Statues That Move One Finger
When the drum stops, children become statues, but the teacher gives permission to move just one body part while the rest stays stone still. It builds control of each body part while holding the rest still.
How to play
- Dance freely to the hand drum; when it stops, we're statues (2 min).
- Statue with permission: the teacher says "Only your… nose moves" and statues move just that part (2 min).
- Keep changing: a finger, a foot, shoulders, tongue; the rest of the body is stone (3 min).
- Two parts at once: "Only one hand and one foot move" (2 min).
- Dance again and the last statue slowly melts away (1 min).
Rules
- When the drum stops, we're stone.
- Only the part the teacher says can move.
- We dance without bumping.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use big parts (arms, legs, head) and the teacher models the move.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use smaller parts like a finger, the eyes or the tongue.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, two parts at once and one-side parts ("only your drawing hand").
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child freezes and moves the parts they can, with prompts chosen for everyone (face, hands, shoulders).
- Hearing impairment: the teacher stops the drum with a big gesture and points to the moving part on their own body.
- Autism: always go in the same head-to-toe order and keep a body poster in view.
Learning goals
- Move one body part while the rest stays still.
- Stop moving when the sound stops.
- Name body parts.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hand drum: 1
Teacher tip
Model it with lots of humor: a stone statue wiggling only its nose gets laughs and helps them get it. A typical mistake is moving the whole arm when you ask for the hand.
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