Sleepy Heads on the Table

Sitting at their chairs, children let one body part after another fall asleep until their heads rest on their arms on the table, then wake them up in reverse order. A cool-down designed to bring a calm body back to table work.

How to play

1. Sit with feet flat on the floor while soft music plays; the teacher says “We're going to put our body to sleep, little by little” (1 min).
2. The feet fall asleep and stay still; then the legs, which feel very heavy (1 min).
3. The hands fall asleep on the table, then the shoulders, which drop as if they're melting (1 min).
4. Fold your arms on the table, rest your head on them and close your eyes (or look at one spot) while listening to the music (1 min).
5. The teacher wakes the body up in reverse: head, shoulders, hands and feet, and everyone stretches like waking up in the morning (1 min).

Rules

• Whatever falls asleep stays still.
• Your head rests on your arms, not on the table.
• We wake up slowly, when the teacher says so.

Variations

Adaptations

• Autism or anxiety: the child may keep their eyes open and look at a calm picture taped to their table.
• Limited mobility: if they can't reach the table, they rest their head on a cushion on their lap or on the chair back.
• Hearing impairment: the teacher gently touches each child's shoulder to wake them, letting them know first they're coming over.

Learning goals

• Relax the body one part at a time.
• Return to a calm state for table work.
• Notice the difference between an active body and a sleepy one.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Calm music

Teacher tip

Perfect after indoor recess when kids come back wound up. Don't insist on closed eyes: some little ones find it scary; looking at their hands is enough.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Elementary