The Giant With Lead Feet

The teacher becomes a giant with lead feet who chases everyone very, very slowly, and children escape a different way each time: on tiptoe, with frog hops, or waddling like penguins. It wakes up the body and practices changing speed and how we move.

How to play

1. The teacher turns into a giant: arms up, huge slow steps, saying “Fee, fi, I smell kids!” (1 min).
2. First escape: everyone tiptoes away while the giant follows in slow motion (1 min).
3. Second escape: now we hop away like frogs; if the giant tags someone, that child does three jumps in place and keeps playing (1 min).
4. Third escape: waddling like penguins, tiny steps and arms tight at our sides (1 min).
5. The giant gets tired and sits; everyone jogs over to wake him with “Good morning, giant!”; he chases again and this time we really run (1 min).
6. The giant falls asleep and everyone walks calmly around him, shaking out their legs (1 min).

Rules

• I escape the way the teacher says.
• If the giant tags me, I do three jumps and keep going.
• I look ahead so I don't bump into friends.
• We don't wake the sleeping giant until the teacher says so.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the giant matches the child's pace and the escape can be in a wheelchair or walker; moving a couple of yards away counts.
• Autism: show a picture of the animal before each change and keep the giant's voice soft if loud sounds bother the child.
• Hearing impairment: the giant holds a scarf and raises it to announce each new way to escape.

Learning goals

• Change how they move when the cue changes.
• Control speed to get away without bumping.
• Enjoy a little thrill in a safe game.

Teacher tip

Make the giant really slow: if you go fast, the 3-year-olds get genuinely scared. Kids often bunch up in one corner; step toward them from the side so they spread out again.

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