HEALTHY Schools Lesson Resource Bank

First Level – Eat Smart, Play Smart

Interdisciplinary Learning Project – Healthy Me

Planning Framework Context for Learning – PEPAS

Physical Activity, Sport & Fitness Module – Fundamentals of Movement 1

HEALTHY Schools

Fundamentals of Movement 1

Contents

Theme / Topic / Suggested Learning Activities
Fundamental Movement Skills / Playground Games / Parachute games
Fundamental Movement Skills / Playground Games / Tag Games
Fundamental Movement Skills / Playground Games / Ball Games
Fundamental Movement Skills / Playground Games / Circle Games
Fundamental Movement Skills / Playground Games / Running Games
Fundamental Movement Skills / Playground Games / Cool Down Games

Different categories of playground games:

Parachute Games – The parachute can be used to help children learn about colours and working together. They also develop co-ordination skills as they move around under, over and with the parachute.

Tag Games – Clearly the running involved in tag games develops motor skills but children are also learning how to avoid others when they run which is a very important skill to pick up early. They develop awareness of their own space and how to use it by not letting ‘catchers’ into it.Some tag games also encourage team work or work in pairs.

Ball Games – The use of balls encourages hand eye co-ordination as well as helping your child develop object control.

Circle Games – Sitting in a circle gives the children a chance to follow what’s going on around them as well as anticipating that the game may lead to them being involved at any moment. This encourages their concentration as well as patience.

Running Games – Different running games have different areas of development for children. What’s the Time Mr Wolf includes elements of time as well as counting. They also have to be ready to run away which builds anticipation and concentration. Traffic Lights can be used to encourage children to keep their head up when running as well as concentrating on commands at the same time as executing them. Unfreeze a Friend encourages teamwork and awareness of others.

All Team Games develop a sense of fair play and obeying rules as well as encouraging children to work with each other.

Cool Down Activities – Quieter activities are important not only to cool children’s muscles but also to calm them down, which is an undoubted benefit to you as well as your child!!
Fundamentals of Movement 1

Theme: Fundamental Movement Skills

Topic: Playground Games

SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES
PARACHUTE GAMES

Introduction

Everyone sits on the ground around the outside of the parachute. Get the children to work together to lift the parachute up and down to form a dome. Develop this with a variety of activities using colours on the parachute and the Mexican wave.

Cat and Mouse

Get the group into a circle using the parachute. The group sits around the outside holding the parachute and shaking it. One child goes underneath as a ‘mouse’, another child crawls on top of it as a ‘cat’. When the cat locates the mouse, choose another 2 children.
VARIATIONS: Can also be done with other cartoon pairse.g Tom and Jerry etc.

Numbers

Number the group one to whatever. Get them to hold parachute and lift in the air (forming a mushroom). Shout 2 numbers out and the children have to change places running underneath the parachute. To end, shout ‘everyone’, and everyone has to change places.
VARIATIONS:
Shout more than 2 numbers
Use colours of the parachute instead of numbers
Use different coloured clothing instead of numbers

Big Bang

Extra Equipment: soft foam balls or other light objects.
Have everyone spread the parachute out on the ground and place all the balls on the middle.
“One, two, three, lift!”
Everyone lifts the parachute up as quickly as possible and then snaps it down. Hopefully all the balls will fly off the parachute!

Merry-go-Round

Players stand around the edge, holding the parachute with one hand. Everyone travels in the same direction, travelling in various ways e.g. hopping, skipping or leaping.
Players can hold with 2 hands and side step or cross-over step in the same direction.

Ball Games

  • Get a small ball down the hole in the centre by bouncing or rolling the ball with the parachute.
  • 2 Teams. 2 balls each trying to get their ball down the hole first.
  • Using a large, light ball, 2 teams have to get the ball off the parachute on the opposing side first.
  • See how many times the ball can be bounced on the parachute without coming off.
  • As above, but see how high the ball can go (outside only, with a lot of space).

Ball Surfing

Extra Equipment: Large light ball
Place the ball on top of the parachute and roll it around the edge. Players should lift the parachute just after the ball passes by.

Parachute Golf

Extra Equipment: ball or similar object that will fit through the hole in the middle of the parachute
Everyone lifts the parachute up and the ball is placed on. Everyone must work together to try and get the ball through the hole in the middle.

Missile Launch

Extra Equipment: One large, soft ball
With the ball in the middle of the parachute, everyone lifts the parachute together as high as they can and try to send the ball as high into the air as possible.

Popcorn

You need 20 or more bouncing balls, one for each player. Number the balls and assign one to each player. Every player places his/her ball on the parachute and everyone grabs and lifts the parachute with two hands. Then everyone starts (usually after the teacher says "GO!") pumping the chute up and down to remove the balls. The player with their ball on the parachute last, wins.
Alternatively, split the group into 2 teams. One team is positioned around the parachute and must try and remove the balls while the other team try and throw the balls back on. After a given time the winning team are the ones with the most balls wither on or off the parachute.

