Panting Puppies, Hissing Snakes
Children move like different animals, each breathing or sounding its own way: the puppy pants, the snake hisses "sss", the bee buzzes "bzzz", and the cat spits "fff". It warms up the body while discovering that air can come out in lots of ways.
How to play
- The teacher shows the four cards and, sitting down, children try each sound: short puppy panting, a long snake "sss", a bee "bzzz", and an angry cat "fff" (1 min).
- Puppy card: they crawl on all fours around the space panting with their tongues out and rest when the teacher says so (1 min).
- Snake card: they slither on the floor going "sss" until they run out of air, then stop to breathe in through the nose (1 min).
- Bee card: they fly with open arms buzzing "bzzz"; cat card: they stay on all fours, arch their backs, and spit "fff" (1 min).
- The teacher switches cards faster and faster and ends with the snake, which lies still sunbathing (2 min).
Rules
- I make the sound of the animal the teacher shows.
- When I run out of air, I breathe in through my nose.
- Puppies and snakes don't bite or push.
- Each animal finds its own space.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, only puppy and snake, and the teacher plays along as an animal.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, all four animals in any order.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, one child picks the card and the others guess it by the sound before moving.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child makes the animal's sound and gesture with arms and head from their spot.
- Hearing impairment: each sound comes with its own sign (tongue out, zigzag hand, wings, cat claws).
- Autism: the child can choose a favorite animal and keep it while others switch, and is never pushed to make sounds that bother them.
Learning goals
- Let air out in different ways (panting, hissing, buzzing, spitting).
- Get the body moving by crawling and slithering.
- Connect sound and movement.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Animal picture cards: 4
Teacher tip
Keep the puppy panting short (a few seconds); too much in a row makes kids dizzy. Big cards held up high help children who can't hear well in the noise know which animal is up.
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