The Crown That Stays On When I Sit

With a beanbag on their head like a crown, children walk to the music and, when it stops, sit down in different ways without letting it fall. It works on balance, postural control and sitting up straight.

How to play

1. Each child gets a crown (a beanbag) and places it on their head; walk slowly around the room like kings and queens (2 min).
2. When the music stops, sit criss-cross on the floor without dropping the crown; if it falls, pick it up and keep going (3 min).
3. Try other ways of sitting: kneeling on the heels, legs straight out, and on a chair with feet flat on the floor (3 min).
4. Stand up with no hands or one hand, slowly, keeping the crown on (2 min).
5. Final parade: walk in a line with crowns on and all sit down together for circle time, tall and calm (2 min).

Rules

• If the crown falls, pick it up and keep going: no one is out.
• Wear your own crown on your own head, no taking others’ crowns.
• Sit down slowly, no plopping.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child wears the crown in the wheelchair and works on sitting tall while others sit down.
• Autism: if the beanbag on the head is too much, carry it on a flat open palm instead.
• Hearing loss: signal the stop by flicking the lights off and on as well as stopping the music.

Learning goals

• Balance an object on the head.
• Sit up straight in several different ways.
• Control the body when going from standing to sitting.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Beanbags: 25
• Music

Teacher tip

Use soft, flattish beanbags, which stay put better than round ones. Don’t turn it into musical chairs: there is room and a crown for everyone.

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