Teacher’s Magic Wand
With a magic wand, the teacher turns the group into whatever they say: giants, kittens, robots, cars, or butterflies; with “Abracadabra, poof!” everyone freezes. Kids work on expressive movement, a variety of locomotor moves, and stopping.
How to play
- Children spread out. Show the wand (a decorated pole) and explain: “When I tap the air with my wand and say what you are, you move like that. When I say poof, you freeze” (30 s).
- “Abracadabra, you are giants!” Everyone walks with huge steps and arms up (30 s). “Poof!” Frozen.
- Keep transforming every 20–30 seconds: kittens on all fours, stiff robots, cars with steering wheels, fluttering butterflies, slithering snakes (3 min).
- Add the “Unfreeze!” spell, which kids must wait for before moving again, even if it takes a moment.
- Finish: lend the wand to a child to cast one spell, then say “I turn you into calm kids!” and everyone sits (1–2 min).
Rules
- Don’t touch the wand or point it at anyone’s face.
- Move like what you are, but without bumping.
- On “poof,” stay frozen until the teacher unfreezes you.
- Floor transformations go down slowly, no flopping.
Variations
Easier
Only four familiar transformations, and the teacher does them too.
Standard
Six or seven transformations without the teacher modeling.
Harder
Double transformations like “a giant walking backward,” and spells the group invents.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: every transformation has an arms-and-upper-body version, and the child can be the helper wizard.
- Autism: preview the transformations with picture cards and always pair “poof” with the same hand signal.
- More skilled kids freeze in a balance; less skilled kids freeze sitting down.
Learning goals
- Act out characters and animals with the body.
- Vary how they travel: high, low, fast, or slow.
- Stop and restart movement on a signal.
Equipment for a class of 25
- pole decorated as a wand: 1
Teacher tip
Decorate the pole with a ribbon or a cardstock star: a magic prop is hugely motivating. Alternate active and calm transformations to manage energy.
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