The Photo Bag: Next Time It's Me

At the end of the session, the teacher draws photos from a bag to pick the helpers who put equipment away, and those not chosen practice saying 'Next time it's me' with a breath. It builds accepting that it's not always my turn and calming down.

How to play

1. Sitting in a circle, breathe three times: smell a flower, blow out a candle (1 min).
2. The teacher shows the photo bag and explains: 'I'll pull three photos; those friends help put things away. The other photos stay for another day' (1 min).
3. Before drawing, everyone practices the phrase and gesture: hand on chest, breathe in, and 'Next time it's me' while breathing out (1 min).
4. The teacher draws photos one by one; the helpers walk slowly to put things away while the rest do flower-and-candle breathing (2 min).
5. Drawn photos go into a second bag so others come out next time, and everyone gives a silent clap (1 min).

Rules

• Photos are drawn without looking, by luck.
• If my photo doesn't come out, I breathe and say 'Next time it's me.'
• Helpers walk, not run, to put things away.
• Photos already drawn wait until everyone has had a turn.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: have an adapted clean-up job ready (gathering scarves from the wheelchair) for when their photo comes out.
• Autism: preview with a card that they may not be picked today and that their photo stays in the bag until it comes out.
• Visual impairment: the teacher says the name out loud and describes the photo if it's theirs.

Learning goals

• Calmly accept not being chosen.
• Use breathing and a phrase to handle frustration.
• Understand that turns are shared out over several days.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Cloth bag: 1
• Laminated photos of the children: 25

Teacher tip

The 'already picked' bag is the key: within two or three weeks everyone has been a helper, and they can see it. Praise out loud the children who wait calmly, more than the ones chosen.

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