by Neetu | Jun 23, 2021 | Manthan
Aim
Allow young children the opportunity to explore dribbling a ball with their feet
Equipment Required
- Boundary cones
- Jump ropes or tape
- Footballs (preferably slightly deflated balls so they don’t lose control)
Play Area Set-Up
- Set up the playing area with a different length of jump rope or tape pathways. Have the children get a ball and take the ball to the beginning of one of those pathways.
Activity Description
- On the signal have the students use their feet to move their bill through the pathway using “soft touches” with their feet. Have them use both the inside and outside of their feet when they are dribbling?
Suggestions:
- Tape jump ropes to the floor to help keep them in place.
- Use arrows/saucers to guide the children.
- To vary the task (for the higher-skilled) you may want to have students work in partners. Have one partner dribble the ball forward a few times, then gently pass it to his or her teammate. Play continues back and forth.
by Neetu | Jun 23, 2021 | Manthan
Aim
To have students practice the underhand motion of bowling.
Activity cues: “Reach back”, “Arm close to the side of body”, “Step with the opposite foot”
Equipment Require
Plastic 16-20 oz. bottles or bowling pins, Small foam balls, Poly spots
Description
Young children get excited about knocking bowling pins over with a ball. They have very little concern about scoring or other competitive aspects of the formal game. Here are ways to present the activity and two ways to organize the pin set-up.
- Related to both pin setup and presentation
In a traditional sense, the teacher can show children how to set up pins in a conventional manner. Ask them to count the number of pins in each row. First row “1,” second row “1, 2,” third row “1, 2, 3,” and fourth row “1, 2, 3, 4”; then confirm that there is a total of ten pins by counting them all. This integrates numeric concepts into the p.e. activity. If the teacher has placed small round stickers on the floor, younger students will have an easier time putting pins in the same arrangement each time.
In order to maximize participation, this would need to be presented in the context of a number of throwing stations. Otherwise, the teacher would need a lot of pins and balls to keep the group size small.
- Pin setup
As an alternative, ask students to design their own pin arrangements and see how the different arrangements affect the way the pins fall.
- Presentation
It is preferable that students work in small groups in order to maximize participation. For example, there might be one student bowling while one or two others set up the pins. Students rotate positions. Since the emphasis is on the underhand throw, (as opposed to the number of pins knocked down), the teacher might use less than ten pins in order to accommodate multiple stations. Very young children will perceive a challenge when throwing at maybe 3 pins from an appropriate distance (appropriate distance maybe 5-7 giant steps away from the roller of the ball and it should not be a regulation size bowling alley length). And, preschoolers can still experiment with various pin arrangements even with only three pins.
For either presentation, each time the students set up their pins, they should return to a poly spot on the floor to make their underhand throw. Initially, the teacher should place more emphasis on the arm swing than other aspects of the throw. The arm swing should begin with a “reach back”, swing forward “close to the body”, and release the ball at a low level (“no bounce”) (remembering to give only one cue at a time). “Step with the opposite foot” may be an appropriate cue only for students who are more developmentally advanced.
Teaching Suggestions:
- For students that easily knock down their pins, challenge them to move their spot back a step after each successful underhand throw.
by Neetu | Jun 21, 2021 | Manthan
Learning Outcome
To learn to juggle increase their brains’ grey matter! While juggling may seem and be difficult to master at first, it becomes easier once you’ve learned the basics and practiced it. This article takes you into the basics of three-ball juggling, after which you can begin to introduce more balls.
Activity Description
1. Choose suitable balls. Beanbags are good for beginners. Basically, find balls that will not bounce a lot, or roll away when they’re dropped––this will save a fair bit of running initially! A set of beanbags can be bought for a very low price or made by hand. Tennis balls filled with sand or a few pennies and covered with a round balloon also work well. They don’t bounce and they provide a slip-free grip.
2. While you’re at it, choose a suitable place to work in. At the very beginning, balls will end up flying everywhere, so it’s best not to stand near granny’s precious oil lamp or dad’s collection of ceramic cows.
Toss one ball for a while to get the feel of juggling. Start passing one ball from one hand to the other. Also practice “selfies” –– these are throws you catch with the throwing hand. The ball should come to eye height or higher. Your hands should not move very much, so aim to keep your elbows at your hips.
3. Practice scooping. This is a technique to make juggling smooth. Simply scoop, or dip, your hand before tossing the ball. Keep the dip shallow though; it isn’t going to work if you scoop too deeply. Practice scooping and tossing from one hand to another, so that arc does not rise above eye level.
4. Simply mimic the movements of jugglers. If you were to “air juggle,” do you find yourself moving your hands in small circles? You’re already scooping! Take one ball in each hand. Toss ball A, and when it reaches the top of its arc, toss ball B. Practice until this simple exchange becomes comfortable.
