Watch the Card, Not My Mouth

Each card color has a move, but sometimes the teacher says one color and shows another, so children have to follow the card. It builds selective attention and stopping an automatic response.

How to play

1. Introduce the cards: blue we swim with our arms, green we hop like frogs, yellow we shine like the sun, stretched tall (2 min).
2. The teacher shows a card and says its color at the same time; everyone does the move around the room (2 min).
3. Here's the trick: the teacher says one color and shows another; children do what the card says (3 min).
4. Pause and ask, "Who do we listen to, the mouth or the card?", then play a faster round (3 min).
5. A child holds up the cards while the teacher plays the tricky mouth (2 min).

Rules

• The card is the boss, not the mouth.
• If we get mixed up, that's okay; we look again.
• We hop and swim without bumping.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do all three moves with the arms (swimming, frog hands, sun arms opening).
• Hearing impairment: the game works by sight alone; do the trick by mouthing a different color in an exaggerated way.
• Visual impairment: change the rule: the teacher plays a different instrument for each color and the trick is saying another color out loud.

Learning goals

• Pay attention to the visual signal over the spoken one.
• Hold back an automatic response.
• Respond with the move for each color.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Color cards: 3

Teacher tip

Always start with no tricks until the code is clear. Let the little ones laugh at the trick: the teacher's fib is part of the fun.

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