Laundry Dancing on the Line
Children are clothes pinned to a clothesline by one body part (a hand, the head, a foot) that can't move, while the rest of the body dances in the wind. It works on moving some body parts while keeping others still.
How to play
- The teacher says everyone is freshly washed laundry and "pins" them up with an imaginary clothespin by one hand, which stays still in the air (1 min).
- A breeze blows (soft music): the rest of the body sways slowly while the pinned hand doesn't move (2 min).
- The teacher moves the clothespin: pinned by the head, by a foot, by an elbow; the pinned part stays still and everything else dances (3 min).
- A strong wind arrives (faster music): the laundry dances hard but the pin holds; and if the teacher says "The pin fell off!", the clothes fly dancing around the playground until they get pinned back up (3 min).
- Partner line: two pieces of clothing hang from the same pin (hands joined) and dance in the wind without letting go (2 min).
- The laundry is dry: the teacher takes it down and each child folds up on the floor like a folded T-shirt (1 min).
Rules
- The pinned part doesn't move.
- I dance with everything else.
- If the pin falls off, I fly without bumping.
- With my partner, we don't let go.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, pin only one or both hands and use just the gentle breeze, with the teacher as laundry in front.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, move the pin to different parts and add the strong wind.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, use two pins at once (a hand and a foot) and the partner line.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child "pins" one hand and dances with the other hand, head and trunk from the chair.
- Hearing impairment: the teacher gently taps or points on their own body to the part getting the pin.
- Less coordination: if the pinned part moves by accident, let the child rest it against a wall so it's easier to keep still.
Learning goals
- Keep one body part still while others move.
- Move with different intensity depending on the music.
- Coordinate with a partner while dancing.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Music
Teacher tip
Make the clothespin gesture very clearly; it's the signal they watch. The typical mistake is moving everything, so pin the hand up high where it's easy to see if it moves.
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