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Physical Education

How Many Ways Can You Walk?

Overview

Children respond to movement challenges that ask them to walk, travel, and move in new and unusual ways.

Learning Objective
Children explore different ways to travel across a space, developing movement vocabulary and body control.

Resources needed

  • Open space

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Walk as tall as possible — on tiptoes, arms up.
  2. 2 Walk as small as possible — crouched low.
  3. 3 Walk as if the floor is very hot.
  4. 4 Walk as if you are very heavy — feet sinking into mud.
  5. 5 Walk as if you are on the moon — slow and floating.
  6. 6 Walk in slow motion, then suddenly run fast for 3 steps, then freeze.
  7. 7 Children suggest the next way of walking for the class to try.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Travel in pairs copying each other.
  • Add sound — heavy walk is loud, tiptoe is silent.
  • Link two ways together: heavy for 4 steps, then light for 4 steps.
More information

Teach: tall, small, heavy, light, fast, slow, float, sink. Use vivid descriptions and demonstrate each quality before children try.

All tasks can be done seated using upper body — arms as heavy as possible, arms floating up like a balloon.

Are children genuinely changing the quality of their movement or just walking normally? Can they contrast heavy and light clearly?

No resources needed. Works in any space including a classroom with desks moved aside.

Children often change their speed rather than the quality of movement. Help them understand that heavy is not the same as slow — you can move heavily at any speed.

Exploring movement qualities builds a vocabulary for dance, gymnastics, and drama as well as physical education.

Activity details
Primary Easy 15 minutes no prep Whole Class Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Locomotion Body Control Creativity