Fundamentals of Movement 1

Theme: Fundamental Movement Skills

Topic: Playground Games

SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Tag/Tig Games

Depending on the number of children, you can decide whether to have one, two or more catchers.

Tails

(Equipment: bibs or coloured bands)
Everyone has a ‘tail’ tucked into their waistband and try to catch as many tails as possible whilst protecting their own.
Stuck-in-the-Mud (a.k.a Tunnel Tig)
Once caught, players stand with their legs apart and can be freed by another player crawling through their legs.

Creepy Crawly Tig

Everyone is on all fours. Once caught, players become chasers.

Arch Tig

Once caught, players must make an arch on all fours. They can be freed by someone else crawling under the arch.

Aeroplane Tig

Everyone, even the catchers, must pretend to be an aeroplane (running with arms out to the side, making plane noises). If caught, you must stand still until another aeroplane flies under your wings.

Line Tig

Everyone must always run along a line painted on the floor. The catcher must also run along the lines. Once caught, you are out. Children must be shown where to stand once they are out.

Double Tunnel Tig

Everyone (except the chaser(s)) in pairs, holding hands. Once caught, the pair make an arch with two hands joined and can be freed when another pair runs through.

Chain Tag

Two people are it. They hold hands and chase people, the person they catch joined the chain by linking hands. When another person is caught they can stay together or spilt 2 and 2 they must split even numbers and can link together at will. This game is played till' nobody is left.

Cross the Border

Two catchers. The rest of the group stand at one end of the playing area while the catchers stand in a marked out channel in the middle of the floor. Players try to run past the catchers without being caught (catchers cannot come off the border). If tigged, they join the catchers on the border. The remaining players wait for the signal to ‘cross the border’ again.

Ball Tag

One child (catcher) carries a ball and uses it to tag other children. The ball MUST NOT be thrown! Can continue until all children are caught or devise a way to free them

Turtle/Sheep Tag

Once caught, players get on their back like a stuck turtle. To be rescued, other players gently roll them onto their front.

Toilet Tig

Once caught, players raise one arm out to the side. To become free, other players must ‘flush’ the arm down.

Freeze Tag

In this version of Tag, one person is still "it", but when they touch someone, that person is "frozen" in place. They cannot move and must stand with their feet apart. The only way they can become unfrozen is if a person crawls under their legs. Play continues until all the players are frozen. Then the last person to be frozen is "it" for the next game.

High Tig

Catchers can only tig those who are on the ground. If they are up high, they are in den. You are only allowed to stay in each den for 10 seconds, then you MUST move onto another one.
Explain to children what counts as ‘high’ and any areas they are not allowed to climb on.

Fundamentals of Movement 1

Theme: Fundamental Movement Skills

Topic: Playground Games

SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Ball Games

Can be altered to use beanbags, shuttlecocks, quoits or any other object you may want to use

Battle Ball

Two teams facing each other across a line (or a bench). Teams have one minute to throw the balls backwards and forwards into each others’ court. The team with the least number of balls in their court after one minute wins.

Steal the Eggs
(Equipment: Hoops, Balls, Bibs – optional)
In teams, players form a line behind their hoop. The first player runs to the large hoop in the middle, picks up a ball and runs to place it in their hoop. The next player repeats.
Balls/beanbags can be taken from the middle or stolen from the other hoops. The first team to collect five balls/beanbags is the winner.

Alternatively, the team with the most balls/beanbags after an allotted time is the winner.

Keep the Basket Full
(Equipment: Balls/Beanbags, Box/Basket)

The teacher places a box/basket in the middle of the area. He/she throws balls/beanbags/quoits in all directions and the children run to collect it, ONE PIECE at a TIME and place it back in the box. The teacher tries to empty the box, the children try to keep it full. A time limit can be applied.

Gates

(Equipment: Balls, Coloured Cones)

Set the cones out so that there are coloured gates around the gym. Children dribble the ball around with their feet. When a colour is called they must try to dribble their ball through a gate of that colour.

(Depending on ability you can have many wide gates of only a couple of colours or smaller gates of a variety of colours so there is less choice available when the colour is called)

Fundamentals of Movement 1

Theme: Fundamental Movement Skills

Topic: Playground Games

SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

CIRCLE GAMES

Duck, Duck, Goose
In this game, kids sit down in a circle facing each other. One person is "it" and walks around the circle. As they walk around, they tap people's heads and say whether they are a "duck" or a "goose". Once someone is the "goose" they get up and try to chase "it" around the circle. The goal is to tap that person before they are able sit down in the "goose's" spot. If the goose is not able to do this, they become "it" for the next round and play continues. If they do tap the "it" person, the person tagged has to sit in the centre of the circle. Then the goose becomes it for the next round. The person in the middle can't leave until another person is tagged and they are replaced.

