Wake-Up Wiggles — The Power-Up Routine

A quick, playful two-to-three-minute “power-up” for a child who’s running on low — floppy, zoned-out, slow to get going, slumped at the breakfast table or dragging before getting dressed. Most calm-down games help an over-revved child slow down; this is the opposite. It uses alerting sensory input — brisk movement, “heavy work” for the muscles, and a cold or crunchy taste — to lift a sluggish, under-aroused child up to a calm-alert, ready-to-focus state. Think choke-and-start before the car can drive, not flooring the accelerator: you do it with the child, keep it short, and aim to finish at awake-and-ready, not wild.

  1. Name the low engine. Ask “how’s your engine — high, low, or just right?” A floppy, yawny “I-can’t” child is usually running low. Tell them: “let’s wake your engine up so it’s ready to go.” That noticing-and-naming is the part that builds the lasting skill.
  2. Big moves first (about 30–45 seconds). Pick one fast, whole-body mover and do it together: ten jumping jacks, ten frog jumps or bunny hops, running on the spot while you count, or ten big star-jumps. Fast, bouncy, slightly unpredictable movement is the strongest wake-up signal.
  3. Heavy work next (about 30 seconds). Add a “strong muscles” job: five to ten wall push-ups, pressing palms together hard and counting to five three times, carrying something with a bit of weight across the room (a stack of books), or chair push-ups. This proprioceptive heavy work wakes a low engine and keeps it organised, so the child lands at calm-alert rather than hyper.
  4. A cold or crunchy “spark” (optional, about 30 seconds). Offer a few sips of cold water through a straw, or a small crunchy or sour snack — a slice of crisp apple, a few pretzels, an orange segment, a carrot stick. Cold, crunchy, and sour tastes are alerting and help switch the brain on.
  5. Add light and air, then check and stop. Open the curtains, turn on a bright light, or step to an open window for ten seconds of cooler air. Then ask again: “how’s your engine now?” You want bright eyes, an upright body, ready to talk — not giggling out of control. The moment they’re awake-and-ready (or starting to tip into silly), stop and move straight into the real task while the alertness is fresh.

Variation: make an “engine-card” routine — draw a jumping figure, a “push the wall” hand, a water cup, and a sun — and let the child pick the order or roll a die. On no-space mornings, do it seated: chair push-ups, palm presses, shoulder shrugs and “wake-up” face scrunches, a cold drink, and a big stretch up tall. For a sibling pair, race the jumping jacks or “wheelbarrow walk” to the kitchen.

Requirements

  • Space: A small clear area, about 1.5 × 1.5 m, with nothing to bump into while jumping; a seated version needs only a sturdy chair
  • Surface: Firm, non-slip floor for jumping (avoid socks on slick floors, beds, or sofas); a wall within reach for wall push-ups
  • Materials: Mostly household — a cup of cold water (a straw makes it more alerting) and an optional crunchy or sour snack (apple, pretzels, orange, carrot); optional homemade "engine cards" and a die
  • Participants: 1 adult + 1 child, with the adult doing the moves alongside (at this age modelling beats instructing); siblings can join and race
  • Supervision: Direct and active throughout — the adult leads, sets the pace, watches for over-revving, and supervises all eating and drinking

Rationale & Objective

Occupational therapists describe two jobs for sensory input: some inputs calm an over-aroused nervous system, and some alert an under-aroused one. The classic alerters are fast, irregular movement, cold, crunchy or sour tastes, and bright light; the classic calmers are slow rocking, deep pressure, warmth, and sucking. Most regulation games target the calming side — this routine deliberately targets the alerting side for the child who needs lifting up. That child fits well-described patterns: in Dunn’s model the slow-to-notice, slow-to-respond child is low registration (needs stronger input before the nervous system reacts), and in Miller and colleagues’ nosology this is sensory under-responsivity — low energy, fatigue, withdrawal. The objective is two-fold: the immediate, practical lift of a sluggish state to calm-alert readiness for breakfast, dressing, or circle time; and the longer goal — the child learns to notice their own low engine and eventually choose and run their own wake-up, the heart of self-regulation. The proprioceptive heavy work is included on purpose: it is organising, waking a low engine without overshooting into wild. Honest framing — using alerting input to rev a low-energy child is standard OT practice, and short movement breaks have reasonable support for improving alertness and on-task behaviour in the short term, but the individualised “sensory diet” model is weakly evidenced. Treat this as a low-risk, low-cost readiness routine, not a treatment and not a substitute for adequate sleep; chronic lethargy warrants a pediatric check.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: needs full adult prompting and hands-on encouragement to start; stays floppy and does the moves half-heartedly with little visible change in alertness, or swings straight from floppy to silly and over-revved
  • Developing: joins the routine willingly when the adult leads it and shows a clear lift in alertness afterward — more upright, more talkative, ready to start — for at least a few minutes, though the adult still decides when it’s needed and when to stop
  • Proficient: engages eagerly and can name the idea (“my engine is low / now it’s just right”), helps choose the moves, finishes at calm-alert, and transitions into the task with only a light reminder; rarely tips into over-revving
  • Advanced: begins to notice their own low state and request or start a wake-up independently (“I feel sleepy — I need to jump”); picks strategies that fit the setting (quiet chair push-ups at the table vs. star-jumps at home) and reliably settles at just right

