Sleeping Volcano Wakes Up

Each child is a crouching volcano that wakes up as the tambourine rumbles: it shakes, grows, erupts with jumps, and the lava flows around the gym until it cools into rock. It builds a gradual warm-up, jumping, and stopping.

How to play

1. Children spread out, crouched and curled up: “You are sleeping volcanoes.” Rub the tambourine very softly (30 s).
2. The tambourine rumbles louder: volcanoes shake, first hands, then arms, then the whole body, without standing (1 min).
3. “The volcano is growing!” They rise very slowly as the tambourine gets louder (30 s).
4. “Eruption!” One loud hit and everyone jumps three times with arms up. Then the lava flows around the gym on tiptoes, waving arms like fire (1 min).
5. “The lava is cooling”: the tambourine goes quiet and everyone freezes like rocks in any shape (30 s). Repeat the cycle two more times (2 min).
6. Finish: the volcanoes go back to sleep crouched and take three slow breaths (30 s).

Rules

• Jump in place and land with soft knees.
• Lava flows without bumping other lava.
• When the tambourine goes quiet, freeze like a rock.
• Crouch down and stand up without flopping.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: shake, grow, and erupt with arms and upper body from the wheelchair, and the lava travels by wheelchair.
• Autism or noise sensitivity: warn before the loud eruption hit and play it softer.
• More skilled kids jump with a turn on the eruption; less skilled kids erupt by raising their arms without jumping.

Learning goals

• Warm up the body gradually, from small to big.
• Jump and travel with control.
• Stop moving when the sound stops.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tambourine: 1

Teacher tip

The tambourine crescendo is the secret: raise the volume little by little and watch the excitement build. Make the gym boundaries clear before the lava run.

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