Lesson Plan: Lesson 10 – Monkey: Think and Climb

Age Group: K1 and K2 (3 to 5 years old)
Class Size: 10 children
Duration: 60 minutes
Focus Area: Character thinking face with head-scratch; zig-zag climbing with reach-and-pull; safe “at the top” freeze statue

Learning Objectives:

• Children will be able to show “thinking/confused” with a clear head-scratch.

• Children will be able to climb a safe zig-zag pathway using big reaches.

• Children will be able to freeze safely on an “at the top” statue. 

Materials Needed:

• Floor markers for freeze spots and zig-zag pathway turns

• Visual aids: monkey face (thinking/confused), hand-to-head scratch cue, reach-and-pull arms

• Soft instrumental music for movement and freeze cues

• Low cones or cards to mark the climb path (zig-zag corners)

• Optional focus prop for “top view” statue: a paper “mountain top” icon on the wall

• Chime or soft drum for start/stop 

Procedures:

5 min Warm-up: Body + Breath

Purpose: To settle the group, awaken body awareness, and prepare breath for silent movement.

• Lead gentle stretches: reach arms up, roll shoulders, sway side-to-side. Imagery: “wake-up monkey” stretching arms and neck.

• Guide belly breathing: hands on belly; in through nose, out through mouth with a soft “hah.”

• Add tiny facial warm-up: wiggle eyebrows, scrunch-and-open face, then gentle head circle (small range, slow). 

15 min Technique Focus 1: Character Face and Head-Scratch

Purpose: To help children show “thinking/confused” clearly and safely.

• Demonstrate the thinking pose:

  • Eyes look up/side, eyebrows knit, mouth “hmm.”

  • One hand travels to the side/top of head for a gentle scratch (fingertips only).

• Safety cues: scratch is light and short; keep neck long; no tapping others.

• Build the sequence (teacher models, children copy):

  •   1. Freeze body → “Hmm” face.

  •   2. Lift elbow gently → hand to head → 2–3 tiny scratches.

  •   3. Release hand to tidy position (by side or clasped).

• Clarity practice:

  • On chime: show “thinking face” without scratch.

  • On second chime: add head-scratch.

  • On third chime: tidy hands, neutral face.

• Mirror game:

  • Teacher shows three versions: “curious,” “confused,” “aha!” (with tiny nod).

  • Children mirror the face; only “curious/confused” use scratch; “aha” no scratch, just a bright face.

• Reinforce: slow, clear actions; expressive face; no talking during the mime.

15 min Technique Focus 2: Zig-zag Climb Pathway with Reach-and-Pull

Purpose: To help children travel a safe zig-zag with big reaches and balanced steps.

• Set the pathway:

  •   - Place markers to create a short zig-zag (3–4 corners) across the room.

  •   - Define one mover at a time; others wait on freeze spots.

• Demonstrate reach-and-pull:

  •   - One arm reaches high-diagonal; opposite foot steps.

  •   - Pull the arm “down to ribs” as the back foot joins.

  •   - Alternate sides to make a climbing rhythm: reach → step → pull → join.

• Posture and safety:

  •   - Soft knees, tall tummy, eyes forward on the “next hold.”

  •   - Quiet feet; no running; keep space to self.

• Practice stations:

  •   - In place: slow-motion climb for 8 counts (switching arms).

  •   - On pathway: walk the zig-zag with reach-and-pull arms (no speed).

• Add the “corner rule”:

  •   - At each turn marker: pause → look to new direction → one thinking face (no scratch here) → continue climbing.

• Balance check:

  •   - At any chime: freeze in a safe mini-climb pose (one foot slightly forward, both feet on the floor, arms still).

10 min Guided Application to Exam Task (Mime Sequence Practice)

Purpose: To apply thinking/scratch and climb within a short story.

• Model the simple sequence:

  • 1. Stand at “base.” Show thinking face → gentle head-scratch (2–3 counts).

  • 2. Start the zig-zag climb with reach-and-pull along the marked path.

  • 3. At the final marker, rise into an “at the top” statue: feet planted, tall body, one hand shading eyes to “look out.”

  • 4. Hold statue for 3 counts; breathe; tidy arms to sides.

• Group practice:

  • Run trios: one climbing, two watching. Rotate.

  • Use count cues: “Think-2-3, Scratch-2-3, Climb-2-3-4-5-6, Top statue-2-3.”

• Coaching cues to display/say:

  • “Clear face,” “Gentle scratch,” “Big reach,” “Pause at corners,” “Strong statue.”

10 min Performance + Feedback

Purpose: To build performance confidence and reinforce technique through observation and feedback.

• Invite children to perform the sequence one at a time or in pairs on separate paths.

• Observe:

  •   - Character clarity in the thinking face and safe, short head-scratch.

  •   - Reach-and-pull rhythm and controlled zig-zag turns.

  •   - Safe “at the top” statue: balanced feet, tall body, stillness.

• Feedback phrases:

  •   - “I could see your thinking face clearly.”

  •   - “Your scratches were gentle and safe.”

  •   - “Big reaches made your climb easy to see.”

  •   - “Great pause at the corner before you turned.”

  •   - “Your top statue was tall and still.”

• Remind calm starts and finishes with posture and breath.

5 min Calm Close

Purpose: To help children wind down and leave the session feeling calm and proud.

• Lead “monkey rest”: sit tall, inhale through nose; exhale and lower arms like vines.

• Gentle shoulder hugs: cross arms, squeeze shoulders, release; breathe.

• Invite children to imagine the view from the top, then slowly sit or lie in a comfy shape.

• Thank children for their effort and preview the next lesson. 

Extension Ideas:

• - Create varied zig-zag paths with different numbers of turns.

• - Use “face cards” (curious, confused, aha) for quick character prompts.

• - Play “statue count”: who can hold a safe top statue for 3 calm counts?