The Chick Hatches
Children are chicks inside an egg who crack the shell, shake out their feathers, and take their first steps and flaps. It gently loosens the joints and wakes up the body.
How to play
- Everyone curls into a ball on the floor: we are chicks inside the egg and we hear "knock, knock" because it's time to come out (1 min).
- We peck the shell very gently with our head and pop out one arm, the other, one leg and then the other (1 min).
- Out of the egg! We shake our feathers one part at a time: shoulders, hands, hips, knees and feet (1 min).
- We take wobbly first steps, then flap our wings and try tiny two-footed hops (1 min).
- Mother Hen (the teacher) opens her wings and all the chicks gather under them in a circle to keep warm (1 min).
Rules
- We peck slowly and never bang our head.
- We shake only our own feathers.
- When Mother Hen opens her wings, we go to her.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, the teacher tells the story very slowly and does every move with them.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, each chick chooses which part to push out of the shell first.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, after hatching the chick grows into a hen or rooster and tries big steps and clucking.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: children who can't get down to the floor curl up in their chair and hatch by stretching the parts they can move.
- Autism: preview the story with pictures of the egg, chick and hen, and respect it if a child prefers not to curl up.
- Visual impairment: the teacher names each body part aloud as it is shaken and gives a light shoulder tap as the "hatch" signal.
Learning goals
- Gently move the main joints.
- Go from curled-up to open postures.
- Enjoy pretend play at the start of the session.
Teacher tip
Tell it in a soft, mysterious voice so they come out slowly. The usual mistake is jumping out all at once: the shell cracks little by little, one piece at a time.
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