Part A - WARM UP GAMES – PROFORMA – PDHPE (students are to use one part A proforma for each of the 8 games, one page for each one)
Name of the Game: Catch and count / Stage: ES1Explanation: Students move as instructed by a teacher within a set area, for example students will be asked to skip, jump, hop, waddle, crawl or jog. When the whistle is blown by the teacher, a number is called out and students must move into groups showing the number called. This game can be varied by asking students to move fast or slow, sharp or soft. In addition, for very advanced play, the teacher can call out a simple sum that students must solve and move into groups to indicate the answer. For example 3+2 = ? or 4-1 = ?.
Why is this game important for this stage?
§ Students in early stage 1 need to participate in activities which develop their listening skills. By implementing simple warm up games which encourage students to listen and follow instructions as directed, teachers can hopefully encourage better listening and behaviour management within the classroom.
§ Early stage 1 students also need to have numeracy and literacy skills reinforced in every of school life. Through participating in a creative and enjoyable physical activities, that focus on further developing practical number skills, students will hopefully develop greater confidence and understanding in basic mathematical skills in the classroom.
§ This warm up activity also facilitates development in Games and Sports outcomes from the syllabus (GSES1.8) as students need to cooperate to achieve success in this game.
§ PDHPE Skills: Students need to interact, problem solve and move in this activity.
What are the PDHPE skills involved in this game? How?
§ Movement outcome: MOES1.1 – Students demonstrate walking, running and sliding at different tempos/speeds. This is demonstrated before each number problem is presented, students need to move as directed: walk, run, hop, slide, fast, slow, etc. within the set warm up activity area.
§ Interacting outcome: INES1.3 – Students demonstrate that they are able to work happily with class peers. This is encouraged and demonstrated through the random changes to the groups each student must form when indicated. Teachers need to ensure students move around and away from friendship groups, to ensure students warm up and incorporate all students in the class.
§ Communicating: COES1.1 – Students can respond to simple instructions. This will be evident during play as students move as instructed by the teacher.
Equipment: Whistle for teacher, boundary markers to set the playing area for students, if no natural markers are available.
Teaching cues: It is important when conducting this warm up game, that students have a sound understanding of safe play and it is wise for the teacher to implement a stop and freeze indicator, so if the game becomes too wild or unsafe, it can be safely stopped. As outlined earlier, game variations can be implemented if the students find the activity too easy or are not moving adequately to warm up.
Part A - WARM UP GAMES – PROFORMA – PDHPE (students are to use one part A proforma for each of the 8 games, one page for each one)
Name of the Game: Farm yard animals / Stage: ES1Explanation: In a class group, students perform set actions when a farm yard animal is called out. For example: Cow = crawling on fours and mooing, Duck = waddling and saying ‘quack, quack’ and Dog = bouncing and barking. Animal moves can be developed by the students, but directed by the teacher so a variety of moves, speeds and other variables are used for each animal to warm up students. Animal moves should also include making noises further show they are listening to, and are able to follow, instructions. The aim of this game is to move into the new animal position as quickly as possible. Slow movers are not set out during the warm up activity, but this can be implemented to increase competition and student engagement from time to time.
Why is this game important for this stage?
§ It’s important for students to learn how to listen and follow instructions in a fun environment. Early stage 1 students may especially need to develop these skills as they learn how they are supposed to interact and learn at school. This is a simple game that children can help build over a period of time. It can be played indoors if needed or used as a lesson break.
§ This activity could be developed and implemented in conjunction with a HSIE unit of work relating to resource systems and/or a Science & Technology unit relating to products and services or living things, when students learn about living things and the origins or products.
§ The basic movement skills that this activity can involve are critical foundation skills for physical activity development through primary PDHPE. As indicated in the syllabus (MOES1.4), they can include walking, running and sliding at different tempos or speeds, all of which can be incorporated into this warm up activity.
§ PDHPE Skills: Students need to decision make, interact and move in this activity.
What are the PDHPE skills involved in this game? How?
