Pose Story: A Trip to the Beach

Following a day-at-the-beach story, children make boat, fish, starfish, turtle and wave. They stretch on the floor and standing up, and connect each pose to a moment in the story.

How to play

1. The teacher spreads the blue fabric in the middle: «This is the sea». We sit around it and say we're going on a trip today (2 min).
2. We arrive by boat: sitting, knees bent, hold the legs and rock while rowing with the arms (2 min).
3. Jump in like fish: lying on the belly, arms stretched forward, lift arms and legs a little and flutter the feet like fins (3 min).
4. On the sand we find starfish: standing, arms and legs spread wide; then a turtle hiding: sitting, legs apart, folding forward and tucking the head in (3 min).
5. Here come the waves: kneeling, sweep the arms up and slowly fold down to touch the floor in front, like the sea (2 min).
6. Ride the boat back and lie down to dry off in the sun, still, with eyes closed (2 min).

Rules

• The fabric is the sea: we look at it, we don't step on it.
• I do each pose slowly, like in water.
• If my body can't reach, that's okay: I go as far as I can.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: boat and wave with the arms from the chair; fish by moving the arms like fins.
• Autism: the child can always sit at the same edge of the fabric and have the story pictures in front.
• Hearing impairment: each pose has a fixed hand sign the teacher shows before naming it.

Learning goals

• Stretch the back, legs and arms in different positions.
• Hold poses briefly with control.
• Follow a story with the body.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tela azul grande: 1

Teacher tip

The fabric sets the scene; a blue bedsheet works too. In turtle, remind them they don't need to touch the floor with their head.

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