Knock Knock: Ribbons at the Market
A preschool version of the traditional Mexican game "Los listones" (The Ribbons): each child has a colored ribbon, and when the shopper knocks on the store's door and asks for their color, they run around a cone and back before being tagged. It builds running from a start signal and paying attention to one's own color.
How to play
- Children sit together in the "store" (an area marked with cones), each with a ribbon tucked into the waistband or around the wrist, in five colors. A far cone marks the turnaround point (2 min).
- The teacher is the shopper and teaches the dialogue: "Knock, knock." The store answers, "Who is it?" "The shopper." "What would you like?" "A ribbon." "What color?" "Red!" (2 min).
- Everyone with a red ribbon runs out, circles the far cone and comes back to the store while the shopper chases and tries to tag them (5 min).
- Whoever the shopper tags becomes the shopper's helper: in the next round they knock with the shopper and choose the color. Every two rounds, children swap ribbons (3 min).
- Finish: the shopper asks for "ribbons of every color!", the whole store jogs gently around the cone, and we sit down to put the ribbons away (2 min).
Rules
- Only children with the color called go.
- We go around the outside of the cone, no shortcuts.
- The shopper taps gently on the shoulder and never takes ribbons.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use three big, bright colors with the cone close, and the teacher runs slowly; everyone who gets back to the store gets a cheer.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, five colors, with a child helping the shopper from the second round.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the shopper calls two colors at once or a trick color ("green with yellow!"), and kids decide which way to go around the cone.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: place that child's turnaround cone closer, or let them be the shopper choosing colors from the door.
- Visual impairment: use high-contrast ribbons and pair each color with a word ("red, tomato").
- Hearing impairment: the shopper holds up a ribbon of the color called.
Learning goals
- Start running in response to a signal.
- Recognize and remember one's own color.
- Learn an age-adapted traditional game from Mexico.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Colored ribbons: 25
- Cones: 6
Teacher tip
In the traditional game the knockers are usually an angel and a devil, and the store is run by a "mom" or seller who secretly assigns the colors; with little ones we use a shopper and visible colors. Tuck ribbons into waistbands and never tie them around the neck.
PatioLab has "Knock Knock: Ribbons at the Market" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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