The Statue That Loses a Piece

Children dance and freeze like statues when the music stops; then the statue "drops" a body part the teacher names, letting it hang loose and floppy. It builds relaxation of specific parts while keeping the rest firm.

How to play

1. The teacher shows how a piece falls off: standing like a statue, one arm dangles loose like a rag doll's (1 min).
2. Dance to the music and, when it stops, everyone becomes a stiff, still statue (2 min).
3. When the music stops, the teacher says "The statue drops... its head!" and the head hangs forward while the rest stays stiff (3 min).
4. Try more pieces: one arm, both arms, the hands, the shoulders, the trunk bending forward (3 min).
5. At the end, all the pieces drop one after another until the statue is lying on the floor, and the teacher "fixes" it with a magic-finger tap so it can stand up (3 min).

Rules

• When the music stops, freeze.
• Only the piece the teacher names drops.
• Head and trunk drop slowly, no crashing.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a seated statue drops the head, arms and hands.
• Hearing impairment: pair the music stopping with a big crossed-arms gesture and show the piece on your own body.
• Weaker balance: don't drop the trunk while standing; do it kneeling.

Learning goals

• Relax one body part while keeping the others firm.
• Name the body parts involved in each drop.
• Move to the beat and stop with the music.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Music

Teacher tip

Check a dropped piece by gently lifting a child's arm and letting go: if it falls on its own, it's truly floppy. Kids love that moment.

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