Hello and Goodbye on the Move

Children walk around the space and greet everyone they pass with a word and a gesture: hello with a wave, high five with a hand slap, bye-bye with a goodbye wave. They practice simple greetings and friendly contact with classmates.

How to play

1. In a circle, teach three greetings and their gestures: hello (wave), high five (slap hands up high) and bye-bye (goodbye wave) (1 min).
2. Walk around and say hello to everyone you pass (1 min).
3. The teacher calls "High five!" and we find a friend, slap hands and say it together, then keep walking (1 min).
4. Add "How are you?" and answer with the body: happy (little hop and a smile) or sleepy (yawn and stretch) (1 min).
5. Head back to the circle saying bye-bye to each friend until everyone is seated (1 min).

Rules

• I look at my friend's face when I say hi.
• I high-five gently.
• I greet lots of different friends, not always the same one.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: classmates come over to greet the child in the wheelchair, who picks the gesture.
• Autism: a wave from a distance is fine; no high five if they don't want touch.
• Hearing impairment: each greeting has a fixed gesture, which is what matters most.

Learning goals

• Use simple greetings in a real situation.
• Interact kindly with many classmates.
• Warm up by walking through the space.

Teacher tip

In English-speaking classes, play the same game with Spanish greetings (hola, choca esos cinco, adiós) to give it a new-language twist. Model warmly and don't correct pronunciation; just repeat it correctly yourself.

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