Unrolling/Rolling a Mat

Material
A mat

Presentation

Introduction
Prepare all materials before. (Place rolled mat on the ground.)
Invite 3-4 children to come participate in your lesson by telling them you have something to show them. Show each child where exactly to sit and once the children are seated, you sit so that you can see them all, they all can see you, and yet you are not in front of them. Call their attention to the mat on the floor and tell them that you are going to show them how to roll and unroll a mat. Position yourself so that you are sitting on your knees in front of the vertical rolled up mat with the flap of the mat is on the left side of the rolled up mat.

Unrolling

1. Place your left hand flat on the opening of the mat near the bottom.
2. Place your right thumb on the left side of the rolled part of the mat on the same horizontal line as your left hand.
3. Wrap your right fingers around the curve of the mat.
4. Twist your right wrist to the right.
5. Slide your right wrist back to the top of the rolled part of mat.
6. Continue these movements until the mat is fully unrolled.
7. Place your left hand flat on the bottom left side of the mat.
8. Place your right hand flat on the mat directly next to your left hand.
9. Slide your right hand horizontally across the mat to flatten.
10. Lift your right hand off the mat.
11. Lift your left hand and replace it near the top of the left side of the mat.
12. Place your right hand flat directly next to your left hand and then slide it
horizontally across to the right side of the mat. 
13. Lift your right hand off of the mat.
14. Lift your left hand off of the mat.
15. Sit up straight.
    
    

Rolling

1. Position yourself so that the width of the mat is directly horizontally in front of you.
2. Sit on your knees.
3. Place your right thumb under the flap of the mat about 1/3 of the way from the right edge of the mat.
4. Curve your four right fingers over the top of the flap.
5. Place your left thumb under the flap of the mat about 1/3 of the way from the left edge of the mat.
6. Curve your four left fingers over the top of the flap.
7. Rotate both hands away from your body so that a strong curve is formed with the flap of the mat.
8. Bring your left thumb back under the curve.
9. Apply pressure to the curve with your left hand.
10. Loosen pressure with your right hand.
11. Rotate only your right hand back so that your right thumb is under the mat and your fingers are curved over the roll.
12. Apply pressure with your right hand.
13. Rotate your right hand away from you.
14. Slightly loosen your grip of your left hand and rotate back around.
15. Strengthen your grip with your left hand.
16. Rotate your left hand away from your body.
17. Repeat these movements until the mat is fully rolled.
18. Lift left fingers off the mat and then lift your left thumb.
19. Lift right fingers off the mat and then lift your right thumb.

Purpose

Direct: To enable the child to unroll a mat as a preparation for later working with materials on the floor.
Indirect: Coordination of movement, development of muscles, and concentration.

Points of Interests
Watching to see that the ends of the mat remain flat as it is rolled.

Age
2 1/2 onwards