Start with a story, songs or poem about robots.

• Who can show us how a robot moves? Talk about making short, stiff movements
  and practise with the children simple movements with a single part of the body,
  e.g. turning your head, raising a hand.
• Who can show us how to stand up like a robot? Walk like a robot?
  Sit down like a robot? Talk about what robots might look like.
• How could we change the Playsuits to make us look more like robots?
• Could we use paint? Could we use shiny paper? Could we use foil?
• What colours should we use? Will the robots have lights or buttons to press?
  

When the Playsuits are dry the children can put them on and practise moving like a
robot. Provide safe mirrors so that they can practise their robot actions and see
what they look like.

Use a percussion instrument to set a pulse for the children to move to. Vary the tempo. Ask the robots to do specific things,
e.g. turn around, stop, go forwards, touch the floor, greet another robot. Play robot-like music that the children can move to.

• How would robots dance?

Set aside a space for the children to play robots. They could have different jobs to do on different days – e.g. today the robots
are building cars in the factory, today the robots are making a train track.

Meeting curriculum requirements:

The children will be learning to move in different ways and will be developing increasing control over their movements.
They will be learning to respond to rhythm and music. They will be using their imagination and playing alongside other
children engaged in the same theme.

Tips for Painting:

Playsuits must be kept flat when they are being painted and not worn until they are dry.
Paint could be applied to large areas with a small sponge.
Try to keep one set of sponges and brushes for each colour.
Have different size brushes available and encourage the children to find out what marks each brush will make.
Encourage the children to paint boldly.
If things go wrong wipe out with a damp cloth.
Pieces of foil or shiny paper can be glued on to the Playsuit using water-based glue. However remember that
the children will be playing in these so any decoration added on needs to be robust!

Useful Reference:

Poems, songs, stories linked to robots. Suitable music for moving like robots.

What you will need:

Playsuits, paint, water jugs, paper towels, brushes, sponges, small trays or plates, scissors,
shiny paper, foil, water-based glue, safe mirrors.

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