In Tom Thumb’s Shoes

Exploring Space and Scale Variations

🎯 Objectives: Learn to change point of view and perspective by going from very small to very large

👦🏻 Target age: 6–12 years

⏰ Duration: 5–15 minutes

🟢 Exercise 1: Step into Tom Thumb’s Shoes Together

🎯 Objective: Guide a mental scene so the child can experience a new point of view.

📌 Choose a spot in the classroom together and imagine each of you is Tom Thumb at that spot.

First, children take time to look at the chosen place and absorb it (you can place a small figurine at the spot to help them visualize Tom Thumb in his environment).

Then each child closes their eyes and tries to imagine being Tom Thumb there. The teacher begins by suggesting images and sensations, and children can spontaneously participate with eyes closed, describing what they imagine or feel.

Some examples:

I am Tom Thumb in a pencil case:
" It’s dark."
" I feel like I’m in a tunnel, but the walls are soft."
" I’m walking on long, slightly slippery cylinders."
" I just bounced on a big rubbery block (the eraser)."
" There isn’t much air, I can’t breathe very well."

I am Tom Thumb on the board rail:
"On my right, there is emptiness, and on my left, a huge smooth white wall."
" I cannot climb it, there’s nothing to hold on."
"Far away on the wall, there are black marks that look like drawings."
"In front of me is like a long, narrow gray road."
"Far along the road, there are big logs lying down (the markers)."

💬 Sharing time:

After each visualization, the teacher invites children to share their experiences:
What did you see? Hear? Feel? Encouraging listening is essential.

🟢 Exercise 2: Play “Find Tom Thumb”

🎯 Objective: Children describe their mental image so others can share and identify it.

📌 Children move freely around the space (classroom, playground) to choose where they want to imagine being Tom Thumb and immerse themselves in that place for one minute. Then everyone returns to a circle, closes their eyes, and someone describes where they are as Tom Thumb. Others try to identify the location.

💬 Children can add:

  • Movement (the life of the classroom)
  • Sound (voices, noises)
  • Smells (soil, flowers, asphalt)
  • Emotions (Tom Thumb feels scared, has fun)

Later, children can imagine Tom Thumb in a place not immediately accessible, but they know (for example, the refrigerator).