Into the Soup Pot!

The school cook makes soup and children are the ingredients: each group moves like its food (stiff carrots, rolling chickpeas, wiggly noodles) and jumps into the pot when called. It builds body expression, listening and waiting for a turn.

How to play

1. The teacher lays out the pot (a big rope circle) and gives each child a card: carrot, chickpea, noodle or potato (2 min).
2. Practice each ingredient: stiff carrot walking with straight knees, chickpea ball rolling, floppy noodle wiggling, heavy potato hopping (2 min).
3. The cook calls an ingredient by showing its card and only that group jumps into the pot; the rest wait in the kitchen moving in place (2 min).
4. Boiling! With everyone in, the drum heats up and we hop faster and faster, then the heat drops and we slow down (2 min).
5. Stirring: the cook stirs with a pretend ladle and we all turn together one way, then the other (2 min).
6. The soup cools: sit in the pot, blow on it and eat it with a big “mmm” (2 min).

Rules

• I jump in only when my ingredient is called.
• No pushing inside the pot.
• When it boils, I hop in my spot.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child rolls into the pot and shows the ingredient with arms (the noodle wiggles its arms).
• Autism: preview when their group goes in and keep them near the teacher.
• Hearing impairment: the cook holds the ingredient card up high.

Learning goals

• Represent foods with the body.
• Wait for a turn and respond when called.
• Vary movement intensity.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Long rope: 1
• Picture cards: 25
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

The pot must be big: if it’s crowded, widen the rope. Color-code the cards to spot each group fast.

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