SANTA’S NASCAR REINDEER RACE
EQUIPMENT:
4 LARGE CARPET RECTANGLES OR SQUARES, 8 SOFT NYLON ROPES 7-8 FT. LONG, CONES FOR PIT STOP AREAS, MATS OR CONES FOR INNER RACE TRACK, PAPER WORKSHEET FOR EACH STUDENT OR TEAM, PEN OR PENCIL.
STANDARDS: TEAM WORK, FITNESS DEVELOPMENT, KNOWLEDGE OF BODY, KNOWLEDGE OF FITNESS PRINCIPLES, AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
THE GAME STARTS WITH 4 TEAMS OF PLAYERS IN EACH CORNER OF THE AREA (GYM). THE CONES SHOULD BE ANGLES SO AS TO ALLOW THE SLEIGH TO DRIVE IN ONE SIDE OF THE PIT AREA AND GO OUT THE OTHER. SEE VISUAL SHEET*
THE AREA SHOULD BE AN OVAL TO LOOK LIKE THE INSIDE OF A RACETRACK. EACH TEAM WILL BRING ONE CARPET SQUARE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN OVER TO THE STARTING LINE. ONE PLAYER (SANTA) WILL SIT CRISS CROSS APPLESAUCE AND HOLD EACH END OF THE ROPE WITH ONE HAND. THE REINDEER WILL BE INSIDE THE ROPE WITH HANDS HOLDING FRONT OF ROPE AROUND THEIR BELLY TO ALLOW TO USE ARM STRENGTH.
THEY NOW HAVE SANTA, REINDEER, AND ALL 4 TEAMS AT THE STARTING LINE.
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO CLEVER ELEMIDDLE SCHOOL, HOME OF SOME OF THE FASTEST AND FINEST REINDEER IN THE WORLD. THIS RACE WILL BE A 6 LAP RACE AND WILL END AT THE STARTING LINE.
THE REINDEER PULL ONE LAP THEN GO INTO THE PIT AREA TO EXCHANGE SANTA’S AND REINDEER. THE FIRST ROUND I LET THEM USE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS ON MANAGING SIZE OF REINDEER AND SANTA AND PULLING WEIGHT. I ASK THEM HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHO SHOULD BE SANTA TO WHO? I ALSO CHANGE THE GAME SOMETIMES TO HAVE TWO REINDEER LOCK ELBOWS, EACH HAVING THEIR OWN ROPE WITH SANTA HOLDING ONE ROPE IN ONE HAND AND THE OTHER ROPE IN THE OTHER HAND. THIS WORKS ESPECIALLY WITH HEAVIER KIDS WHOM NO ONE COULD PULL.
THIS IS A WORKOUT. I OFTEN USE THIS IN MY COACHING TO CONDITION MY ATHLETES.
WHEN THEY GET DONE BEING SANTA AND REINDEER THEY WILL FILL OUT A FITNESS WORKSHEET WHILE THEY ARE RESTING UNTIL THEIR NEXT TURN.