Playground Model: From Tabletop to the Real Spot
A model of the playground is laid out on a tarp, with cups and bottle caps standing in for goals, benches and trees. The teacher puts a beanbag on the model and teams run to the matching real spot. It is the first step toward map reading.
How to play
- Spread the tarp along one side of the playground and build the model with the class (5 min): cups for goals and hoops, caps for benches and trash cans.
- Check the model: the teacher touches a cup and students point to the real object it stands for.
- Make 5 teams of 5 sitting around the tarp. The teacher places a beanbag on a spot on the model.
- On the signal, one runner per team goes to the real spot, touches it, raises an arm so the teacher can see, and comes back. Runners rotate every round.
- Play about 12 rounds in 10 minutes; each correct spot scores a point, and a runner at the wrong spot gets a hint ("closer to the fence").
- To finish, one student from each team places the beanbag on the model and the rest of the class runs there.
Rules
- Run around the model and never step on it.
- Touch the real spot without climbing or hanging on anything.
- Walk the last few yards back to the tarp.
Variations
Easier
A model with just a few large features, and students run in pairs.
Standard
A full model, one search per round and rotating runners.
Harder
The beanbag comes off the model after three seconds, so the team must remember the spot.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student places the beanbag for other teams or covers nearby spots with a partner.
- Hearing impairment: start each round by dropping a scarf, and point to the spot.
- Fitness level: far spots are worth two points and near ones are worth one.
Learning goals
- Connect a scale model with the real space it represents.
- Identify playground features and where they are in relation to each other.
- Take turns and follow the team's order.
Equipment for a class of 25
- small tarp: 1
- plastic cups: 10
- bottle caps: 15
- beanbags: 2
Teacher tip
Line the model up the same way as the real playground and always seat the group on the same side to avoid left-right mix-ups. Pick a spot where you can see the whole playground.
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