Carpet Sitting Positions

A few years ago, one of my boys came home from school and complained about carpet time. He said his legs hurt when he had to sit criss-cross applesauce at the carpet. Since all of the kids are expected to sit this way in his class, I just figured he would get used to it and it wasn’t a big deal.

I was doing some reading one day and came across an article about sittings positions for kids…in particular sitting in the classroom on the carpet. It talked a lot about avoiding W-sitting, since it is not great for building the core muscles, can put strain on hips and joints, and has a lack of cross body movements. It also talked about alternative ways for kids to sit on the floor.

It got me thinking of alternative ways for kids to sit at the carpet. Young children are developing their gross motor skills and building stamina for sitting. Every small movement they make often addresses a sensory need as they work on strengthening their core and improving their balance. This process takes time and patience. We need to offer alternative ways to sit for kids!

As a preschool teacher, I decided to make some posters for my classroom that display the types of sitting allowed during carpet time.

3 Types of Carpet Sitting

The three options I give my preschoolers are the following: pretzel, mountain, and mermaid. These 3 ways of sitting help keep students’ legs, feet, and hands occupied so they are less likely to bother the classmates around them. Let me explain what each way of sitting looks like.

Mountain Sitting

Mountain sitting looks like the following:

• feet are on the floor
• knees are tucked up
• arms are around your legs

Pretzel Sitting

Pretzel sitting is just like the popular “criss-cross applesauce” sitting. It looks like the following:

• legs are crossed like a pretzel
• hands are in your lap or on your knees

Mermaid Sitting

Mermaid sitting is great for children who wear dresses. It looks like the following:

• legs are bent to one side
• feet are next to the legs
• hands are in your lap

Alternative Ways to Sit

Sometimes teachers allow their students to alternative ways, especially if they have more room in their classroom. Here are some more ideas for sitting:

1. Elbow Prop – students lay on their bellies and are propped up on their elbows
2. Long Sit – students sit with legs straight out in front of their torso
3. Lying on Back – students lay on their back and are propped up on their elbows
4. Pirate – students hold one leg with the other leg bent underneath. (Looks like a one-legged pirate!)
5. Pineapple – students sit with their legs and feet under them, hands on knees. 

I love having multiple options for sitting at the carpet because not all students enjoy sitting criss-cross and it makes it easier to redirect when students are having trouble sitting appropriately. They get to choose one of the 3 options of sitting from my posters and that is much better than giving them only one option.

As teachers, we know that one size will never fit all. Sitting in one position will never meet the needs of all children. I encourage you to support your students and allow them choices for sitting so it can help them be better learners since they will be more comfortable sitting on the carpet.

There are 4 poster options for each sitting type and the posters come in color and black & white. If you want to try using these posters, you can receive them by filling out the form below!

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