Monkeys Wake Up in the Jungle
Kids are little monkeys who wake up, stretch, and get their hands, wrists and arms ready to hang from branches. It activates the grip and shoulder muscles.
How to play
- Curled up in a ball, we're sleeping monkeys on a branch; the teacher sings "Good morning, little monkeys!" (1 min).
- We stretch: arms reaching way up and out to the sides (1 min).
- We open and close our hands like grabbing bananas, fast and slow (1 min).
- We roll wrists and shoulders to "dust off the branches" and hang from a pretend branch, squeezing tight (1 min).
- Little monkey hops in place, then we sit down ready to climb (1 min).
Rules
- Each monkey on its own branch, no touching neighbors.
- When the teacher says "Banana!", we squeeze our hands tight.
- Monkeys don't yell: they go "ooh, ooh" quietly.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, just stretching, opening and closing hands, and hopping.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, the full game.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, squeeze the "banana" for a count of five, then let go slowly.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: everything done seated, with arms and hands.
- Visual impairment: the teacher gently taps the hand to signal "open" and "close".
- Less dexterity: squeeze a small cushion instead of a pretend banana.
Learning goals
- Warm up hands, wrists and shoulders.
- Become aware of grip strength.
- Step into the pretend play of the session.
Teacher tip
Show the thumb wrapping around the branch, not alongside it, so they learn the right grip from the start. Works great right before using the low bar or wall bars.
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