Wind-Up Toys: Turn the Key
Each child is a wind-up toy: wind yourself up with a pretend key, move like a toy soldier, a ballerina or a robot, and slowly run down until you stop. It builds speed control, imitation and stopping on cue.
How to play
- Kids spread out. The teacher shows the pretend key: put it on your tummy and turn it "click, click, click" three times.
- Toy soldier: everyone winds up and marches with stiff legs and arms. The teacher says "running out of wind" and kids slow down more and more until they stop. One minute.
- Ballerina: wind up and spin on tiptoes with arms up, slower and slower until frozen. One minute.
- Robot: choppy arm and leg moves with robot sounds until it powers off. One minute.
- Cymbal monkey: little hops clapping in front and over the head until the wind runs out. One minute.
- Finish: the teacher walks around winding up any child who wants a turn, and that child chooses which toy to be.
Rules
- Only move after you wind up.
- When the wind runs out, the toy stops completely.
- Ballerina spins are slow and in your own spot.
- Toys don't crash into each other.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, just the soldier and robot, with the teacher being the toy too.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, all four toys with the slow stop.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, each child invents their own toy and the others guess what it is.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: move like the toy with arms and head from their spot.
- Autism: count "three, two, one" to show how much wind is left and prepare for the stop.
- More skilled kids stop balancing on one foot; less skilled kids use simpler arm-only moves.
Learning goals
- Control movement speed down to a full stop.
- Imitate different toys with the body.
- Warm up the whole body with stiff and loose movements.
Teacher tip
The slow stop is the hardest and best part: exaggerate it with a voice that gets lower and slower. If kids speed up, give the key fewer turns.
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