The Leaf Pile in the Park

Leaves fall from the trees, kids gather them with different body parts, carry them to a big pile on the mats, and jump into it from the bench. Kids work on jumping down from a height, carrying objects and the fun of playing together.

How to play

1. The teacher scatters the paper leaves around the room as if falling from a tree, and the kids shake like trees and watch them fall (2 min).
2. We pick up leaves one at a time and carry them to the baskets: in a hand, on our head, on a shoulder... without dropping them (3 min).
3. Together we dump the baskets onto the mats and make a giant leaf pile (2 min).
4. Taking turns, we climb onto the bench like a park wall and jump into the pile with both feet, landing on our bottoms or feet (5 min).
5. We collect the leaves that escaped and toss them back on the pile (2 min).
6. We lie down around the pile and the teacher covers our legs with leaves (1 min).

Rules

• I jump when the child before me has left the pile.
• I land with both feet and bend my knees.
• The leaves belong to everyone: we carry them to the pile together.
• I wait my turn sitting beside the bench.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: instead of jumping, slides seated into the pile from the edge with help, or throws handfuls of leaves onto it.
• Autism: let them jump first or last, whichever they prefer, and watch the others first.
• Lower skill: add a folded mat as a middle step between the bench and the pile.

Learning goals

• Jump down from a small height landing on both feet.
• Carry light objects with different body parts.
• Take turns and care for shared materials.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Tissue paper leaves: 60
• Mats: 3
• Baskets: 4
• Low benches: 2

Teacher tip

Big pieces of tissue paper, lightly crumpled, make a showy pile that can't hurt anyone. Keep an adult at the bench the whole time and never let two kids jump at once.

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