Paper Bangs Blow-Up

With paper-strip bangs taped to their foreheads, children dance, and when the music stops they blow upward with the lower lip pushed out to make the bangs fly. It works on aiming the breath, mouth control, and shared laughter.

How to play

1. With a small piece of masking tape, the teacher sticks three tissue paper strips on each child's forehead so they hang over the eyes like bangs (2 min).
2. They try blowing up: push the lower lip out, blow, and the bangs fly; the teacher demonstrates it in a big, silly way (2 min).
3. They dance to music; when it stops, they freeze like statues and blow their bangs up (3 min).
4. Now, when the music stops, the teacher says how to blow: softly (the bangs dance) or hard (the bangs fly up) (2 min).
5. In pairs facing each other, they laugh while blowing their bangs at the same time, then carefully take them off (1 min).

Rules

• I blow up at my own bangs.
• When the music stops, I freeze and blow.
• I don't pull other people's bangs.
• If mine fall off, the teacher sticks them back on.

Variations

Adaptations

• Autism or touch sensitivity: tape the bangs to a headband or the hand instead of the forehead.
• Limited mobility: the child dances with arms and trunk from the chair and blows like everyone else.
• Hearing impairment: the stop signal is flicking the lights off and on.

Learning goals

• Aim the breath upward by shaping the lips.
• Alternate movement and blowing on a signal.
• Have fun playing with friends.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Tissue paper strips: 75
• Masking tape: 2
• Music

Teacher tip

Masking tape doesn't hurt coming off, but ask first: some kids don't like anything on their face. A big mirror in the room doubles the laughs and helps them see their mouth shape.

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