The Crab Poem Game

The Crab Poem Game

In The Crab Poem, children explore through the poem all the possibilities of the crab position and practice body and movement awareness. Tips for practicing movements in crab position can be found on this site under Crab Position and Movements.

Instructions:

I am a proud crab – (stay in place in crab position)

Applause for me: tap tap! – (pat the invented crab clap together)

You can follow my example – (walk in place)

And scuttle the crab race – (walk in place)

Nik, nak, nik, nak, nik, nak, nik, nak – (kick legs alternately forward)

Crab Jump: Like this! – (children can invent how the crab jumps)
Crab Turn: Like this! – (turn half a turn in crab position)
Who do I start to resemble if I turn the other way? – (turn from crab position to beetle position so the belly faces the floor instead of the ceiling)
Help! Now I look like a beetle-crab! – (stay in place in beetle position)

Crab – (turn to crab position)
Beetle – (turn to beetle position)
Crab – (turn to crab position)
Beetle – (turn to beetle position)
Crab – (turn to crab position)
Beetle – (turn to beetle position)
CRAB! – (turn to crab position)
And applause tap tap! – (pat crab claps)

(Poem: Paula Puumalainen)