§ Basic Movement: MORS1.4 – Students demonstrate basic gross motor movements, including walking, sliding, crawling and jumping. These can be modified by the teacher as needed, to encourage more or less movement.
§ Interpersonal Relationships: IRES1.11 – Students demonstrate active listening and recall of information skills. This is evident during the game as they listen to teacher instructions and recall movement activities associated with each instruction.
§ Communicating: COES1.1 – Students follow to simple instructions and rules. This is evident in observing them move as indicated by the teacher on cue.
Equipment: Optional whistle for teacher to direct moves, boundary markers to indicated warm up space.
Teaching cues: This game can be modified to allow a student to direct the moves of the class. This may be a reward that they student has achieved or to reinforce good behaviour or achievement. The activity can also be modified to increase physical activity by asking students to jog, hop or skip between animal moves or by varying the speed of animal changes.
Part A - WARM UP GAMES – PROFORMA – PDHPE (students are to use one part A proforma for each of the 8 games, one page for each one)
Explanation: To demonstrate and begin this warm up activity, the teacher initially, is the leader of the whole class. When the music plays the teacher makes up a simple repetitive dance move that the students follow. When the music stops, students sit down and/or freeze. Once the students understand the concept of the game they move into their groups complete the warm up activity. Students are grouped in pairs or threes with one student selected as the leader. When the music plays, the leading student makes up a dance move that the other two students follow. When the whistle is blown, the leader changes and a different student makes up a move. If the music stops, all students sit and freeze.
Why is this game important for this stage?
§ This game could be used in any stage, but is helpful for Stage 1 students as it helps them develop positive relationships with peers and others (INS1.3). While this is a simple movement game, it requires a degree of respect towards others and the ability to work with other students who may not be in their immediate friendship circle.
§ This activity also facilitates the development of basic dance skills, which is particularly relevant during stage 1 when the syllabus encourages focussing on imitating, repeating and performing dance sequences and exploring rhythmical patterns. Naturally, there is a clear scope to integrate this warm up activity into creative arts dance lessons.
§ This is a creative activity, giving students some control over the actions of the group to warm up prior to their PE class. It is critical to foster creativity and enable students some level of autonomy when possible to help with confidence and moral. This warm up activity, clearly encourages this in a controlled, safe and educational manner.
§ PDHPE Skills: Students need to interact, decision make and communicate this activity.
What are the PDHPE skills involved in this game? How?
§ Dance: DAS1.7 – Students follow and repeat simple movement skills and patterns to specific rhythms. This is evaluated during this activity by observing students modify their moves to different music tempos or instructions given by the teacher, and observing other students follow the moves. In addition, music themes could be explored and incorporated into the activity.
§ Gymnastics: GYS1.10 – Students demonstrate they can creatively select movement patterns. Each student is given the opportunity within their small group to pick a move based on the music they are hearing. Students can draw on their imagination, previous dance skills or feelings to develop a move. Originality should be encouraged.
§ Interacting: INS1.3 – Students observe rules regarding group conduct in this activity. These are outlined prior to the warm up activity and reinforced in all group activities. Each student should respect each others personal space, safety and feelings.
Equipment: CD player or other music player and appropriate music with different sounds and speeds. Whistle or voice to instruct students to change leader.
Teaching cues: As this warm up activity can be integrated with creative arts dance classes, it might be wise to utlise language in relation to the concepts of dance while instructing students, including action, time, dynamics, space, relationships and structure Into the lesson. Good classroom management is an essential component to successfully teaching this warm up activity.
Part A - WARM UP GAMES – PROFORMA – PDHPE (students are to use one part A proforma for each of the 8 games, one page for each one)
Name of the Game: Rolling relay / Stage: 1Explanation: Students are placed in pairs. Each pair lines up along the starting line and a witches hat is placed in front of each time 5-10 meters away. Each pair is given a small ball to race with. Students race by rolling the ball with their hands or feet around the witches hat and back to the next team member. The first team to have all members roll the ball around the witches hat, wins. While this game does incorporate some waiting time, as only one student races at a time, the teams are very small, making this wait time as short as possible.
