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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Get in the Hole! – A fun indoor golf game
Each April, around the time of the Master’s golf tournament, I like to play various versions of golf with my students. This week we played a game called, GET IN THE HOLE! Prior to playing, we had a discussion about golf in general and then more specifically about golf etiquette.
We discussed the following:
- Wait for your turn. If a team is presently at a hole, it’s imperative that you patiently wait your turn or move on to a different hole.
- Never cross the path of a golfer who is putting. Either wait or go around the path of the golf ball.
- Avoid touching another team’s golf ball.
- Encourage and respect your own teammate as well as others.
With limited space, it can be difficult to adhere to golf etiquette at all times. However, the students are noticeably aware of etiquette throughout the game. I observe them apologizing to each other and reminding each other of proper etiquette. As for the silent hush on a golf course, no thank you! It’s still PE class. There’s nothing better than the sound of kids respectfully having a blast!
Here’s a video description of GET IN THE HOLE!
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Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justybubpe.
Check out my Facebook group called Keeping Kids in Motion!
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NOODLE SPROCKETS – combining teamwork, strength, and concentration – GAME OF THE WEEK
I enjoy watching my students play NOODLE SPROCKETS for a number of reasons.
- Encourages Teamwork – I like to mix up partners throughout this activity. I want my students to be able to work with each and every other student in the class. We regularly discuss how this is an important life lesson.
- Muscle Strengthener and Endurance – Not until I tried it did I realize how tiring this activity can be. Pinching the noodle between your feet engages many of the muscles in your upper and lower legs. Over a period of time, I began to feel the burn. It also increases your heart rate.
- Concentration – I always begin with groups of two. The goal is to move the noodle across the floor by jumping over each other’s noodles. You would think this is relatively easy however, once you try it and observe the challenge in action you discover there is definitely a deeper level of thinking involved. Making groups of three and four create a PUZZLE-LIKE challenge as they have to discover ways to maneuver themselves to jump the next noodle. With groups this size, it’s fun to observe students NOODLE through possible solutions on how to make their way across the gym. You’ll see this in the video.
With limited equipment, this activity is challenging and super engaging!
Side note:
I find that the shorter the noodle the easier the challenge. If possible cut a long noodle in half or better yet in quarters.
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