Jump the Flashlight Beam

In the dimmed room, the teacher shines a stripe of light on the floor that is a snake: children jump over it as it passes, with feet together or on one foot. It practices jumping and timing movements.

How to play

1. With the blinds halfway down, the teacher cups the flashlight to leave a slit or tilts it to make a long stripe on the floor: it’s the light snake (2 min).
2. The snake is asleep and still: everyone jumps over it with feet together, side to side, all at once along its length (2 min).
3. The snake wakes up and slowly slithers toward the group, who jump when it reaches their feet (3 min).
4. The snake wiggles in S-shapes: jump it on one foot or with frog jumps (2 min).
5. The snake climbs the wall: stretch to touch it with your fingertips keeping heels down… and then jumping! (2 min).
6. The snake falls asleep in a corner and we sit and breathe with it (1 min).

Rules

• Jump over the light, not over friends.
• If the light touches you, it’s fine: keep playing.
• Keep an arm’s length from your neighbors.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: when the snake comes by, they “squash” it with their wheels or a hand on the floor.
• Visual impairment: the teacher says “Now!” when the light arrives, and the dimming is gentle.
• Autism: announce each change (“Now it’s waking up”) and let them stand at the end of the line if they’d rather watch first.

Learning goals

• Jump with a two-foot and a one-foot takeoff.
• Time the jump to when the light arrives.
• Get the whole body moving safely.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Flashlight: 1

Teacher tip

A narrow-beam flashlight makes a sharper stripe. Line children up in a wide row with plenty of space in front: the usual problem is everyone lunging at the light at once and bumping.

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