The Standing-Block Jungle

Children stand foam blocks all around the room with green fabrics hanging from some, then become animals moving through the jungle without knocking the trees over: slithering snakes, dodging monkeys, slow elephants. It builds agility, body control in space and pretend play.

How to play

1. Together we stand the blocks up around the room, spaced apart, and drape green fabrics on some like vines (3 min).
2. We move through the jungle as snakes, slithering between the trees without touching them (3 min).
3. On the drum we change animals: quick monkeys dodging, slow elephants swinging trunks, tigers on all fours (4 min).
4. If a tree falls, the animal plants it back up and keeps going (2 min).
5. Night falls: all the animals lie down to sleep beside a tree (2 min).

Rules

• We don't knock trees over on purpose.
• If we knock one over, we stand it back up ourselves.
• Every animal goes at its own pace without pushing other animals.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: leave wide paths through the jungle for the wheelchair or crawling.
• Autism: the child may stick with one animal the whole time.
• Visual impairment: hang bells on the tree fabrics so the child hears a brush, and have a classmate guide.

Learning goals

• Move around obstacles with control.
• Vary the way of moving to match each animal.
• Take care of the space the group built.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Foam blocks: 40
• Green fabric pieces: 8
• Hand drum

Teacher tip

Tall, narrow blocks topple easily, so save them for older kids. When a tree falls, make it part of the story (“The wind blew!”) so no one feels clumsy.

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