I created a spider numbers game using the giant floor spider web. With pictures of spiders, I numbered them from 1 to 10 and left 6 blank spiders. As a class, we talked and decided an action corresponding to each number. Check out the pictures to see the students’ ideas. Many students choose physical actions while a few went a more vocal route of singing. My idea each time was to “sing your name.”
The spiders were placed on the intersections of the spider web lines. The Wranglers, Rockets, Penguins, Mustangs, and Explorers had to follow the spider web lines while music was playing. When the music paused, they had to stop and pick up the closest spider to them. Then they had to find their number and perform the corresponding action. Teachers helped them read the words and they all independently performed their numbered action. After they completed their action, we placed the cards back on the spider web. Then teachers shuffled the spiders around so that students did not always get the same ones or try to find the one they want. We stopped for spider number actions about five to six times in each class.
All the students were enthusiastic about each number they picked up and finding out what they had to do according to the number. They followed the rule to perform the action, even if they had to do push-ups, sing, or do something they are usually not comfortable with. I was most surprised to see students upset because they choose a blank card. I thought some students would enjoy having a break and watching their friends do something. It was the opposite. Several students were sad and looked forward to trying again to get a number. One student got upset for choosing a blank card three times and the fourth time, he was overjoyed with picking a number card to run around in circles.
This was a fun game for students to follow directions, recognize their numbers, correspond numbers to actions, create appropriate actions for the group, and to follow through on performing actions which may be out of their comfort zone. Music provided structure for dance and the starting and stopping to generate the randomness of spider they choose. The spider web encouraged students to utilize the whole room and travel in multitude of directions to cross the paths of all the spiders. They are looking forward to playing it again with new action ideas!
