Keeping Kids in Motion
Building a community where fitness and play are the foundation for all families.
JUMP for FITNESS – 25 days of JUMP ROPE and other EXERCISES
The trusty jump rope once again grabs the spotlight for February’s Flourish with Fitness Challenge. JUMP for FITNESS is designed to increase awareness of all the benefits from jumping rope. Jump rope is one of the most effective cardiovascular exercises. Along with benefits to the heart, jump rope also enhances coordination, agility, and strengthens bones, arms, legs, and core.
Click JUMP FOR FITNESS for access to the challenge.
JUMP FOR FITNESS also offers other exercises to help enhance full body fitness. Throughout the month, participants will be challenged with exercises including plank, squats, and burpees, where the degree of difficulty gradually increases.
JUMP for FITNESS has 2 levels. Level one is much easier than level two. You choose whichever level works best for you!
The workouts posted each day can be adapted to fit the fitness level of each participant. Students may need to perform fewer repetitions on a given day due to fatigue or if they’re physically not ready. Some students may need to add more time and repetitions than the ones posted on any given day to level up.
This workout is an excellent opportunity for jump rope beginners to strengthen their jump rope ability. I encourage beginner jumpers to persevere. With a little work each day, skill and strength will increase steadily. Advanced jumpers are encouraged to push themselves while building on their strong foundation.
Whichever level you choose, you’re destined for an increase in strength, endurance, and jump rope skill.
Click FEBRUARY is JUMP ROPE MONTH for access to the challenge!
CHECK THIS OUT! Below is a Blowing off S.T.E.A.M project I created for my students. Here, they are challenged to use available household materials to create their own jump rope.
(Click Blowing Off STEAM in PE for an editable copy of the challenge!)
Check out my TPT page for more 30-day Challenges!
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PADDLE PICK’EM UP! – a partner/whole class teamwork challenge
It is imperative to sprinkle in team-building challenges throughout the year. Any unit can benefit from activities that promote communication, cooperation, sharing ideas, making compromises, and opportunities for failure and success. During my recent paddle striking and manipulation unit, I added one such activity.
PADDLE PICK’EM UP
I used paddles for this activity. You can also use other pieces of equipment or body parts resulting in equal fun and success. We’ve used rhythm sticks, shortened pool noodles, student elbows, and the backs of students’ hands.
Paddle Pick’em Up is set up as a partner challenge, however, the overall goal is more of a whole-class challenge.
Set-up
- Place one hula hoop around the perimeter of the room for each set of partners.
- Add two paddles, one for each student, inside each hoop.
- Scatter a bunch of balls and/or stuffed animals throughout the middle area.
Goal
- As a class, pick up all the balls in the shortest time possible.
How to play
- Send the students to a hula hoop with a partner chosen by YOU.
- On the signal to begin, partners move to a ball and attempt to pick it up using only their paddles. This is also the time I start my stopwatch.
- Holding the ball between their paddles, partners attempt to deliver it to their hoop.
- Partners can NOT touch the ball with their hands.
- This continues until every ball is cleared.
- At this time, I stop my stopwatch and report to the group how long it took to “pick’em up.”
- We discuss what worked well and so of the challenges encountered.
- Set up for a second round and try to pick’em up in a shorter amount of time.
Alternate version
- Place one hoop around the perimeter for each color ball.
- Instead of having their own hoop, students deliver the balls to the hoop of the corresponding color. Therefore, a yellow ball can only be placed in a yellow hoop.
There you have it! I’d love to hear about similar games you play. Please let me know of any team-building games that work for your students. Thanks for reading!
Check out my TPT page for more 30-day Challenges!
Follow me on Twitter!
Check out my Facebook group called Keeping Kids in Motion!
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for over 100 useful games for physical education!
ULTIMATE TEAM PINBALL – a cross between ultimate disc and team handball
This is by far one of my favorite games with grades four – high school. Ultimate Team Pinball nicely mashes together elements of ultimate Frisbee and team handball. As you’ll see in the video, it’s fast-paced, actioned-packed, and a lot of fun.
Set up:
- Put a hula hoop at each end of your court.
- Place a cone or a pin inside each hoop.
- Create a crease using spots or cones around each hoop. In the video, you’ll notice that I use the lines which make a square around the hula hoop for a crease.
How to play:
- The goal of the game is to work the ball down the court in order to knock over the pin inside the hula hoop.
- I begin the game with a jump ball. However, you can also begin with a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to determine first possession.
- Once a team has possession, they must complete at least three successful catches before they take a shot on goal. Catches do not need to be consecutive.
- Any player with the ball is “stuck in the mud.” The player can only pivot with one foot much like basketball and Ultimate. Any player without the ball can move freely about the space.
- Like team handball, if the ball hits the ground, it is up for grabs. Any team can go for the ball. Therefore, unlike Ultimate, when the ball hits the ground, possession DOES NOT automatically go to the team on defense.
- Following three completed catches, a team can shoot at the pin. A team can continue to shoot after each miss without completing more passes. It’s like getting an offensive rebound in a basketball game and laying it in for a score.
- Neither the offense nor the defense can enter the crease at any time.
- After a goal, the opposing team immediately picks up the ball and begins their drive from in front of the opposing team’s crease.
- I like to play 5-minute games before rotating teams.