We Build a Five-Kid Car

Four children are the wheels, at the corners and holding hands, and a fifth drives from the middle: the whole car moves, turns and brakes without falling apart. It builds coordinated movement and cooperation.

How to play

1. Show the car: four wheels at the corners holding hands, and a driver inside with a steering wheel (2 min).
2. Start the engine: the wheels roll their arms and the whole car says "vroom" while walking slowly (2 min).
3. The driver calls "Straight!", "Turn!", "Brake!" and the car moves without letting go (3 min).
4. Drive around the cone town: gas station, tunnel and parking lot, honking "beep beep!" (3 min).
5. Switch drivers until everyone has driven the car (3 min).
6. Park the car, turn off the engine and the wheels sit down (1 min).

Rules

• The wheels don't let go.
• The driver goes slowly and warns before turning.
• If I see another car, I brake.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the wheelchair is the car and friends are wheels walking around it, or the child drives from it.
• Visual impairment: the child is a wheel holding hands with two friends who announce the turns.
• More skilled children: they're the crossing guard who waves cars through the intersection.

Learning goals

• Move as a group while keeping a shape.
• Follow a classmate's directions.
• Wait for a turn to drive.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 8

Teacher tip

Have the wheels face forward, not toward the driver, or the car gets stuck. At first, drive one car yourself so they see how slowly it needs to go.

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