The Shaker Elevator

Holding their shakers, children are elevators that ride up on tiptoe to the top floor and down in a crouch to the basement. They work on high, middle and low levels while warming up legs and arms.

How to play

1. Walk around with the shaker at tummy height: this is the middle floor (1 min).
2. "Top floor!": up on tiptoe with the shaker touching the sky (1 min).
3. "Basement!": curled into a little ball with the shaker brushing the floor (1 min).
4. The teacher calls floors and the elevator rides up or down slowly; loud shaking at the top, soft at the bottom (2 min).
5. Last ride: go up super high, come down super slowly and park the elevator sitting on the floor (1 min).

Rules

• Hold your shaker tight; no letting go or throwing.
• Each elevator rides in its own spot without pushing.
• If the teacher says "Broken!", the elevator stops and goes quiet.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the shaker is the elevator, rising above the head and dropping to the wheels.
• Autism: three cards taped to the wall at three heights for the teacher to point to.
• Hearing impairment: the teacher shows each floor by holding a hand at that height.

Learning goals

• Move at high, middle and low levels.
• Connect height with loud and soft sound.
• Warm up the legs with gentle ups and downs.

Equipment for a class of 25

• homemade shakers: 25

Teacher tip

Check beforehand that every shaker is taped shut. Keep the trips down slow; dropping fast is how they bonk a knee with the shaker.

More activities like this

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