Turning the Room Off Little by Little

The teacher "turns off" the room bit by bit: closes the blinds, lowers the music, switches off a light, and with each thing that goes off, children move less until they're lying down and calm. It's a calm-down ritual that signals the end of the session.

How to play

1. Walk slowly around the room; the teacher says: "Let's turn off the room so it can rest" (1 min).
2. The teacher lowers the blinds: stop walking and sway gently in place (1 min).
3. The teacher turns down the music: sit down and move only your arms like seaweed (1 min).
4. The teacher turns off one light: lie down and move only your fingers and toes (1 min).
5. Everything's off: stay still and listen to your breathing (1 min).
6. The teacher turns on a soft light and we get up slowly to say goodbye to the room (1 min).

Rules

• Each time something turns off, I move less.
• I lie down in my spot without touching anyone.
• When everything is off, we're quiet.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child does the sequence from the wheelchair or lying on a mat, moving less and less with whatever they can move.
• Autism: announce every light change before it happens and never leave the room dark.
• Visual impairment: describe out loud each thing that turns off and touch the child's shoulder gently as a signal.

Learning goals

• Wind down activity step by step.
• Relax the body at the end of the session.
• Anticipate the ending with a repeated ritual.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Mats: 6
• Calm music

Teacher tip

Never total darkness during the transition period; always keep some light. Repeat the same order every day: they'll soon know what's next and wait for it calmly.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Elementary