Pretend Ice Skaters on Paper Skates
With a sheet of newspaper under each foot, kids pretend to be ice skaters: gliding, stopping, slowly turning and skating like a penguin. It warms up legs and trunk and builds balance and body control on a smooth floor.
How to play
- Beforehand, set out two newspaper sheets per child on the smooth gym floor. Each child puts one foot on each sheet.
- Show how to skate: slide one foot, then the other, without lifting them. With soft music, everyone skates around the rink for two minutes.
- Cue "Stop!": freeze with feet apart and arms out like an airplane. Repeat five times while skating.
- Cue "Penguin!": skate with tiny steps, arms tucked in, wobbling side to side. One minute.
- Cue "Ice dancer!": skate with long arms and do one slow turn in place. One minute.
- When the music stops, everyone freezes like an ice statue. When it starts again, keep skating. Play until time is up, then collect the sheets.
Rules
- Skate, don't run: keep your feet on the paper.
- Look ahead so you don't bump anyone.
- If someone falls, stop and help them up slowly.
- Only on a smooth floor with nothing nearby to hit.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, skate slowly and stop, with the teacher close by.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add the penguin and ice statues.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, skate backward or in pairs holding hands.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child skates with hands on the sheets while seated on the floor or in their wheelchair.
- Visual impairment: skate holding a buddy's hand or along the wall.
- More skilled kids skate on one foot; less skilled kids slide one sheet and walk with the other foot.
Learning goals
- Glide while keeping balance.
- Stop and turn with body control.
- Imitate different skating styles to music.
Equipment for a class of 25
- newspaper sheets: 40
- music: 1
Teacher tip
Test the floor first: if the paper won't slide, use socks instead. Keep extra sheets handy because they tear fast.
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