The Penguin Lost in the Snowstorm

Children are penguins waddling across the ice who get separated by a snowstorm and look for each other to get back to their colony. It practices locomotor skills and helping classmates.

How to play

1. The teacher explains that a penguin colony lives at the South Pole: we learn to walk like them, feet together, arms tight against the body, waddling side to side (2 min).
2. The colony waddles in a line behind the teacher and crosses the ice floes (hoops on the ground) with two-footed hops (3 min).
3. Each penguin holds a scarf in its colony's color; the drum beats loudly, "Snowstorm!", we blow, turn slowly and spread out crouching all over the ice; when the drum stops, we're lost (2 min).
4. Each penguin waddles around looking for others of the same color; those already together wave their scarves and call the missing one until the colony huddles up to keep warm (4 min).
5. We repeat the snowstorm, and at the end all the colonies join into one big huddle, swaying slowly from foot to foot (3 min).

Rules

• We waddle like penguins, no running.
• If a penguin is lost, we call and wait for it.
• We huddle close without pushing.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child in a wheelchair is the lead penguin who waves the scarf so the colony can find them.
• Visual impairment: the colony calls with its sound and a buddy walks along holding hands.
• Autism: explain ahead that the storm separates us but we always come back together; the child can hold a buddy's hand during the storm.

Learning goals

• Move with short steps and two-footed hops.
• Find and rejoin the group.
• Help someone who is left alone.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Colored scarves: 25
• Hoops: 10
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Hand out the scarves before telling the story so it isn't interrupted. The common mistake is running while searching, so remind them penguins don't run, they waddle.

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