Kittens Crawl to the Drum
Children crawl around the room like kittens following the drum: fast, slow, or frozen when it stops. They warm up and match their crawling to a changing beat.
How to play
- Sitting in a circle, the teacher shows how a kitten walks: hands and knees on the floor, eyes looking ahead (1 min).
- We crawl all around the room to slow drumbeats, like kittens out for a stroll (1 min).
- Fast beats: hurried kittens going to get their milk without bumping anyone (1 min).
- When the drum stops, kittens freeze, arch their backs, and say "meow" (2 min).
- One last slow stroll and we sit back in the circle licking our paws (1 min).
Rules
- Kittens keep hands and knees on the floor.
- Slow drum, slow kitten; fast drum, fast kitten.
- When the drum stops, I freeze.
- Kittens don't bump into each other: we look ahead.
Variations
Easier
Age 3: only two beats (slow and stop), and the teacher crawls along with them.
Standard
Age 4: three beats: slow, fast, and stop with a "meow."
Harder
Age 5: when they freeze, they take the pose the teacher names: angry cat, stretching cat, or sleeping cat.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child moves however they can (wheelchair, scooting) and taps the beat on the floor.
- Deaf or hard of hearing: the teacher holds the drum up high while it plays and brings it to their chest when it stops.
- Autism: preview the game with a kitten picture; the child may crawl inside a taped-off area if the open room feels overwhelming.
Learning goals
- Warm up the body on all fours.
- Match crawling speed to a sound pattern.
- Stop when the sound stops.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hand drum: 1
Teacher tip
On hard floors, lay out mats or have kids wear long pants. Make slow and fast really different; at first everyone tends to race on all fours.
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