Keeping Kids in Motion
Building a community where fitness and play are the foundation for all families.
SCARF IT UP! – Partner and Team Challenge
SCARF IT UP was another accidental discovery. I was giving my FIRST-GRADE students free time to create different exercises and movements using scarves. A pair of boys decided to partner up and take turns tossing the scarf while the other partner would catch it. The thing that stood out was the fact they were trying to move the scarf across the gym without allowing it to touch the floor. Brilliant! I couldn’t help but take their idea and run with it. For the past four years, we’ve been playing partner and team SCARF IT UP with all grade levels.
PARTNER SCARF IT UP!
Goal: How many tosses and catches does it take to move the scarf across the floor?
Parters line up on a sideline of the gym. The partner in front tosses the scarf forward. The partner in the back steps to the side and moves forward, attempting to catch the scarf. When a partner catches the scarf, she must keep one foot stuck in the mud before once again tossing the scarf for her partner. Partners alternate tossing and catching until they make a final catch on the opposite sideline. If a scarf hits the floor, the same partner simply picks it up and tries again. With my older students, I sometimes have them start over each time the scarf hits the floor.
TEAM SCARF IT UP!
Team SCARF IT UP is played the same way you play partner SCARF IT UP. The only difference is you’re adding extra players to each group. So in a group of three people, the back person has to travel a bit farther to catch the scarf. The front person has to toss the scarf a little higher to allow time for the back person to race up and catch it.
Finally, you can increase the challenge by switching out the scarf with a shirt or even a ball. Sometimes I’ll begin with a scarf. Each time a group successfully moves across the floor, they can choose a new object to toss up.
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