Little Goats on the Hillside

Kids are little goats going up and down a soft hillside (a foam wedge) in many ways: forward, sideways, crouched or backward. It works on balance on a slope and adjusting the body going up and down.

How to play

1. The teacher sets out one or two foam wedges with mats around them; the kids sit in the meadow (1 min).
2. We walk up the hill facing forward and come down slowly with small steps (3 min).
3. Now sideways, like goats hugging the mountain (3 min).
4. We go up crouched like baby goats and come down backward with hands on the wedge (3 min).
5. The goats lie down in the meadow to chew and rest (2 min).

Rules

• Two goats on the hill at most.
• Small steps on the way down.
• When the drum sounds, goats freeze.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: goes up and down the wedge sitting, pushing with the hands.
• Visual impairment: feel the wedge first to know where the slope starts and ends.
• Autism: preview each round's way of moving with a picture card.

Learning goals

• Keep balance going up and down a slope.
• Adjust posture to the direction of movement.
• Explore different ways of moving.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cuña de gomaespuma: 2
• colchonetas: 6
• pandero: 1

Teacher tip

Coming down is the hard part: teach them to lean back slightly and bend their knees. If you only have one wedge, make a second hill with a mat-covered bench at a very low angle.

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