How do you teach preschoolers to walk in a line? ?

Question

I am having trouble having the children stay in a straight line and follow behind the other children? Anyone have any tips or great ideas that have worked? Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

try to encourage them to keep in line with rewards... NOT CANDY... or keep a score of who keeps in line n then give em prizes... or have them think its a game, like if they are toy soldiers marching... create a story about toy soldiers that sounds fun, and like they are marching to somewhere cool. Kids have big imagination so go wild!! GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 2

Here are a couple of ideas that have worked with me:

One:  make a straight line on the floor with masking tape.  Then tell the children that it is a train and as you call them to line up tell them to get on the train. The line leader can be the conductor and the last child can be the caboose.

Two:  Each time you ask them to line up tell them to hold there friends shoulders

Three:  (this works on younger children best 1 or 2 year olds)Tell the children "everyone hold two friends hands" They should make a circle. The teacher breaks the circle and hold one child's hand and have them walk this way.  (This is a good why to get them to form a circle at circle time also)

Answer 3

Ive seen it done where the teacher has the kids keep one hand on the wall while they are walking down the hall. Keeps them in a line and following eachother.

Answer 4

Okay follow this simply.

1- ask them to come up in groups on 2 or 3. (this makes it easier for them to line up, cause its smaller)

2- let each of them hold eachothers hand or tell them to stand straight and wait for you.

3- repeat intil end of line.

4- walk with them, dont yell it makes them nervous and more loud.

5- Remember you can always give them a surprise who ever follows the directions most, like a cool little key chain or a candy.

if anybody is good with daiting advice, please help: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 5

We sing this song(really gets everyone in participation mode):

Everybody, line up, line up, line up!

Everybody line up at the door!

Not on the ceiling, not on the floor!

Everybody line up at the door!

Show them "how" to do it, use a couple of older kids that know "how to" line up; hands on shoulders, just like soldiers, don't lose your place in line or you lose your space and must  stay back with the infants, until they grasp the concept~ even children who understand little English pick up very quickly.  Hope this helps!!

Answer 6

at my sons preschool they walked with their hands on each others shoulders, and the rope thing works good too...lol i remember those days how cute

Answer 7

put masking tape in a line on the carpet.

then demonstrate yourself how to walk in a straight line.

tell them to pretend to be walking on a tightrope and youre way up high.

i work in a kindy and the kids need to learn that so thats what we do.

Answer 8

It's really not developmentally appropriate to expect preschoolers to walk in a perfect line. Holding onto a skipping rope helps when going on walks but if it's a short distance, ask the children to choose an animal they want to walk like. This keeps them occupied and they are less likely to wander.

Answer 9

what worked for me was having the children pretend to be a choo choo train and make the train noises as they followed....this worked for preschoolers and toddlers

Answer 10

Follow the leader has always worked for me!

- you be the leader, and have the kids follow you. Wave one hand in the air (and have them do the same) wave 2 hands, take one big step, take a big hope, tip toe... etc (get creative).

If the kids get really good with follow the leader, you could let them take turns being the leader.

Also- you could make it your "tip toe" line. Whenever you get in a line, wherever you go...you want to "tip toe" so that wherever you are going next you can "sneak" up on them. Kid's get really excited about the idea of them being sneaky!

If you are not up for possible silly-ness, then you could possibly take a jump rope with shower rings attached, and have all the kids take a ring and hold on to it.

Best of luck!

Answer 11

tell them youll give them candy or buy a small toys from walmart or something and have a locked treasure chest and the give them star stickers for being good and whoever gets their star-chart filled at the end of the month they can get a toy from the chest

Answer 12

Here are a few ideas to help preschoolers understand a line:

- Have them make a "train", where one child is the engine, and another the caboose... all the children in between are the cars of the train.  Have them hold onto the shoulders of the friend in front of them.  You can also pretend to be a caterpillar.

- Have footprints on the floor to show them how to make a line.  Often, preschoolers are not understanding the concept of "a line", and have no idea what you are talking about when you tell them to get in a line.  

- Use other terms; Tell them in different ways to help them understand... "I want you to be right behind the person in front of you.  Who can show me where "behind" is?"  Have practices first, before you need to actually go somewhere, so that they know what you are talking about.  Have them line of chairs from the door, or blocks... talk about the concept of a line, and what it means to be in a line. (One person is standing at the front, and other people stand behind them).  

-Getting children to walk in a line is trickier... often this is not something you would want to stress- Do you really have to get there in a straight line, or is it okay if they overlap?  As long as they get where you want them to be, you have accomplished your main goal.  But, I would recommend a rope or links like these from Lakeshore to keep a line straighter    http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%...

- Basically, you mostly want to work on keeping the kids going in the direction they need to be going, without negative behaviors.  You can do this by making your transitions interesting (how many different ways can you think of to walk to the bathroom?).

Answer 13

to  make them walk in a line ......

thats easy

get some rope and put it around their waist and then put it around urs and then u walk in a straight line and they will have to follow

Answer 14

try using a walking rope you hold on to the front and the children hold on to the knots or colorful rings behind yours/afyter a couple wees try walking without it if they arent ready yet keep using the rope.

Answer 15

A masking tape path stuck to the floor.