Roll the Die, Choose the Move

A giant picture die decides how kids travel on each lap of a wide course: crawl, slither, two-foot jump, roll, tiptoe or bear walk. Kids practice varied locomotor skills with a motivating surprise.

How to play

1. Stick a picture on each side of the die: cat (crawl), snake (slither), frog (two-foot jumps), log (roll), dancer (tiptoe) and bear (all fours with straight legs).
2. Set up a wide loop around the gym: a stretch of mats, a stretch of hoops, a stretch of ropes on the floor and an open stretch between cones.
3. Everyone sits in the middle. One child rolls the die and the group calls out the picture (1 min).
4. Everyone leaves at the same time, spaced out, in the same direction, and does one lap with that movement. On the mats, if it's the log, they roll; elsewhere, they do their best (2 min).
5. Back in the middle, another child rolls the die. Repeat for 5 or 6 rolls, 1 or 2 minutes per lap (9 min).
6. Finish: you roll the die, whatever comes up is the last lap, in slow motion (2 min).

Rules

• Everyone goes the same direction.
• If someone is slower, go around the outside without pushing.
• Roll only on the mats.
• A different child rolls the die each time.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: each picture has a version, like rolling the wheelchair or pulling with the arms.
• Visual impairment: a buddy describes the picture and walks the course holding hands.
• More skilled: longer stretches; less skilled: only half the course.

Learning goals

• Perform different locomotor skills in sequence.
• Connect a picture with a way of moving.
• Wait for a turn to roll the die.

Equipment for a class of 25

• giant die: 1
• mats: 4
• hoops: 6
• cones: 6
• ropes: 3

Teacher tip

Getting to roll once is the biggest motivator: keep track of who has rolled. Do the gesture for each picture as you name it for the youngest kids.

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