by Santosh | Jun 12, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Rotating with a partner, cooperative balancing, rotating through long and horizontal axes at different speeds, body awareness and relationships (with others).
Set-up
Grass, floor or hard area.
Children in pairs, matched approximately for height and weight.
Activity
Clothes line: Partners face each other and each grips both of the other’s wrists. Turn like a revolving clothes line on a mild/windy/gusty day. Now turn like a clothes line that has a heavy load of washing.
Partner log roll: Partners lie on their stomachs facing each other, with arms stretched out above the head. Link hands and roll in the same direction. Keep your body long and straight.
Can you roll …?
- three times in a row
- so that your feet don’t touch the mat
- with your feet locked together instead of your hands
- with a ‘sock’ held between your feet
Eskimo roll: Partner 1 lies on their back; Partner 2 stands facing forwards with their feet near Partner 1’s shoulders. Partner 1 holds Partner 2’s ankles and raises their legs so that Partner 2 can hold each leg above the ankle. Partner 2 leans forward and
places Partner 1’s feet on the floor and performs a forward roll. Partner 1 follows, still holding onto Partner 2’s ankles.
Can you see …?
- controlled movement when rolling with partner
- communication with partner – working together
You could ask …
How do you and your partner work together to perform the partner log roll?
Variations
Snake in the grass: Four children on their stomachs, with straight bodies, lie in a chain on a mat. Each child holds onto the ankles of the child ahead of them. On a signal, the whole chain rolls over onto their backs and then onto their stomachs.
COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE
Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.
by Santosh | Jun 12, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Swinging on equipment, body and space awareness.
Set-up
Bars, ropes, playground/gymnasium equipment, desks, safety mats.
Children in small groups at each piece of equipment, with safety mats under the equipment.
Activity
Can you …?
- swing between two desks – on forearms first, then on hands, varying body shape (e.g. from tuck to long body)
- do a long swing from a horizontal bar, keeping the bars at chest height (it is better to bend your knees than to take chances) then swing to land and stand still
- do a long swing from one or two ropes
- run and swing to land as if you are swinging across an obstacle or to reach a set boundary (e.g. the other side of a river)
Can you see …?
- landings on toe–ball–heel and with bent knees
- soft surfaces below equipment
- sufficient strength to take the body weight
- spotting where needed
- constant hand grasp in all inverted positions – no sign of letting go or regrasping while inverted
You could ask …
Which pieces of equipment did you enjoy swinging on the most? What are safe ways of swinging?
Which types of swinging will you use when you are playing in the playground?
COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE
Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.
by Santosh | Jun 12, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Rolling forwards, space awareness and body control.
Set-up
Beat board, mats, crash pads, high box, a slope.
Activity
Start the progressions for rolling forwards on a slope and then move to a level surface on the ground.
Tip over: Begin in a low squat position with your hands on the mat and your knees between your arms. Lean forward, tuck your chin to your chest and look back under your legs. Raise your hips until you tip over, bending your arms, and roll onto your back to a sitting position.
Try this again from a straddle stand and from a stand with two feet together.
Forward roll: Begin in a crouch position, with head up. Place your hands on the mat slightly forwards of your feet, with your fingers pointing forwards. Push your toes, raise your hips and tuck your chin to your chest to round your back. Land on the tops of your shoulders and push with your hands as you roll forwards to a crouch position.
Can you see …?
- slow, controlled movement
- chin to chest
- a natural arm bend
- back of head and shoulders contacting with the mat
You could ask …
What do you have to do with your body to tip yourself forwards? How do you roll forwards safely?
Variations
Roll on different surfaces: Try a forward roll on a crash pad or a box top, or on a line.
Create a forwards roll sequence: Forwards roll from a squat position, then forwards roll to straddle, forwards roll to stand? Include other rolls in the sequence as well, (e.g. backwards, egg roll, log roll).
COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE
Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.
by Santosh | Jun 11, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Rolling backwards, body and space awareness.
Set-up
Mats, slope, crash pads.
Activity 1: Rolling backwards over the shoulder
- Sit on a level mat with your knees bent. Raise your arms, with the palms of your hands up and your fingers pointing backwards over your shoulders. Hold this position, then rock back to balance on your shoulders, putting your hands on the floor to support yourself. Hold for 4
- Backward shoulder roll down a slope. Sitting on top of a slope, roll backwards with your knees bent and one arm out to the side. Rock backwards to bring one leg over your head between the side arm and head. Land on your knee and bring the other leg to
- Now try 2 from a squat position, bringing both legs to the side of one ear and arms straight along
- Repeat 2 and 3 on a ground-level mat. Practise rolling to one side, then to the
Activity 2: Rolling backwards
Try these on the slope first and then on a level mat.
- Start from the sitting position, pointing your hands back behind your shoulders with palms up. Tuck your chin to your chest. Push off with your toes, keep your body tucked and your back round, roll onto your back and push off hands to land on knees, then take a squat
- Repeat as above but start from a squat and progress to a straddle, then go to a standing position, finishing in the same way as you
Can you see …?
- slow, controlled action
- chin to chest
- tucked body
- round back
- folding and unfolding action
- pushing arms straight
You could ask …
Why do we need to put our chin on our chest?
What shape do you make with your back? Why is this important?
Variations
Backward roll on equipment: Try rolling on a crash pad or a box top.
Make up a sequence: Include a balance, a jump and a roll in the sequence.
COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE
Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.
by Santosh | Jun 11, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Rolling along a long axis, body control, space awareness and relationships (rolling with a partner).
Set-up
Mats. Children are spaced freely on a wooden floor or grass surface, sharing a mat with a partner.
Activity
Children do an individual log roll:
- lie on your back, stretched out, with your arms above your head and your hands clasped then, with a long, stiff body, roll from back to front to back
- do a log roll, one way and then the other
- do a log roll without letting your arms and legs touch the mat
Can you see …?
- maintaining a long body position
You could ask …
What do you need to do to keep you arms and legs off the ground when you are log rolling?
Variations
Log roll relay: In groups of 6, half are the rollers and the other half are the leapers. The two groups stand at opposite ends of a mat. On a signal, rollers (spaced apart) start log rolling down the mat. Leapers leap over the approaching rolling logs.
When rollers reach the end of the mat, the rollers become the leapers and the leapers become the rollers.
COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE
Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.
