The Puffer Fish
Children are puffer fish swimming in the sea; when the shark shows up, they breathe in, puff their cheeks, and their whole body gets big and round, and when it leaves, they let the air out and swim off skinny again. It works on creative movement, breathing, and handling a pretend scare.
How to play
- The teacher shows what a puffer fish does: breathe in, puff the cheeks, make a big circle with the arms, and go up on tiptoes; letting the air out with "pfff" makes it small again (2 min).
- They swim around the space, flapping their arms like fins to a gentle drum beat (2 min).
- When the teacher holds up the blue fabric like a shark fin and says "Shark!", they puff up and freeze, big and round; when the shark swims away, they let the air out and swim again (3 min).
- The shark swims close by, and the puffed-up fish slowly turn in place to show off their spikes (3 min).
- The fish make friends with the shark: they swim in a line behind it, slower and slower, until they reach the cave (the circle) (2 min).
Rules
- The shark doesn't catch anyone; it's just pretend scary.
- When I puff up, I stay still.
- I let the air out slowly through my mouth.
- I swim without bumping other fish.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, the shark is a stuffed animal or puppet and is announced ahead of time, with no surprises.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, the teacher is the shark and switches between fast and slow.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, a child is the shark and the fish puff up in groups by the shirt color the shark calls.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child puffs cheeks and arms from the chair and a friend "swims" around them.
- Hearing impairment: the shark is spotted by the blue fabric held high, visible from far away.
- Autism or easily scared children: preview that the shark is the teacher with a cloth and let them touch it before playing.
Learning goals
- Coordinate breathing in and out with a whole-body movement.
- Show changes in shape with the body.
- Experience a small pretend scare and calm down afterward.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Large blue fabric: 1
- Hand drum
Teacher tip
Puffing up means holding for a second or two, no more; don't ask them to hold their breath for long. Make the shark silly, not scary, especially with 3-year-olds.
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