Movement skills/concepts
Static balance, body and space awareness, and relationships (with equipment).

Set-up
Mats, benches, discs/bases, beanbags, balls, foam frisbees.

Activity 1: On-the-spot balance
Children are scattered throughout an area while standing on a disc/base, where there is also some equipment (beanbag, ball and foam frisbee).
• choose one piece of equipment and try to balance it on any body part while standing on your spot
• balance one of the objects on your head while standing on one foot and staying on your spot
• balancing only on your bottom, balance a ball between your feet while keeping your feet off the ground

Activity 2: Bench balance
Each small group of approximately three–four children stands beside a low bench. In turn, children step up onto the middle of the bench and hold a balance for
three seconds.
• vary the type of balance (e.g. shapes – wide, narrow, levels – low, medium, high and body parts – one foot, bottom, two hands, one knee)
• be creative (e.g. pose like a ballerina, Superman, a tennis player, or any other sporting or dancing star)

Can you see …?
• tight muscles
• being as still as possible
• balancing with arms extended out to side (aeroplane arms)

You could ask …
How can you keep very still when you are balancing?
What did you do to keep your feet off the floor in the sitting balance?

Variations
Combine balances: Move from one balance to another, holding each for three seconds (count ‘one thousand’ as one second).
Combine balances with travelling: Balance on one spot with one object (e.g. balance on one foot with object on head), then travel to another spot still balancing the object (e.g. walking with the object on head), then choose another balance with another object (e.g. balance on shoulders with legs off the ground balancing a ball).

COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE

Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.