Waking Up Our Superpowers
Children wake up their made-up superpowers one at a time by moving each body part: lightning hands, spring legs, cape arms. It warms up the whole body and helps them name its parts through play.
How to play
- Everyone curls up in a little ball on the floor: "the superheroes are asleep" (1 min).
- Wake up the lightning hands: open and close fingers fast up high, down low and out to the sides (1 min).
- Wake up the spring legs: bounce in place with soft knees (1 min).
- Wake up the cape arms: circle arms forward and backward while walking (1 min).
- All powers at once: jog gently around the room and, on "Hero pose!", freeze in a hero pose each child makes up (1 min).
- Take a big belly breath with hands on tummies: our powers are ready (1 min).
Rules
- Every superhero has their own space and doesn't bump into anyone.
- Powers wake up when the teacher says so.
- Our superheroes never hit: their powers are for moving.
- When I hear "Hero pose!", I freeze like a photo.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, wake up only two powers (hands and legs) and the teacher models the whole time.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, all four powers in order with a free pose at the end.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the teacher calls the powers in random order and each child invents a new power for the others to copy.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: wake up the arm, hand and trunk powers from the wheelchair; "spring legs" become bouncing shoulders.
- Autism: preview the order of powers with picture cards and keep it the same every time.
- Hearing loss: give each power a fixed gesture the teacher shows before saying it.
Learning goals
- Gradually warm up different body parts.
- Name hands, legs and arms while moving them.
- Respond to a signal by switching from moving to freezing.
Teacher tip
Start in a whisper, as if they're really asleep, and get a little louder with each power to build the warm-up. Remind them our powers are "gentle"; if someone starts punching, redirect it to "lightning to the sky."
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