The Body Thermometer Goes Up and Up
The teacher's arm is a thermometer: when it's down low we're freezing and barely move, and as it rises we warm up until we jump as if the floor were hot. Children feel the body warm up as it moves and learn to adjust their effort.
How to play
- The teacher shows the arm-thermometer: all the way down, brrr, so cold! We shiver, curled up, and rub our arms (1 min).
- The thermometer rises to the waist: a little warmer, we walk and swing our arms like windmills (1 min).
- It rises to the shoulder: nice and warm, we jog gently around the space (1 min).
- It goes above the head: so hot! We jump as if the floor were burning (1 min).
- The teacher moves the thermometer up and down by surprise and ends at the waist; we touch our cheeks and tummy to feel the heat (2 min).
Rules
- Watch the teacher's arm to know how hot it is.
- When the thermometer goes down, the body slows down too.
- Run through the open spaces without bumping.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, just cold (shiver) and hot (jump), with the teacher saying it out loud.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, four thermometer heights in order.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the teacher changes height without warning, and a child is the thermometer in the last round.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: each temperature has its own arm and trunk move from the chair, from shivering to fast clapping.
- Visual impairment: the teacher says the temperature in words (“cold,” “warm,” “hot,” “burning!”).
- Autism: show a thermometer picture with four colors to preview the changes.
Learning goals
- Increase movement intensity little by little.
- Notice body changes when moving (warmth, breathing).
- Respond to a visual height signal.
Teacher tip
At the end ask “How do your hands feel? And your face?”: it's the perfect moment to explain that warming up gets the body ready. Keep the “burning” part short so things don't get out of hand.
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