Open-Hand and Fist Swap

Materials

• None

How to play

1. Sit comfortably. Extend one open hand forward and hold the other hand as a fist near the chest. Keep the arms at a painless height.
2. On “Swap,” draw the front hand back while closing it into a fist, and extend the chest hand while opening it.
3. Repeat slowly about five times. If the shapes become confusing, pause and reset to the starting position.
4. Once comfortable, reverse the rule: the extended hand is now a fist and the chest hand open. Do not change both speed and shapes at once.
5. Invite a volunteer to give cues. Ten consecutive shared swaps is a success. Gently shake out and rest the hands, then discuss easy and difficult movements to finish.

Ways to adapt

Preschool children: change hand shapes near the chest. Younger primary school children: add forward/back movement. Older primary school children: reverse the shape-position pairing.

Sources and references

• 福島県レクリエーション協会 基礎実技2022 ↗