The Jumping Clock

The group asks "What time is it, Clock?" and the teacher answers with a time: children do that many jumps, counting out loud, then keep jogging until the next question. It works on two-foot jumping, counting and warming up the body.

How to play

1. Jog around the space; when the teacher raises their arms, stop and ask together, "What time is it, Clock?" (1 min).
2. The teacher says a small time (two o'clock, three o'clock) and we do that many jumps, counting out loud (1 min).
3. Keep jogging and repeat with different times, also shown with fingers (1 min).
4. Each time gets its own jump: one o'clock is one giant jump, four o'clock is four frog hops (1 min).
5. "It's time to play!": everyone does as many jumps as they like and sits down (1 min).

Rules

• I jump as many times as the clock says.
• We all count out loud together.
• If I lose track, I look at the teacher's fingers.

Variations

Adaptations

• Hearing loss: show the time with fingers and a number card.
• Limited mobility: claps or arm pumps instead of jumps.
• Autism: say how many rounds you'll play and count down the ones left.

Learning goals

• Jump with feet together a given number of times.
• Connect number and quantity through movement.
• Warm up the legs before the main game.

Teacher tip

Count slowly and out loud with them; otherwise the fast ones finish first and everyone else gets lost. Remind them to land softly with bent knees.

More activities like this

More warm-ups for Elementary