Wiggle While You Wait at the Bus Stop
Children wait at bus stops and only the stop the driver calls gets to jog; while they wait, the others do 'waiting moves' in place. It builds active waiting and a full-body warm-up.
How to play
- Split the class into four bus stops (clusters of hoops) and name them: the park, school, market and beach stops (1 min).
- The teacher is the bus: she goes by with the drum and calls 'Park stop, all aboard!'; that group jogs one lap behind her and returns to its stop (2 min).
- Meanwhile, the other stops do waiting moves: marching in place, going up on tiptoes, windmill arms (1 min).
- Now two stops board at once while the rest clap to the drum beat until it's their turn (2 min).
- Last lap: 'Every stop, all aboard!', a slow lap together and arriving at the bus garage with deep breaths (1 min).
Rules
- Only the stop the bus calls gets on.
- While I wait, I move inside my stop.
- When I come back, I step into my stop without taking anyone's spot.
- Every stop gets a turn.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use two stops with big pictures (a tree and a house) and the teacher holds hands with the group that boards.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use four stops and the waiting group chooses its waiting move.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, a child is the driver and calls the stop; waiting stops copy a different move each time.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: place that child's stop next to the route and give arm and trunk waiting moves.
- Autism: each stop has a fixed picture and a board shows the order in which stops will board.
- Visual impairment: a buddy guides by the hand on the jog and the stop has a hoop wrapped in textured tape.
Learning goals
- Wait for a turn while staying active.
- Recognize the cue that means it's my turn.
- Warm up with jogging and whole-body moves.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hoops: 6
- Hand drum: 1
Teacher tip
Use few stops with very different names so no one mixes them up. The usual slip is everyone boarding at once: rehearse twice, 'Is that my stop? No! I move right here.'
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