The Musicians Carry Their Instruments
Children become musicians carrying pretend instruments to the stage: a super-heavy drum, a fragile violin, a piano on wheels. They practice adjusting muscle tension and warm up their whole body through pretend play.
How to play
- Tell the class there is a concert today and every musician has to carry their instrument to the stage (1 min).
- Carry a huge, super-heavy drum: legs wide, slow steps, lots of huffing and puffing (1 min).
- Carry a delicate violin on tiptoe, very carefully so it doesn't break (1 min).
- Drag a giant double bass with both hands, then everyone pushes a piano on wheels together (1 min).
- Reach the stage, take out the pretend instruments and play them with big arm and leg stretches (1 min).
- Take a slow bow to the audience and freeze, waiting for the applause (1 min).
Rules
- Carry your instrument along your own path without bumping.
- If it's heavy, go slowly.
- When the teacher says "Stage!", everybody freezes.
Variations
Easier
Age 3: only two instruments, one very heavy and one very light, with the teacher doing each one alongside them.
Standard
Age 4: all four instruments, and one child suggests how to carry a new one (a trumpet, a guitar).
Harder
Age 5: switch instruments at every clap without stopping, going straight from heavy to light.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the instrument rides on the child's lap and they "push" it by moving the wheelchair slowly or quickly depending on the weight.
- Autism: picture cards of each instrument in order, plus a heads-up before the trip ends.
- Hearing impairment: show the instrument picture and model the movement before each part.
Learning goals
- Tell apart strong and gentle movements.
- Warm up the whole body step by step.
- Enjoy pretend play as a group.
Teacher tip
Overact the effort and the huffing; they copy everything. The usual mistake is running with the "heavy" drum, so remind them it weighs as much as an elephant.
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