Swimming in a Sea of Honey

With slow music, children move as if the air has turned into thick honey: everything is hard work and slow, until they're stuck and still. It works on controlling slow movement and calming down.

How to play

1. The teacher says the room has filled up with sweet, sticky honey; put on slow music (1 min).
2. Walk as if the honey is up to our knees: lift each foot very slowly (1 min).
3. Now the honey is up to our chests: we swim breaststroke with super slow arms (1 min).
4. Try moving just one body part through the honey: a finger, the head, a foot (1 min).
5. The honey is cooling and we're getting stuck: slower and slower until we stop completely (1 min).
6. Lie down and "wipe off" the honey, slowly running our hands over our arms and legs (1 min).

Rules

• Nobody runs in honey.
• If I get close to someone, I slowly steer away.
• I move with the music.
• When the honey cools, I freeze.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: swims through the honey with arms and upper body from the chair.
• Visual impairment: moves in place or holding a partner's hand.
• Hearing loss: the teacher shows how deep the honey is by raising or lowering a hand.

Learning goals

• Control movement speed.
• Express an imagined feeling with the body.
• Bring their energy level down.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Music

Teacher tip

Choose slow instrumental music with no lyrics. If someone speeds up, say "Uh-oh, the honey's getting thicker!" and exaggerate your own slowdown.

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