Sniffer Puppies Follow the Rope
Children are sniffer puppies who crawl on all fours, noses to a rope laid in curves on the floor, until they find the stuffed animal hidden at the end. They warm up arms and legs and practice following a path.
How to play
- Before starting, the teacher lays four ropes in curves across the floor and hides a stuffed animal under a cloth at the end of each (1 min).
- Become puppies: on all fours, sniff the floor, wag your tail and bark softly (1 min).
- In four lines, each puppy crawls along its rope with the nose close to it, starting when the puppy ahead is halfway (2 min).
- At the end, lift the cloth, bark happily at the stuffed animal, cover it again and walk back outside the ropes (1 min).
- Switch ropes and change how you move: bear-walk with knees off the floor (1 min).
- The puppies lie on their backs to rest, paws wiggling in the air (1 min).
Rules
- My nose stays close to the rope.
- I start when the puppy ahead is halfway.
- I leave the stuffed animal covered for the next puppy.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use ropes with few curves and let the stuffed animal peek out a little.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use ropes with lots of curves that pass under a table.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the ropes cross each other and each child must stick to their own.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child follows the rope walking or in a wheelchair, tracing it with a hand or a pool noodle.
- Visual impairment: the child follows the rope by hand as a guide, and the stuffed animal has a bell sewn on.
- Autism: demonstrate first and always assign the same rope.
Learning goals
- Warm up arms and legs by crawling.
- Follow a path without straying.
- Respect staggered starts so the game keeps flowing.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Long ropes: 4
- Stuffed animals: 4
- Pieces of cloth: 4
Teacher tip
Thick or colorful ropes are easiest to see; otherwise use a line of tape on the floor. With four ropes and staggered starts, nobody waits more than a few seconds.
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