Takeoff From the Long Runway
Each child is a plane that taxis down the runway, speeds up, takes off with arms spread, flies through clouds and turbulence, and lands by braking little by little. It practices speeding up and slowing down with control and finding your way in space.
How to play
- Mark two long runways with ropes and some cones at the end. The planes wait in the hangar (a corner) checking their wings: arms out, wrist circles and trunk twists (2 min).
- Taxi slowly down the runway with arms tucked in, following the rope; the control tower (the teacher) waves a green scarf to clear one plane at a time for each runway (2 min).
- Takeoff! Run faster and faster down the runway, and past the cones open your wings and fly all over the yard (3 min).
- There are clouds up there (scarves the teacher waves): scarf goes up, fly high on tiptoes; scarf goes down, fly low and crouched; scarf shakes hard, it's turbulence, so wobble while you keep flying (3 min).
- Landing: lower your wings and brake little by little down the runway until you stop right at the end rope without stepping on it (3 min).
- Taxi slowly back to the hangar, shut down the engines by blowing out air and rest your wings (1 min).
Rules
- On the runway we taxi, no running, until we hear “takeoff!”
- In the air, planes don't touch wings.
- To land we slow down gently, no diving to the ground.
- Wait for the control tower to clear you.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use one runway with no turns and free flying without clouds; the teacher flies along.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use two runways, takeoff turns, and the up-and-down clouds.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, each plane has a destination airport (a colored cone) and must land on the runway of that color; add turbulence.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: a child in a wheelchair takes off pushed by a classmate or acts as the control tower with the scarves.
- Autism: always give the same runway and warn before each change with “attention, passengers.”
- Visual impairment: taxi holding a guide partner's hand and land when hearing a clap at the end rope.
Learning goals
- Speed up and slow down gradually and with control.
- Change body height while moving.
- Wait for your turn to take off.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Ropes: 4
- Cones: 6
- Scarves: 3
Teacher tip
Leave lots of open space past the cones: takeoff is the fastest moment. The typical mistake is stopping dead or dropping to the floor on landing, so practice “landing” at a walk first.
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