The Made-Up March Parade
To marching music, children parade around the playground inventing ways to march: like giants, like penguins, backward, on tiptoe or with their own idea. It works on following the beat and creating original movements.
How to play
- The teacher plays a march and everyone walks around the playground following the "left, right, left, right" beat, lifting their knees high (2 min).
- Teacher's marches: like giants with huge steps, like mice on tiptoe, like penguins with arms tucked in (3 min).
- Each child invents their own march, and when the teacher says "Let's copy...!" everyone marches like that classmate for a bit (3 min).
- Big parade: in a line, the leader picks how to march and everyone follows; at a soft whistle, the leader goes to the back and the next child leads (3 min).
- End of the parade: they march slower and slower, wave to the audience and sit down (1 min).
Rules
- My feet march to the music.
- I parade without passing or pushing the person in front.
- When the teacher says my name, I show my march.
- Every march counts.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use marches the teacher suggests (giant, mouse, penguin) and a line parade behind the teacher.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add invented marches and copying a few classmates.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, parade in a line with rotating leaders, and combine two ideas (a giant marching backward).
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child marches with the arms to the beat from the chair and can lead the parade, setting the path.
- Visual impairment: the child parades with a hand on the shoulder of the person in front while the teacher describes the march.
- Autism: let the child repeat a favorite march and signal ahead of time when the leader is about to change.
Learning goals
- Match steps to the beat of the music.
- Invent ways of moving around.
- Take the lead and follow others' ideas.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Marching music
Teacher tip
Use public-domain marches with a very clear beat, like Sousa's. Make sure the line doesn't turn into a race: the leader sets a calm pace.
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