Ring Around the Rosie, Soft Landing

Kids sing the traditional ring game "Ring Around the Rosie" and, on "all fall down," sink slowly to the floor. It warms up the body and teaches controlled lowering.

How to play

1. Form a circle holding hands; the teacher teaches the last line, "all fall down," floating down like a leaf (1 min).
2. Walk around singing and sink slowly to sitting at the end (1 min).
3. Repeat going the other way and pop up on "we all jump up" from the second verse (2 min).
4. Change how we move: tiptoes, giant steps, little hops (1 min).
5. One last very fast circle with a super slow, cotton-soft landing (1 min).

Rules

• Hold hands without pulling your friend.
• Go down slowly, no flopping.
• Everyone sings and sits down together.

Variations

Adaptations

• A child using a wheelchair stays in the circle and lowers arms and head slowly on "all fall down."
• For autistic children, preview the fall with a picture so it isn't a surprise.
• For deaf or hard-of-hearing children, the teacher raises and lowers both arms to cue sitting down.

Learning goals

• Lower to the floor with control.
• Keep the circle's rhythm with classmates.
• Learn a traditional English singing game.

Teacher tip

Teach just the last line first; it's the part everyone waits for. Kids tend to crash down, so model an exaggerated slow-motion landing.

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