Shake Off Like a Wet Puppy
Children are puppies climbing out of a puddle and shaking off the water one body part at a time. It builds isolated movement and pretend play.
How to play
- We're puppies on all fours walking in the park and stepping into a pretend puddle (1 min).
- Stand up and shake the water off just the head, then the ears and the neck (1 min).
- Shake the arms, hands and fingers, splashing pretend drops (1 min).
- Shake the tummy, the bottom and the tail, then each leg and each foot (1 min).
- Shake the whole body at once, really hard, then softer and softer until we're still (1 min).
Rules
- Shake only the part the teacher names.
- Each puppy stays in its own spot, no bumping.
- At the end we stay still like dry puppies.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, the teacher models the movement and the class shakes big parts.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add shoulders, elbows and knees, with the teacher only naming them.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, shake only one side ("the leg by the window") or two parts at once.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the puppy stays seated and shakes the parts it can move.
- Autism: signal the end with a countdown and always keep the same order.
- Lower skill or fatigue: shake more slowly, with breathing breaks.
Learning goals
- Move different body parts in isolation.
- Name body parts within pretend play.
- Warm up the joints in a playful way.
Teacher tip
Make the barking and the puddle very theatrical, then ask for short shakes; it can get wild fast. If the floor is cold, keep the all-fours part brief.
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