Riding the Painted Tracks

Children are trains that can only travel on top of the painted lines on the playground, switching tracks at every crossing. It wakes up the body while practicing balance on a narrow line.

How to play

1. Show the playground lines: "These are train tracks, and trains can't leave the tracks!" (1 min).
2. Everyone walks slowly along any line with arms out like balancing wings (1 min).
3. When the drum beats fast the train speeds up without falling off; when it beats slowly the train slows down (1 min).
4. At each crossing the train picks a new track and says "Choo-choo!" as it switches (1 min).
5. If two trains meet head-on, they wave and one moves to another track (1 min).
6. The drum stops: all trains pull into the teacher's station, staying on the lines (1 min).

Rules

• My feet stay on the line.
• If I step off, I hop back on the track and keep going.
• When I meet another train, I let it go by.
• Trains walk, they don't run.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students who use a wheelchair or have limited mobility follow the line with their wheels or are pushed by a classmate as the freight train.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: pair the drum with a gesture (arm up and quick for fast, arm down for slow).
• Students with autism: give them one line color as "their track" and let them know before each switch.

Learning goals

• Walk keeping both feet on a narrow line.
• Warm up by adjusting speed to a sound signal.
• Find their way through space by choosing new paths at crossings.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Before going out, check which playground lines are faded and touch them up with chalk. The usual problem is everyone crowding onto one line, so start the trains spread out over three or four tracks.

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