Shiver or Fan: Hot and Cold in Pairs
Hot and cold without words: the child who hid the stuffed animal guides a partner using only the body, shivering when the seeker moves away and fanning themselves when the seeker gets close. Children work on body expression, reading a partner and taking turns.
How to play
- In a circle, practice the gestures: shiver hugging yourself (cold), fan yourself with a hand (warm), and jump and blow because it's burning (hot!) (2 min).
- The teacher hides a stuffed animal and guides the whole class with body language only until they find it (2 min).
- In pairs: one hides the stuffed animal while the other counts to ten with eyes covered (2 min).
- The seeker searches while watching the partner, who guides without talking, just shivering and fanning (2 min).
- Switch roles and play again (3 min).
- Finish together: shiver hard, then fan slowly, and end still and cozy (1 min).
Rules
- The hider doesn't talk; only the body speaks.
- While my partner hides, I don't look.
- I search walking, not running around the room.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use just two gestures (cold and hot), and the teacher helps the guides by doing the gestures with them.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use all three gestures: cold, warm and hot.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, add “Frozen!” (still as an ice cube) when the seeker heads the opposite way.
Adaptations
- Hearing impairment: the game is wordless, so the child can guide and seek like everyone else; just keep the partner in view.
- Visual impairment: the partner guides with sounds (a chattering “brrr” for cold, a “whoosh” of blowing for hot).
- Limited mobility: hide the stuffed animal in easy-to-reach spots, and the seeker can point instead of picking it up.
Learning goals
- Express sensations clearly with the body.
- Watch and interpret a partner's gestures.
- Take turns hiding and seeking.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Small stuffed animals: 13
Teacher tip
Demo it first with the teacher exaggerating every gesture, since kids copy that size. Guides usually end up talking or pointing; remind them “mouth closed, body talks.”
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