The Fisherman's Tulle Net
The teacher and two children hold a length of tulle like a fishing net and “catch” fish swimming around the playground; each caught fish grabs the edge of the net and becomes a fisher, until the net breaks and everyone is a fish again. It works on dodging while moving and cooperating to move a big piece of fabric together.
How to play
- Explain that the playground is the sea and we're all fish; the teacher shows the tulle net and how to hold the edge at waist height (2 min).
- The teacher and two children carry the net; the fish swim at a walk, arms flapping like fins, and the net gently tries to surround them (3 min).
- Any fish touched by the net grabs the edge and becomes a fisher, so the net keeps getting longer (4 min).
- The giant net, with almost everyone holding on, slowly closes into a circle to catch the last fish (2 min).
- The teacher shouts “The net is breaking!”: everyone lets go and swims free as fish again (2 min).
- Fold up the net together and sit down on the shore (1 min).
Rules
- The net stays at waist height, never above heads.
- Fish swim at a walk or jog, no pushing.
- If you get caught, grab the net and help fish.
- Fishers don't let go of the net.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, everyone walks, two adults carry the net, and caught fish sit in the boat (a hoop) for a moment and then swim back in.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, the net grows with every caught fish, as in the basic game.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, when the net has lots of fishers it splits into two nets that have to agree on how to trap the fish.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child can be a fisher from the start, holding the net beside the teacher, or a fish in a wide area where the net moves more slowly.
- Visual impairment: fishers chant “Net, net, net!” as they move so the child knows where they're coming from.
- Autism: if the fabric or the crowd feels too much, the child can be the lookout calling “Here comes the net!” from a bench.
Learning goals
- Move and dodge in a shared space.
- Move as a group, matching pace so the net isn't dropped.
- Switch from being chased to chasing with no one eliminated.
Equipment for a class of 25
- large piece of tulle: 1
Teacher tip
Use sturdy tulle about 10 feet long or a fabric net, and trim any loose ends so no one gets snagged. Insist the net stays at the waist: if it rises, pause and restart.
PatioLab has "The Fisherman's Tulle Net" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Elementary
"Al Pasar la Barca" Parachute Rowing
Sitting around the parachute, children row by pulling the fabric toward them and letting it go toward the middle to the rhythm of the traditional Spanish song "Al pasar…
"Corro de la Patata" Parachute Circle
Children circle with the parachute while singing the traditional Spanish song "Al corro de la patata" (Potato Circle), and on "achupé, achupé" everyone sits down…
"El Patio de Mi Casa" Parachute Song
Children sing the traditional Spanish ring song "El patio de mi casa" while circling with the parachute and lowering it to the ground on "agáchate" (squat down).
"Que Llueva" Parachute Rain
Using the traditional Spanish children's song "Que llueva, que llueva" (Let It Rain), children make rain, clouds and sun with the parachute, and some hide underneath as…
«A la Zapatilla por Detrás»: The Slipper Behind Your Back
Sitting in a circle with eyes covered, one child walks around the outside with a slipper singing the traditional Spanish rhyme «A la zapatilla por detrás» («the…
«A Tapar la Calle»: The Chain That Blocks the Street
Half the class forms a hand-in-hand chain that walks forward singing the traditional Spanish song «A tapar la calle» («Block the street so nobody passes»), while the…