Tong Fishing at the Market
A blue sheet is the sea and rolled-up socks are fish; children catch them with kitchen tongs and carry them to their market stand (a box). It builds opening and closing tongs with controlled force and carrying without dropping the catch.
How to play
- The teacher shows how to open and close the tongs "like a crocodile's mouth" and grab a fish around the middle (2 min).
- Each child practices grabbing a fish and dropping it back in the sea a few times, staying in place (2 min).
- Fishing starts: grab a fish with the tongs, walk to your stand and drop it in the box (3 min).
- We catch big fish (two socks together) and little fish (one sock) (2 min).
- The teacher places orders: "Three fish for this customer!" Each stand counts and brings the order to the teacher with the tongs (2 min).
- Put the fish back in the sea with the tongs and close the market (1 min).
Rules
- Tongs grab fish, not fingers or friends' clothes.
- Fish only travel inside the tongs.
- If it falls, catch it again with the tongs.
- Wait your turn if another fisher is grabbing the same fish.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, short spring tongs, with the stand two steps from the sea.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, regular tongs and a stand farther away, stepping over a rope on the way.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, fish with the hand they don't draw with, or sort by color (red fish to one stand, blue to another).
Adaptations
- Weaker grip: use lighter plastic salad tongs, or grab with both hands.
- Limited mobility: put part of the sea on a table at wheelchair height.
- Autism: give the child their own stand marked with their photo and a set number of fish to catch.
Learning goals
- Coordinate opening and closing a tool.
- Carry a held object without dropping it.
- Complete a simple task by counting objects.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Kitchen tongs: 25
- Rolled-up socks: 60
- Blue sheet: 1
- Cardboard boxes: 5
Teacher tip
Check that the tongs have no sharp metal edges; silicone-tipped ones work great. At first kids grab the fish by the tip and drop it, so keep saying "grab the fish by its tummy."
PatioLab has "Tong Fishing at the Market" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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