For an easier challenge: -Make the ropes straight, or only include a few zig-zags or squiggly lines.
-For most children: -Ask the children to side-step, march, or jump across the rope
For a trickier challenge: -Have the students try to balance and walk across two tightropes at once.
Follow-up Ideas
-Bring in a yoga ball that the students can practice sitting on or manipulate with.
-Practice yoga before naptime. It's a great way to work out gross-motor muscles and it helps calm energetic toddlers down before napping.
Originating Idea
My students get restless during rainy days, and sometimes they need an activity to get their wiggles out. We put the tape on the floor, and pretended we were acrobats going across a tightrope. The kids' imagination took over from there!
How to Make It
You take the duct tape and make several lines on the floor. You should make a variety of lines, including straight lines, squiggly lines, and zig-zags.
How to Implement It
During a rainy recess day, the teacher should tell the students, "Today we are going to pretend we are tightrope walkers in a circus! We're going to balance on these tightropes we've placed here and impress our audience with our talent!"
Most students will get up and practice walking across the "tightropes," keeping their balance with their arms and feet. Earlier students may simply walk across the tightrope, or have more difficulty keeping their balance, while later students will balance with more ease and more quickly.
After all the children have a turn with the tightropes, open up the room to free choice. The children can choose to either play with the tightropes still, or choose another activity to play at.