Why is this game important for this stage?
§ This game is important for stage 1 students as it helps develop their hand eye coordination. This skill is essential, not just for physical activities but in many other aspects of life.
§ It also helps them gain confidence in their balls skills, which are further developed through stage 1 in the curriculum. During stage 1, students should develop balls skills including bouncing, kicking, striking and throwing.
§ This warm up activity also encourages good team work within the class. This clearly is an essential focus for all stages, which needs to be reinforced throughout all aspects of school life.
§ PDHPE Skills: Students need to interact, communicate and move in this activity.
What are the PDHPE skills involved in this game? How?
§ Moving: MOS 1.4 – Students demonstrate that they can strike a stationery and moving ball. This is demonstrated through the relay.
§ Interacting: INS1.3 – Students demonstrate taking turns and cooperating with others during play. Again, observing student interaction during this warm up activity would be adequate to asses their ability to interact with others.
§ Games and Sports: GSS1.8 – Students participate in games and activities to develop their skills. While this activity does encourage ball rolling, which isn’t generally a game play skill, it does develop their confidence moving with balls and develop their understanding of how balls move.
Equipment: Balls (1-2 per pair), witches hats and whistle
Teaching cues: This game can be varied by adding a second ball, so students roll two balls, or changing to larger or smaller ball or make witches hat further away. If non-athletic students are greatly disadvantaged in play, rules can be changed so that everyone must roll the ball with their hand, which may be harder to athletic soccer and football boys.
Part A - WARM UP GAMES – PROFORMA – PDHPE (students are to use one part A proforma for each of the 8 games, one page for each one)
Name of the Game: Spiders and Flies / Stage 2Explanation: Similar to ‘stuck in the mud’, but changed to prevent children from dirtying themselves on the ground when crawling through someone’s legs. In a sectioned area, five students (spiders) chase the other students (flies). When a fly is tagged, or stuck in a web, they must freeze on the spot and show they have been caught by looping their arms above their head. To be released from the web, another fly must clap their hands between the loop they’ve made. All children play and spiders are rotated every couple of minutes. To increase competition, spiders can count the number of flies they trap with the highest number becoming the champion spider.
Why is this game important for this stage?
§ This game reinforces cooperation within groups, as the flies need to work together to avoid becoming ‘trapped’ by spiders. This ability to interact with peers is integral at all stages of primary schooling, but particularly relevant in relation to the Stage 2 interacting outcomes in the PDHPE syllabus.
§ While this game encourages agility to physically warm up students prior to a PE lesson, it also reinforces some decision making elements of the curriculum, as students need to consider the feelings and needs of others when making decisions during play. This could be emphasised explicitly by a teacher, if there are divides in the class that show that some students are not receiving help from others within this activity and within the classroom or school generally.
§ This game is also suitable for this stage as it encourages participation in physical activity, which I believe does tend to wane as students progress through primary school. All students move in this game, unless they are ‘trapped’ for a short period of time.
§ PDHPE Skills: Students need to interact, problem solve, decision make and move in this activity.
What are the PDHPE skills involved in this game? How?
§ Games and Sports: GSS2.8 – Students demonstrate running skills. Running and speed are critical skills to most team or individual sports activities. Students develop agility and stamina during this activity.
§ Problem solving: PSS2.5 – Students analyse problem situations during this warm up activity and respond accordingly to avoid the ‘spiders’ or free other students during play.
§ Interacting: INS2.3 – Students help fellow peers to achieve a set task. Which in this game is to avoid being trapped by a spider. This activity requires students to support each other and work together to during play
Equipment: Optional whistle to help control play, and boundary markers to section off the activity area for the game, if no natural boundaries exist.
Teaching cues: This game does have the potential to become messy if students play too rough or too competitively. Therefore, it is important to outline rules and boundaries prior to play. It is also important to be selective with the team of spiders, so not all are the best athletes in the class are spiders or that the least athletic students are all spiders.
Part A - WARM UP GAMES – PROFORMA – PDHPE (students are to use one part A proforma for each of the 8 games, one page for each one)