Wake Up Our Feet: Toes, Heels and Edges

First sitting and then standing, children wake up their feet and try walking on their toes, on their heels and on the outer edges. It builds awareness of the parts of the foot and balance on different surfaces of the foot.

How to play

1. Sitting with shoes off or in socks, we say good morning to each foot: rub it, wiggle the toes and roll the ankle around (1 min).
2. Standing up, we walk on tiptoe as if the floor were really cold (1 min).
3. We walk on our heels with toes pointing at the ceiling, as if the floor were wet (1 min).
4. We try walking on the outside edges of our feet like bears, then go back to normal walking (1 min).
5. We stop, close our eyes and feel which part of the foot is touching the floor now (1 min).

Rules

• Walk slowly so you don't lose your balance.
• If you wobble, put your whole foot down and keep going.
• Watch your own path and don't push.
• Notice which part of your foot touches the floor.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do the foot movements sitting down, pressing toes, heels and edges into the floor.
• Visual impairment: walk along the wall with one hand on it while trying each way of stepping.
• Autism: if taking shoes off is upsetting, keep them on; show a picture of each way of stepping.

Learning goals

• Recognize the toes, heels and edges of the foot.
• Walk on different parts of the foot while staying balanced.
• Get ankles and feet ready to move.

Teacher tip

On a clean classroom floor, non-slip socks are ideal; otherwise keep sneakers on. Walking on the edges is hard, so ask for just a few steps and go quickly back to the whole foot.

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