Homemade Can Stilts

Using the can stilts grandparents made as kids (two sturdy cans with a string to hold them), children learn to walk on top of them, lifting each foot while pulling the string, with their grown-up beside them. It works balance, arm-leg coordination and a homemade toy.

How to play

1. An elder explains how stilts were made and what they played; the teacher shows the ones the class has prepared (2 min).
2. The child steps onto the stilts with the grown-up in front holding their forearms, and tries standing still (2 min).
3. They walk together in a straight line: right foot and right string up, left foot and left string up (3 min).
4. The grown-up lets go little by little and walks beside them, ready to help; the child walks a route between cones (4 min).
5. Try going sideways, backward, or around a cone, always with the grown-up close by (3 min).
6. Step down, line the stilts up and stretch your ankles by drawing circles with your toes (1 min).

Rules

• Pull the string as you lift your foot.
• Go slowly: stilts don't run.
• My grown-up always stays next to me.
• If a foot slips off, stop and climb back on.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: use the stilt strings as reins for a pretend horse and practice arm coordination while seated.
• Poor balance: the child walks between their grown-up and another grown-up, holding both hands.
• Autism or fear of falling: start by standing still on the stilts for as long as they want, and move on only when they feel safe.

Learning goals

• Keep balance while walking on a small, raised base.
• Coordinate arm and leg movements on the same side.
• Discover a traditional toy made from household materials.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Can stilts with string handles: 25
• Cones: 8

Teacher tip

Build the stilts in a family workshop a few days before: empty cans with rims covered in duct tape and a string that reaches the child's waist. Always use them on smooth ground with no loose sand.

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