The Cleanup Chain

Sitting in a line or circle, children pass the session's equipment hand to hand to the basket, each object a different way and slower each time. It builds careful grasping and releasing, waiting your turn and cleaning up calmly together.

How to play

1. Sit in a line from the pile of equipment to the baskets, close to one another (1 min).
2. The first child picks up an item and passes it to the next with both hands, making eye contact, all the way to the basket (2 min).
3. Each item travels a different way: the ball with both hands, the scarf with two fingers, the hoop over the head (1 min).
4. When the teacher says "slow motion," we pass the last items super slowly (1 min).
5. Once everything is put away, we hold hands down the line, take a deep breath and let it out slowly (1 min).

Rules

• Only let go when your friend is holding it.
• Pass one at a time without skipping anyone.
• Nothing gets thrown: everything goes hand to hand.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child joins the line in the wheelchair, and classmates adjust the height when passing.
• Low vision: say each item's name as it's passed and touch the child's hand before handing it over.
• Autism: the child can be at the end of the line, placing each item in the basket, with less contact with classmates.

Learning goals

• Grasp and release objects carefully.
• Wait for your turn in a chain.
• Clean up together while calming down.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Materials used in the session
• Baskets: 2

Teacher tip

It works best if the pile is sorted by type. Pick a calm child to start the line: they set the pace for everyone.

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