Materials:

• recorded music
• book about opposites, such as Clifford's Opposites* by Norman Bridwell (Scholastic Inc., $3.95)

Objective: Children will learn about opposites through movement activities that incorporate large motor, language, and creative movement skills.

In Advance: Talk to children about opposites. Encourage them to come up with examples of what they think opposites are.

ACTIVITIES

Invite children to play the following movement games to help them learn about opposites.

In, Out, Up, Down!
Invite the children to make a large circle and teach them this rhyming dance!

Take three steps in and clap, clap, clap
Take three steps out and snap, snap, snap
Bend your body way down low
Now push your body and up you go!

Step to the right and clap, clap, clap
Step to the left and snap, snap, snap
Wiggle your body with a chill.
Hold yourself steady and stand very still.

Simon's Opposites
Use masking tape or chalk to make a large circle on the ground. Reinforce the concept of opposites with a game of Simon says. Substitute a teacher's name for Simon.
Simon says: Stand inside the circle.
Simon says: Stand outside the circle.
Simon says: Shake your hands very fast.
Simon says: Move your hands very slowly.
Simon says: Loudly yell "hooray!"
Simon says: Quietly whisper "hooray!"
Simon says: Run in place.
Simon says: Stand very still.
Simon says: Make a sad face.
Simon says: Make a happy face.

Curriculum Connection

Problem Solving: Finding Opposites. Read several books to children to familiarize them with the concept of opposites. Invite them to use their bodies to act out different movements such as open/shut, up/down, in/out, quietly/loudly, big/little, wiggling/still, and happy/sad.

BOOKS
The Berenstain Bears
Inside, Outside, Upside Down
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
(Random House, Inc., 1997; $4.99)

Dinosaur Roar!*
by Paul and Henrietta Srickland
(Scholastic Inc.; $6.99)

Kipper's Book of Opposites
by Mick Inkpen
(Harcourt, 1999; $6)