Pretend Park: Slides and Swings

With no equipment at all, kids play in a pretend park: climbing the slide ladder, sliding down, swinging, riding the seesaw in pairs and spinning on the merry-go-round. It gets the whole body moving with familiar actions and builds imagination and imitation.

How to play

1. Kids spread out around the gym. Say: "We're going to the park. But it's invisible! We have to imagine it."
2. Slide: climb the ladder lifting knees high and pumping arms, count "one, two, three" and slide down by slowly squatting to the floor. Three times in a minute and a half.
3. Swing: standing, swing the arms forward and back, higher and higher, then the legs, one at a time. One minute.
4. Seesaw: in pairs, facing each other and holding hands; when one squats down, the other stands up. A minute and a half.
5. Merry-go-round: in a circle holding hands, walk slowly one way and, on a clap, the other way. One minute.
6. Sandbox: kneeling, dig with your hands, build a castle and squash it with a jump. Finish by waving goodbye to the park.

Rules

• The park is pretend, but everyone uses their own space.
• On the slide, go down slowly, don't throw yourself on the floor.
• No yanking on the seesaw.
• Walk on the merry-go-round, don't run.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do each piece of equipment's arm moves seated, with the teacher as seesaw partner.
• Autism: show a picture of each piece of equipment before acting it out.
• More skilled kids swing one leg while balancing; less skilled kids make shorter, slower moves.

Learning goals

• Act out familiar park activities with the whole body.
• Use imagination to show objects that aren't there.
• Coordinate movements with a partner.

Teacher tip

Tell it like a field trip and get excited: "Who wants to go down the slide first?" If the merry-go-round gets wild, slow the pace with your voice.

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