Helicopter Blades Start Spinning
Children start up their helicopter blades by moving arms and trunk, lift off from a helipad (a hoop), fly around the yard and land on another free helipad. It works shoulder and trunk mobility and finding open space.
How to play
- Each child stands inside a hoop: their helipad. Check the helicopter: turn the head, lift and drop the shoulders, stretch arms out to the sides (1 min).
- Start the small rotor: one arm circles slowly, then the other; start the big rotor: arms out wide and twist the trunk side to side, faster and faster (2 min).
- Liftoff! Leave the hoop and fly around the yard with arms out, without bumping other helicopters (2 min).
- When we hear “landing!”, find a free helipad, step in, lower your arms and crouch down (1 min).
- Take off one more time, and after landing shut off the engine: arms circle slower and slower until they stop (1 min).
Rules
- Rotors spin without touching anyone.
- One helicopter per helipad.
- If your helipad is taken, find another one.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, each child always returns to the same hoop and flies at a walk.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, land on any free hoop and fly at a jog.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the teacher calls the helipad color to land on, and hoops are removed little by little so children share them in pairs.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child in a wheelchair has a big helipad (two hoops) and spins the rotors with the arms.
- Autism: mark the child's helipad with their own color and let them always return to it.
- Hearing impairment: the teacher signals landing by lowering arms in a very visible way.
Learning goals
- Mobilize shoulders and trunk with gradually faster twists.
- Move around looking for open space.
- Find and claim a space on a cue.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hoops: 25
Teacher tip
Space the hoops well apart: with arms out they need more room than you'd think. If someone spins too fast and gets dizzy, they stop and shut the engine off sitting down.
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