Park Your Car Astride the Bench

Kids are cars driving around the room, and when the teacher calls "Into the garage!" they park by sitting astride a gym bench. It warms up the body and practices swinging a leg over the bench and sitting with balance.

How to play

1. Sitting on the benches, the teacher shows how to park: standing next to the bench, we swing one leg over and sit astride (1 min).
2. We grab a pretend steering wheel and drive slowly among the benches going "vroom, vroom" (1 min).
3. When we hear "Into the garage!" we find a spot on any bench and park astride; at the drum, we drive off again (2 min).
4. We park in new ways the teacher calls out: in reverse (sitting facing the other way) or with hands on our knees (1 min).
5. Last parking: we turn off the engine, stay still on the bench and breathe (1 min).

Rules

• Cars drive slowly and don't crash.
• Cars park side by side in the garage, no pushing.
• To park, both hands on the bench before swinging the leg over.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a child who can't swing a leg over parks sitting sideways, or rolls up in their wheelchair and puts their hands on the bench.
• Autism: preview the signal with a garage picture card and give a "two more garages" warning before ending.
• More skilled kids: park without using hands, resting one at the end only if needed.

Learning goals

• Warm up with varied ways of moving.
• Get on and sit astride a bench with control.
• React to a sound or verbal signal.

Equipment for a class of 25

• banco sueco: 4
• pandero: 1

Teacher tip

Check that the benches are steady and have no mats underneath. The usual mistake is diving onto the bench at a run, so ask them to brake, "put on the parking brake," and then climb on.

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