Hot Chestnuts Popping in the Pan

Children are chestnuts roasting in a big pan: they rock, hop, “pop” open and slide from side to side depending on how hot the fire is. It warms up the whole body with jumps and changes of pace while sharing a fall tradition from Spain.

How to play

1. Explain that in Spain in the fall, street vendors roast chestnuts in a pan full of holes; the space is the pan and everyone crouches into a little ball (1 min).
2. “Low fire”: the chestnuts warm up by rocking back and forth and rolling their shoulders (1 min).
3. “High fire!”: little two-foot hops all over the pan, looking for open spaces (1 min).
4. “Pop!”: the chestnut bursts open with a star jump, arms and legs wide, then curls back into a ball; repeat several times (1 min).
5. The vendor shakes the pan: the teacher points to one side and all the chestnuts jog gently there, then to the other side (1 min).
6. The chestnuts cool down: blow on them, sit down and the teacher hands everyone a pretend paper cone of chestnuts (1 min).

Rules

• Every chestnut hops in its own space, no pushing.
• When the teacher says “Pop!”, we all jump together.
• When the pan shakes, we move gently so no chestnut falls out.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the chestnut rocks and “pops” by opening arms from a chair, and a buddy travels with them when the pan shakes.
• Hearing loss: low fire is a low hand, high fire a raised hand, and “Pop!” a big visible clap.
• Autism: warn before each “Pop!” by counting “one, two… pop!” so the change isn’t a surprise.

Learning goals

• Warm up legs and arms with jumps and traveling.
• Match movement to signals of intensity.
• Learn about the fall tradition of roasting chestnuts.

Teacher tip

If you can, bring a real chestnut and a paper cone to show at the start. The usual mistake is everyone running into the same corner: point clearly with your whole arm and ask for “tiny chestnut steps.”

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