Activity
The King of the Keys
About This Resource
Summary A game that gets students to practice mindful listening and mindful movement.
Age Range Primary/Elementary School (ages 5-12)
Uploaded by Panyaden International School
Download
Details
Lesson Plan: The King of the Keys | Grade level: 4-6; Age range: 9-11 |
Time: 20 minutes | Tasks: Listening mindfully, moving mindfully. |
Materials
- One chair
- A set of keys
- Blindfold
Background
A child (playing a fox) tries to quietly take a set of keys from underneath a chair without being noticed by a blindfolded child (“Mr. Blind Security Man”) who is sitting on the chair, protecting the keys. Mr. Blind Security Man uses his sense of hearing to try to spot the fox coming to get the keys by pointing at the fox before the keys are taken.
Description
- Set the mood and calm and relax the children.
- Tell the children a story to introduce to the scene (e.g. “Once upon a time, there was a big castle in the deep forest. One day, the king and queen went away to the town. The king and queen told Mr. Blind Security Man, ‘Please leave the keys underneath the chair and make sure the keys are kept safe. Watch out for foxes. They are very sneaky. They come quietly, one by one, so you might not even notice them. Their favorite toys are keys, so make sure the keys are safe.’”
- Put a chair and keys in the middle of the circle.
- Emphasize that foxes are very careful and move very quietly.
- Demonstrate how to move like a fox (hands and knees on the floor) towards the chair.
- Get the children to move like a fox (can be done one by one, in a small group, or all together).
- Demonstrate how to pass the keys without making them rattle.
- Get the children to pass the keys around the circle carefully without making noise.
- Two teachers demonstrate how the game works.
- Select a child to be Mr. Blind Security Man. Get him or her to sit on the chair with a blindfold.
- Pick a child to be the fox.
- Play the game, and repeat for as long as appropriate.
Note: Encourage the children to control their voices even when the game gets very exciting.
Related Resources
Lunch Rituals
January 9, 2024
This lunch ritual is loosely based on ōryōki, a Zen monastic eating meditation that places an emphasis on service, generosity, and appreciation. It was developed by Noa Jones and Catherine Fordham for the Middle Way School of the Hudson Valley.
Shared mealtime is an opportunity to foster a healthy relationship to food, enjoy each other’s company, and create a harmonious environment at the table. Creating a consistent mealtime practice can help children feel more focussed and be more present with their food.
Book Review: Monster Parade
May 9, 2023
We want to set children up for success when introducing them to meditation practices so playfulness is on order. The Monster Parade: A Book about Feeling All Your Feelings and Then Watching Them Go by Wendy O'Leary with illustrations by Noémie Gionet Landry (Bala Kids 2022) is a wonderful and playful way to approach the idea that feelings and thoughts are fleeting.
Buddhism as an Education System: Takeaways from a Paccaya Foundation Retreat
February 13, 2023
In these two videos of dharma talks given in Thailand, Venerable Ajahn Jayasaro connects the dharma to the practice of education with clarity and precision.
Book Review: Bodhi Sees the World
December 29, 2022
This books takes us on a colorful adventure with Bodhi and her mother to Bangkok, Thailand, where they explore themes of language, culture, routine, ritual, kindness, compassion and bodhicitta. Recommended for children ages 3 – 7.
About The Author
Panyaden International School
Panyaden is a holistic preschool and primary school in Chiang Mai, Thailand, integrating Buddhist values, green practices and a bilingual education with the British curriculum.