The Flashlight Wakes What It Touches

With the room dimmed, the teacher sweeps a flashlight beam over the group, and whatever body part gets lit up starts dancing. It warms up the body part by part and practices naming body parts.

How to play

1. Lower the blinds partway (so everyone can still see well) and children spread out standing; the teacher shows the flashlight: “Whatever the light touches wakes up” (1 min).
2. The light lands on feet: feet tap and dance until the light moves away, then they freeze (1 min).
3. The light moves up to hands and arms: flapping hands, windmill arms (1 min).
4. The light stops on bellies and hips: wiggle your waist like a washing machine (1 min).
5. The light shines on heads, then sweeps over the whole body really fast: your whole body dances at once! (1 min).
6. Raise the blinds, stretch as if the sun were coming out, and take a deep breath (1 min).

Rules

• Only the part with light on it moves.
• When the light leaves, that part freezes.
• Move in your own spot, no bumping.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: keep the dimming gentle and always say the body part out loud; a buddy taps the lit part.
• Autism or fear of the dark: never go fully dark, place them near the window and give a heads-up before lowering the blinds.
• Limited mobility: seated, the light focuses on arms, hands, head and trunk.

Learning goals

• Warm up the body part by part.
• Name and locate body parts.
• Control moving and freezing.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Flashlight: 1

Teacher tip

Never shine the flashlight in anyone’s face: keep the beam from the neck down and light heads from behind. Use a wide-beam flashlight so it covers several children at once.

More activities like this

More warm-ups for Elementary