Knock Knock: The House Opens Its Door

In groups of four, children build a house with a roof and a door; when a visitor knocks, the door opens, lets them in, and the visitor becomes the chimney. It builds cooperation, holding a pose and pretend play.

How to play

1. Build a house of four: two kids make the roof, facing each other with hands joined up high, and two make the door in front, holding hands (3 min).
2. Visitors knock: "Knock, knock." The house asks "Who's there?" and the visitor says what animal they are (2 min).
3. The door opens by letting go, the visitor goes in acting like their animal, and the door closes gently (3 min).
4. The visitor stays inside as the chimney, one arm up, puffing smoke: "whoo" (2 min).
5. Switch: the house kids go visiting and the visitors build the houses (2 min).
6. All the houses make a street and we wave goodbye from window to window (1 min).

Rules

• The roof and door stay still until someone knocks.
• I go in slowly, without pushing the door.
• The door opens when the visitor says who they are.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: from the wheelchair, the child is the door or the chimney and friends adjust the roof height.
• Hearing loss: the visitor knocks with three taps on the door's shoulder instead of using their voice.
• Autism: explain that the house will close around them; if they don't like it, they can be a visitor who waves from the doorway.

Learning goals

• Hold a pose together with others.
• Build a recognizable shape as a group.
• Act out a short scene with the body.

Teacher tip

Build the first house yourself with three kids in front of everyone. The roof gets tired fast: let them lower their arms while waiting and raise them on "knock, knock".

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