3 simple movement ideas to regulate your class during their morning routine
I know what those first ten minutes of the day feel like. You are balancing late arrivals, wet bags, chats with parents, and ten different energy levels walking through your door. It is a lot to manage before you have even had a chance to think about your program planning.
The way your children enter the room determines how they will learn for the rest of the morning. If they rush in with high cortisol and scattered energy, you spend the next hour trying to settle the room instead of teaching. But if we can give them a purposeful movement task the moment they hit the door, we are essentially waking up their brains and telling their nervous systems that it is time to focus.
Watch the classroom entry strategy in action
I put together this quick video to show you a simple way to use masking tape and basic movements to regulate your students before they even reach their desks.
Why this works for regulation
When we ask a child to jump, crawl, or balance as they enter, we are activating their vestibular and proprioceptive systems. This is not just about burning off energy. It is about providing the heavy work their bodies crave so they can sit still and attend to your instructions later on.
I often talk about how movement is the foundation for everything else. If a child cannot cross the midline or maintain core strength, they are going to struggle with the physical act of writing or tracking words across a page. These tiny transition moments are your best opportunity to build those skills without taking a single minute away from your curriculum.
Three ideas for your morning transition
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The Tape Maze Place simple lines of tape on the floor. Ask students to heel to toe walk or hop through the pattern. This works on bilateral coordination and balance.
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The High Five Reach Place paper handprints at different heights on your door frame. Students have to reach up or squat low to tap them as they walk in. This provides a great stretch and wake up call for the muscles.
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Animal Walks Pick an animal of the day. Maybe it is a bear crawl today or a crab walk tomorrow. These heavy work movements are incredible for settling a room that feels a bit "buzzy" or unsettled.
Get the classroom entry ideas handout
I have put together a more detailed list of these ideas so you do not have to think of them on the fly. You can print this out and keep it near your door or in your planning folder for those mornings when you need a bit of extra inspiration.
Download the Classroom Entry Ideas Handout Here
Want the done for you version?
I created the Membership Lounge because I know how much heart you pour into your teaching and how little time you have left for yourself at the end of the day. You should not have to spend your weekends searching for evidence based resources or creating documentation from scratch.
Inside the Lounge, we have all of this ready to go for you. From classroom printables and self regulation strategies to exclusive documentation templates for your assessment and rating, it is all in one place.