Wobbly Jelly on the Plate
Children become jellies that wobble when the teacher shakes an imaginary plate: first one body part wobbles, then another, and finally the whole body. It works on warming up the body part by part and loosening up.
How to play
- Standing spread out, the teacher holds an imaginary plate and tells everyone they are fresh jellies: very still, feet stuck to the plate (1 min).
- The teacher gently shakes the plate and only the hands wobble; then the shoulders; then the tummy (1 min).
- Next the knees, the bottom and the head wobble, always with feet stuck to the plate (1 min).
- "Earthquake in the kitchen!": the whole body wobbles hard and fast, and on "Into the fridge!" everyone goes stiff and cold (2 min).
- The jelly calms down, wobbling slower and slower until it is still, then takes a deep breath (1 min).
Rules
- My feet stay stuck to the plate: I wobble in my own spot.
- I only wobble the part the teacher calls.
- When I hear "Into the fridge!", I freeze hard like an ice cube.
- I wobble without touching my friends.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only hands, tummy, legs and whole body, with the teacher wobbling along in front.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add shoulders, knees and head, and switch between fast and slow wobbling.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, two parts wobble at once (one arm and one leg), and a child plays the cook who shakes the plate.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child wobbles seated in a chair or on the floor with the parts they can move; "stuck feet" become a bottom stuck to the seat.
- Autism: show a picture of a real jelly first and give a heads-up before the "earthquake," the loudest part.
- Hearing impairment: the teacher points to the wobbling part on their own body and uses a shivering hug gesture for "Into the fridge!"
Learning goals
- Move body parts one at a time.
- Switch between loose movement and stillness.
- Warm up the body gradually and playfully.
Teacher tip
Wobble big yourself: if you wobble a little, so will they. The typical mistake is running off during the earthquake, so remind them about stuck feet beforehand.
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