Little Frogs from Chair to Chair

Chairs spread out around the room are lily pads, and the children are little frogs hopping along the floor from one to the next, touching the seat with their hands when they arrive. It warms up the whole body with short jumps and practices landing with control.

How to play

1. Spread the chairs out around the room and the teacher shows frog position: squat down, hands on the floor (1 min).
2. Each little frog hops slowly to a chair and touches it with both hands without climbing on: “Ribbit!” (2 min).
3. When the teacher calls “Here comes the heron!”, all frogs crouch still next to their lily pad (1 min).
4. Hop again, now with longer or shorter jumps as the teacher calls (1 min).
5. The frogs lie down to sunbathe next to a lily pad and breathe (1 min).

Rules

• Frogs hop on the floor, never on top of the chair.
• When I arrive, I touch the seat with my hands.
• If a frog is already at a lily pad, I find another one.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: moves their own way and touches the seat with one hand, or plays the heron who gives the warning.
• Less skilled children: two-footed jumps standing up, no squatting.
• Hearing impairment: the heron is the teacher with arms high in the air, easy to see.

Learning goals

• Warm up the legs with repeated short jumps.
• Brake and control the body when reaching a target.
• Find their way in a space full of objects.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Chairs: 25

Teacher tip

Push the tables to the walls first or use the clearest part of the room. Make it very clear the chair is touched only with hands: climbing onto the lily pad is the first thing they'll try.

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