Rub-a-Dub Warm Hands

Children rub their hands faster and faster until they feel the warmth, then carry that warmth to different body parts as they move around the room. It builds awareness of cold and warm and gently gets the body going.

How to play

1. Standing in a circle, touch your still hands and your cheeks: “Are they cold or warm?” (1 min).
2. Rub your palms slowly, then fast like a motor, and place them on your cheeks to feel the warmth (1 min).
3. Walk around rubbing your hands; when the teacher calls a body part, carry the warmth there: knees, tummy, ears (2 min).
4. Rub other parts too: arms on your tummy, feet on the floor, and notice where it gets warm (1 min).
5. Blow on your warm hands like a cold wind and notice how they change (1 min).

Rules

• Rub your own hands, not a friend's.
• When the teacher says “Freeze!”, stop and put your hands on your tummy.
• Walk without bumping and look for open space.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a child who can't walk rubs hands while seated and sends the warmth to any parts they can reach.
• Autism or touch sensitivity: let the child rub more slowly and choose whether to touch their face or only their arms.
• Hearing loss: point to the body part on yourself and use one fixed hand signal for “Freeze.”

Learning goals

• Notice the difference between cold and warm on your own body.
• Name body parts and bring hands to them.
• Warm up the body calmly at the start of class.

Teacher tip

This works great on cold winter days when coming in from outside. The usual mistake is rubbing so hard hands turn red: teach “fast but gentle.”

More activities like this

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