The Teacher's Speedometer
The teacher's arm is a speedometer needle: down means stopped, middle means walking and straight up means running, and children move around the playground matching the needle. It works on speeding up and slowing down gradually, not just go and stop.
How to play
- Mark a big track with cones and show the speedometer: arm down, stopped; straight out, walking; all the way up, running (2 min).
- Try all three speeds around the track, with long stops to check the needle (2 min).
- The needle rises slowly: go from walk to jog to run without sudden jumps, then the needle slowly drops (3 min).
- Everyone is a different vehicle (motorcycle, truck, bike) and follows the needle making their sound (2 min).
- A child becomes the speedometer for the whole group (2 min).
- The needle drops to zero: park in the middle and turn off the engine with one big breath (1 min).
Rules
- I watch the speedometer needle.
- I go around the track the same way as everyone else.
- To stop, I slow down little by little.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, only three fixed positions: stopped, walk and run, and the teacher says them out loud.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, the needle rises and falls slowly and they speed up and slow down with it.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, mix sudden and smooth changes, and play in pairs with one arm-needle each.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: in a wheelchair or walker, sets their own speed range; a buddy can push following the needle.
- Visual impairment: the teacher adds a sound that rises and falls in pitch with the needle.
- Autism: draw the speedometer on a poster with a moving arrow, in addition to the arm.
Learning goals
- Control running speed gradually.
- Tell stopped, slow and fast apart.
- Move safely as a group.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Cones: 8
Teacher tip
Have everyone travel the same direction on the track to avoid collisions. Kids often jump from stopped to sprinting, so practice raising the needle very slowly, counting to five.
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