The Bottle's Trip to the Recycling Bin

In a story-based movement game, children are a plastic bottle that leaves the fridge, gets emptied, rides in the recycling truck, goes through the factory, and becomes a brand-new ball. It builds a variety of movements and positions and shows why we recycle.

How to play

1. The teacher shows an empty bottle: "This bottle is going on a big trip, and we're going to be the bottle" (1 min).
2. We're bottles in the fridge: standing stiff and shivering; someone drinks us, and we're empty and light, so we hop softly around the space (2 min).
3. We get tossed into the recycling bag: curl up in a ball and roll on the mats (3 min).
4. The recycling truck arrives: in a line, holding shoulders, drive along the hoop streets, stopping at every bin (3 min).
5. At the factory, on each drum tap we get squished small, melted flat and soft on the floor, then stretched up as tall as we can (3 min).
6. We're a brand-new ball! Bounce all over the playground jumping with feet together, then sit down in a circle (3 min).

Rules

• I listen to the story to know what comes next.
• I roll on the mat without bumping anyone.
• In the truck, I keep my hands on my friend's shoulders.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child joins each part their own way, like curling up in the wheelchair, and drives at the front of the truck.
• Hearing impairment: each part of the story has a picture card the teacher shows when it changes.
• Autism: look at the story in pictures beforehand and signal each new part with the same drum beat.

Learning goals

• Move in a variety of ways and positions while following a story.
• Show with the body how an object changes.
• Experience firsthand what happens to containers when we recycle them.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Large plastic bottle: 1
• Mats: 6
• Hoops: 10
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Bring a real bottle and, if you can, a ball or piece of clothing made from recycled plastic to show at the end. Tell the story with few words and lots of gestures; the truck part gets the wildest, so take it slow.

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