Waking Up the Foam Blocks

Each child picks a sleeping foam block and wakes it up by moving it in many ways: pushing it, carrying it, sitting on it and rolling it. Arms, legs and trunk warm up while the block becomes a play buddy.

How to play

1. Blocks are lying around the room; each child chooses one and sits next to it without touching it (1 min).
2. At “Good morning, block!” we wake it up with tickles and gentle taps (1 min).
3. To a fast drum beat we push it along the floor with our hands; to a slow beat, with our head or feet (2 min).
4. We carry it in our arms, on top of our head and on our back like a backpack all around the room (2 min).
5. We stand it up, sit on it and whisper in its ear what we're going to play (1 min).

Rules

• Everyone wakes up their own block.
• Blocks are never thrown at anyone.
• When the drum stops, the block stays still on the floor.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child carries the block on their lap and pushes it from the wheelchair with arms or feet.
• More skilled children: carry two blocks at once without dropping them.
• Hearing loss: show the drum's speed with a fast or slow hand, too.

Learning goals

• Warm up through pushing and carrying.
• Adjust strength to the block's weight and size.
• Begin pretend play by bringing an object to life.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Foam blocks: 25
• Hand drum

Teacher tip

Use large, lightweight blocks so 3-year-olds can carry them on their own. If someone starts building, save it for the main game and say the block is still sleepy.

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