Shuffle and Deal the Cards
Children act as playing cards: they shuffle by moving all over the space, turn face up and face down, and the teacher deals them into four piles. It warms up the body with moving around, changes of position and listening to cues.
How to play
- Place four hoops in the corners: they are the hands of four pretend players. All together in the middle, we are the deck of cards (1 min).
- “Shuffle!”: walk, then jog, mixing all over the space and changing direction without bumping (1 min).
- “Face down!”: lie on your belly; “Face up!”: roll over and look at the sky. Switch several times (1 min).
- “Cut the deck!”: the deck splits in two and each half runs to one side; then everyone comes back together in the middle (1 min).
- “Deal!”: the teacher taps each child's shoulder and points to a hoop; each card jumps to its pile and crouches next to it (1 min).
- Gather the deck: from the four piles, tiptoe back to the middle and sit down all together (1 min).
Rules
- Cards shuffle without bumping.
- Face down is belly on the floor; face up is back on the floor.
- Each card goes to the pile the teacher points to.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only “shuffle”, “face up” and “face down”, with the teacher doing each one alongside them.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add cutting the deck and dealing into the four hoops.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, each card travels to its pile a different way (jumping, sideways, hopping on one foot) and the cues come faster.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: do face up and face down with the hands (palms up, palms down) and deal the wheelchair to a nearby hoop.
- Autism: preview the four cues with picture cards and keep the same order the first few times.
- Hearing loss: give each cue a gesture: hands mixing, palm up, palm down, a chopping hand.
Learning goals
- Move around the space changing direction without bumping.
- Change position on the floor quickly.
- Listen and respond to short cues.
Equipment for a class of 25
- aros: 4
Teacher tip
Show a real deck of cards first so they understand shuffle, cut and deal. When dealing, send children one at a time and spread them out, or they all head for the same hoop.
PatioLab has "Shuffle and Deal the Cards" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More warm-ups for Elementary
«Ahora que Vamos Despacio»: The Silly-Fibs Stroll
We stroll very slowly singing the traditional Spanish song «Ahora que vamos despacio» («Now that we're going slowly, let's tell some fibs»), and on each «tralará» we…
«El Cocherito Leré»: The Hopping Carriage
We're carriages trotting around the yard, and on every «leré» in the traditional Spanish song «El cocherito leré» («the little coachman») we jump with feet together.
«Sal de Ahí, Chivita»: The Get-Out-Little-Goat Chain
The little goat won't leave the field, so in this traditional Spanish cumulative song we call the wolf, the dog, the stick, the fire, the water and the ox.
A Bandage Where I'm Tagged
Unos pocos niños pillan con un pañuelo en la mano; quien es tocado se pone una «tirita» con la mano justo donde le han tocado y sigue corriendo así, y al segundo toque…
A Walk Through the Pole Forest
We stand plastic poles upright in cones with holes and the playground becomes a forest of tall trees.
Achoo, Into Your Elbow!
Children move around like animals and when the teacher goes “Ah… ah… achoo!”, they stop and hide their face in their elbow as if sneezing or coughing.