The Magician's Hat

The teacher is a magician who, with a cape, turns the children into calmer and smaller things (bunnies, doves, silk scarves, pebbles) until they're tucked into the magic hat. It brings the group back to calm and relaxation through gentle transformations.

How to play

1. The magician swishes the cape and says “Abracadabra!”: we're bunnies doing soft, quiet hops (1 min).
2. Abracadabra! Now we're doves flying very slowly, flapping our wings (1 min).
3. Abracadabra! We're silk scarves floating and drifting down to the floor little by little (1 min).
4. Abracadabra! We're pebbles: we curl into a ball on the floor, very still and hard (1 min).
5. The magician sweeps the cape over each pebble, never touching faces, and tucks it into the hat; inside, we breathe slowly (1 min).
6. One last abracadabra: we turn back into calm kids, stretch and sit up (1 min).

Rules

• I turn into whatever the magician says.
• Each change is slower and quieter.
• When I'm a pebble, I don't move.
• Only the magician says the magic word.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: does the transformations with arms and trunk from their spot, and the cape passes beside them.
• Autism: let them know the cape will pass over without touching; if it bothers them, sweep it to the side.
• Hearing loss: “Abracadabra” comes with a big, visible wand gesture and a picture of each transformation.

Learning goals

• Gradually lower the intensity of movement.
• Relax the body in stillness.
• Enjoy pretend play at the end of the session.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Large piece of fabric: 1

Teacher tip

Sweep the cape high and quickly, never covering a child's head. Your voice is the trick: each abracadabra softer and slower.

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