy cat: round the back, look at the belly button and hiss «ffff» like a cranky cat (1 min).
- Switch between happy and grumpy following the teacher's voice, slowly at first, then a little faster (1 min).
- The cat gets tired, sits back on its heels and licks its paws to finish (1 min).
Rules
- Hands and knees stay stuck to the floor.
- Cats move slowly, no jerky moves.
- If something feels bad, I make it smaller.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, just two slow switches, with the teacher on all fours in the middle to copy.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, switch between happy and grumpy on the teacher's cue and add each cat's sound.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, happy cat breathes in through the nose and grumpy cat breathes out through the mouth, without the teacher's voice.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: do the cat seated in a chair, hands on knees, rounding and arching the back.
- Visual impairment: the teacher rests a hand on the child's back so they feel when it goes up and down.
- Autism: preview with two pictures (happy cat and grumpy cat) placed on the floor in front of the child.
Learning goals
- Gently mobilize the spine.
- Coordinate movement with breathing.
- Tell apart two opposite poses.
Teacher tip
On a hard floor, put a mat or towel under the knees. A common mistake is dropping the head fast: model the move very slowly and exaggerated.
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