The Plumber and the Water Pipes
Children are water drops racing through the house pipes (tunnels, hoops, cone lanes) to the faucet; the plumber opens and closes the valves, and when there’s a leak the drops find another way. It builds decision-making, moving through obstacles and reacting to signals.
How to play
- The teacher explains how water gets to the faucet and shows the pipes: a chair tunnel, hoops to climb through and cone lanes, all ending at the faucet (a mat) (2 min).
- Valve open (drum playing): drops travel the pipes; valve closed (silence): everyone freezes (3 min).
- Cold and hot water: “cold” means slow and scrunched up, “hot” means fast and stretched out (2 min).
- Leak! The teacher blocks a pipe with a big cone and drops must choose another route to the faucet (3 min).
- A child becomes the plumber and decides which pipe closes and when the valve opens (2 min).
- Drops reach the faucet, fall into the glass (the mat) and lie still like calm water (2 min).
Rules
- One drop after another in the pipe.
- If there’s a leak, I find another way, I don’t climb over.
- When the valve closes, I stop.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, one long pipe and just open or closed.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, three pipes, hot and cold water and one leak.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, several leaks at once and child plumbers who change each round.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: wide cone pipes the wheelchair can roll through; the leak gets steered around.
- Autism: run the course several times with no leaks before adding changes.
- Hearing impairment: open valve is a blue scarf held up, closed is the scarf lowered.
Learning goals
- Choose another route around an obstacle.
- Creep, crawl and climb through hoops.
- React to start and stop signals.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hoops: 8
- Chairs: 6
- Mats: 3
- Cones: 16
- Hand drum: 1
Teacher tip
Set up several ways into the course so there are no lines. When a leak appears, kids usually just wait; encourage them to look around and decide.
PatioLab has "The Plumber and the Water Pipes" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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