Fruit Salad

Everyone sits in a circle and everyone is allocated a fruit name. One person sits in the middle and calls out a fruit. When a fruit is called, all of those named must cross the circle and sit in a space left by another person who has moved. The last person to sit down becomes the caller. If ‘Fruit Salad’ is called, everyone must cross the circle and sit down.
Ring-Ring-of-Roses
The simplest of all circle games and can be played by children of any age.
Everyone joins hands and dance around in a circle, singing,
“Ring-a-ring-of-roses
A pocket full of posies
Atishoo! Atishoo!
We all fall down!”
And on “all fall down” – everyone falls down!
The Giant’s Keys
Players sit in a circle with a gap clearly marked. The ‘giant’ sits in the middle. Giant crouches in a ball with eyes covered. A set of keys is placed behind him. Silently a player is selected to try and steal the giant’s keys. Once grabbed, the player must run out of the gap in the circle, round and back to their seat. On hearing the keys being moved, the giant must chase the thief. If caught, the keys are replaced and the giant returns to the centre. If not caught, the thief becomes the giant.
Make sure players run out of the designated gap – this way collisions and trips are avoided!
Races
Races can be great fun for the children but at such a young age it is important not to draw attention to winning and losing but simply to completion of the activity.
If you would like to introduce an afternoon of races or something similar, certificates can be given to all the children that take part so everyone wins!
Bunny Hop Race
Line up the children at a starting line. Signal the start by a whistle, have the children, bunny hop to the finish line. Give each child a certificate for being the most "hoppiest" bunny
Long Jump
Set up a start line and allow running starts to see how far each person can jump. Use the measuring tape and note the distance. Give each child a certificate for jumping ____ distance in the long jump.
Spider Race
Set up all the children at a start line and have each child crawl on all fours to the finish line. The first child to the finish line wins. Each child will get a certificate for being the best spider racers in the world.

Rolling relay

Find something to roll, such as tennis balls, plastic fruit or whatever you have handy. Divide the children into two teams. Get down on hands and knees. The object is to roll the ball by touching it only with your head. Nudge it with your chin, forehead, nose, whatever works. Roll the ball to a designated spot across the room, turn, and roll it back. The second person in line then takes a turn. Whichever team finishes first is the winner.
Relay race
Have two teams. Each team has a "baton" made from a paper towel tube. Child runs to a designated spot, turns, runs back, hands baton to next player on team.
Another type of Relay
Have a race using various ways of moving, example: crabwalk, hands and knees, waddling like a duck, hopping like a frog.

Fundamentals of Movement 1

Theme: Fundamental Movement Skills

Topic: Playground Games

SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Running Games
British Bulldogs (aka Fox & the Geese or other variations)
One player stands in the middle of the floor while everyone else lines up at one end of the hall. On a command of ‘Go’ (or alternative), everyone must try to run to the opposite side without being caught by the middle player. If caught, players become catchers.
Prisoners
A space at each end of the
playing area is allocated as the
prison.
2-3 catchers chase the rest of
the children. If caught, the child must
go to prison.
To be freed, a prisoner must get a hi-five from one of the others runners.
What’s the Time Mr Wolf?
One player is the wolf and stands at the far end of the hall with his back to everyone else. Other players stand in a line at the other end of the hall. Players shout ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’ Depending on the time, players advance that number of steps (e.g. 3 o’clock = 3 steps). The aim is to make it to the far wall and therefore become Mr Wolf. At any time Mr Wolf may shout ‘Dinner Time!’ at which point he turns and chases the other players. Players are safe if they make it back to the start line. Anyone caught sits out.
You may want to change this to make anyone caught Mr Wolf as children will inevitably shout ‘Dinner Time’ too early to allow anyone to make it to the wall! It also avoids the possibility of anyone sitting out for long periods of time.
Please Mr Crocodile
Choose someone to be Mr Crocodile.
Mr Crocodile stands in the middle of the floor everyone else lines up at one wall.
Everyone chants
‘Mr Crocodile, can we cross your GoldenRiver?’
Mr Crocodile replies
‘Only if you are wearing blue/red/green’ (Choose a colour)
If you are wearing that colour, you may move one step. Continue the game until a player reaches the other side of the hall. The winner becomes the new Mr Crocodile.
Islands
‘Islands’ are made on the floor using hula-hoops. Everyone has to swim around them. When the leader shouts “Sharks in the water!” everyone must jump into the hoops. The last one in can become a shark and chase people. You can start with lots of hoops and gradually take them away making it more difficult to find an island.

‘Clock’