Safety Notes

  • Don’t over-rev — the goal is calm-alert, not wild; if the child gets giddy or silly, stop and switch to a slow, grounding activity, since overshooting into dysregulation is the opposite of the aim
  • Choking and food safety: crunchy or hard snacks (apple, carrot, pretzels) are a choking hazard — keep the child sitting, supervise every bite, offer small pieces, and never let them eat while moving; check for allergies first, and a cold drink is a safe substitute
  • Clear the space for jumping — no furniture corners, slippery socks on tile, beds, or sofas; jump on a firm, level floor
  • Not a substitute for sleep or medical care — persistent sluggishness, floppiness, or trouble waking can reflect poor sleep, illness, or other issues and warrants a pediatric check
  • Avoid right before bed or quiet time — alerting input is for starting the day or a focus task, and using it in the evening can make settling harder
  • Follow the child’s body — stop if they report dizziness, pain, or distress, and never force a movement

Hints

  • Playfulness: the car-engine metaphor is the magic — let them be the race-car driver revving at the start line, growl the engine, do a “3-2-1, GO!” Silliness during the moves is fine; the rule is just to land at “ready,” not “wild”
  • Sustain interest: rotate the moves so it never gets stale — kangaroo day, robot day, “carry the heavy box to the kitchen” day; let the child roll a die or pick an “engine card,” and keep the whole thing under three minutes so it stays a treat
  • Common mistake: making it too long or too intense, which tips the child past calm-alert into hyper — keep it brief, watch the eyes and body, and stop while they’re still organised; and keep it warm and shared, never a demand (“jump until you wake up NOW”)
  • Limited materials: do it all seated — chair push-ups, hard palm-presses, shoulder shrugs, “wake-up” face scrunches, a big tall stretch, and a cold drink; heavy-work and cold or crunchy inputs alert without needing room to run
  • Cross-domain: links to self-regulation (noticing and naming an internal state, then acting on it), gross-motor (jumping, push-ups, carrying build strength), and language (the “how’s your engine?” talk, counting reps, sequencing “first jump, then push, then a drink”)
  • Progression: adult-led (“we always do this before breakfast”) → adult-prompted choice (“your engine looks low — what should we do?”) → child-initiated (“I feel floppy, I’m doing my wake-up”). The end goal is the child running their own engine check without you

Sources

  • Ayres, A.J. (1972/2005). Sensory Integration and the Child (25th anniv. ed.). Western Psychological Services
  • Bundy, A.C. & Lane, S.J. (2020). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). F.A. Davis
  • Dunn, W. (1997). “The impact of sensory processing abilities on the daily lives of young children and their families: a conceptual model.” Infants & Young Children, 9(4), 23–35
  • Miller, L.J., Anzalone, M.E., Lane, S.J., Cermak, S.A. & Osten, E.T. (2007). “Concept evolution in sensory integration: A proposed nosology for diagnosis.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(2), 135–140
  • Williams, M.S. & Shellenberger, S. (1996). How Does Your Engine Run? A Leader’s Guide to the Alert Program for Self-Regulation. TherapyWorks, Inc.
  • Wilbarger, P. & Wilbarger, J. (1991). Sensory Defensiveness in Children Aged 2–12: An Intervention Guide for Parents and Other Caretakers. Avanti Educational Programs
  • Ruhland, S. & Lange, K.W. (2021). “Effect of classroom-based physical activity interventions on attention and on-task behavior in schoolchildren: a systematic review.” Sports Medicine and Health Science, 3(3), 125–133
  • OT Practice Framework (OTPF-4) — arousal as a body function