How to Carry a Chair

Materials: Child-sized Chair

Purposes:

• Independence

• Coordination of Movement

• Orientation and Adaptation to the Environment

Age: 2 ½ and up

Preparation: The child can sit in a chair

Presentation:

• Invite a small group (2-3) of children to the lesson.

• Sit down in the child-sized chair at the table.

• Introduce what you will do. Example: “Today I am going to show you how to move a chair to another place in the room. I am going to move this chair to (identify a location).”

• Stand up from the table and stand to the side of the chair.

• One hand grasps the seat back and the other the seat bottom.

• Lift and carefully carry the chair to the indicated area in the room. 

• Place the chair quietly on the floor two legs at a time.

• Release your hands slowly one at a time.

• Return to the presentation area and invite a child to take the chair to (identify another location). Example: “Please move the chair next to the sink, Ana.”

• Continue inviting children from the group asking the last child to bring the chair back to the table.

• Close the lesson. Example: “When you need to move the chair to another place in the room, now you know how.”

• Dismiss to work.

Points of Interest:

• Hand placement.

• Setting down the chair two legs at a time quietly.

• Keeping the legs pointed downward.

Following Exercises:

• Present how to carry a variety of chairs and stools.

Pedagogical Notes:

• Children feel independent when they can move furniture when they feel they need to.

• Hand placements may differ with different chairs.

• Adults must model carrying chairs this way in the classroom

• Naming the location to take the chair gives the child direction and purpose.