5. At the top is key here. This will give you the most time for your next catch. When you start working with 3, 4, and 5, this becomes especially important.
6. Juggle three balls. Try to make three passes in a row. Start out slowly, simply seeing how the three work together in the air in one rotation. Juggling three is often a matter of understanding the balls’ trajectories and how they intertwine. For the majority of the time, one will be in the air while each hand has the other two.
7 . First, hold two balls in your right hand and one in your left hand. (Vice versa if you are left-handed.)
Begin with passing from the right hand. (Again, vice versa if you are left-handed.)
Throw the ball to your left hand and when ball 1 is at the peak, throw ball 2 (the only one in your left hand) under ball 1 to your right hand.
When ball 2 is at the highest point (at this point, you should also catch ball 1 in the left hand) throw ball 3 under ball 2.
And when ball 2 is in the right hand just catch ball 3 and this should be it. That’s all you do! Repeat away.
If you can’t seem to get the hang of it, work with light, small scarves. They’ll give you the time hanging in the air to understand how it all comes together
Work on the over-the-top method. Now that you’ve got the simple three-ball cascade down, start juggling “over the top.” This is the name for scooping in the opposite direction with one hand. Instead of scooping under and releasing the ball, you catch it, scoop to the outside and throw it over, hence the name.
You can start by juggling a normal “Three Ball Cascade,” and then letting one of the balls do an over-the-top all the time so that 1/3 of all throws are over-the-top throws. If you make one hand throw over-the-top throws every time, you are juggling a “Slow Shower,” and if every throw is an over-the-top throw, you are juggling a “Reverse Three Ball Cascade.” When you have learned this, you can advance onto things like cross-hand juggling, columns (one in the middle, two on the sides), and “Mills’ Mess.”
Move onto four and five balls. Learn to juggle two in one hand, then do two in your left hand and two in your right hand at the same time. For some, juggling four is simpler than three!
8.Juggling five balls is just like juggling three, but you have to move your hands a lot faster and you need to throw the balls higher. Keep practicing –– it takes time and patience to master.
Required Material
4 Boundary cone, small ball 3, paper ball
by Neetu | Jun 21, 2021 | Manthan
Learning Outcome
Students will perform a dance activity that will incorporate rhythmic movements, as well as challenge the brain to recognize sequences and patterns.
The rhythmic movements are aligned with the chorus and verses of the song. Students should recognize the patterns and sequences as they are performed with the music.
Activity Description
Chorus: During each chorus, which is 32 counts, the following movements will be done:
1-8 counts – Step back at an angle with R foot (1-2), bring feet together, and bounce 2x (3-4)
Step back at an angle with L foot (5-6), bring feet together, and bounce 2x (7-8)
Repeat these movements
1-8 counts – Step R touches L’s foot across in front of the body. Step L touches R’s foot across in front of the body. Arms go out to the side as the foot is pointed across the body. Each step touch is 2 counts. Reverse and repeat again on each side.
1-8 – Arms up overhead for 4 counts and down low for 4 counts
8 counts of music – March in place
Verse:
1-8 Slide R 2 claps, 4 jumps
1-8 Slide L 2 claps 4 quick heels
1-8 Slide to the back of the room 2 claps, 4 rocks side to side
1-8 Slide to the front of the room 2 claps and 2 criss-cross jumps
After each verse, the song immediately goes into the chorus, and movements for the chorus are repeated.
Music and marches are repeated followed by verse movements.
The movements are as follows:
12 counts – Hold at the beginning of the song
Chorus movements, marches
Verse movements, chorus movements, 8 marches
Verse movements, chorus movements, 8 marches
Verse movements, chorus movements, 24 marches until the end of the song
Required Material
4 Boundary cone, Music player.
by Neetu | Jun 21, 2021 | Manthan
Learning Outcome
Students will learn lots of different ways to have fun with hula hoops and challenge themselves by trying different hula hooping tricks.
Activity Description
Waist Hula Hoop
Start on your back, count to 3, and spin that hoop – try to keep it going as long as you can.
I’ve found that telling kids to move forward and back a pretty helpful cue
Extension: Try a waist hoop starting on your belly
Waist Hoop on Knees
Kneel on the ground and try to start your hula hoop while on your knees
Extension: Stand up from knees without dropping your hoop
Waist Hoop – Touch a Knee
Start hooping on your waist and then try to touch a knee or kneel down to the ground and stand back up without dropping your hoop
Neck Hula Hoop – AKA: “The Chicken Neck”
Start the hoop on the back of your neck and then bob your head like a chicken and try to keep it going
Be careful not to smack yourself in the face – start slow
Arm Hooping
Hold your arm out straight and spin your hoop around your wrist – keep your muscles tight and make small circles
Extension: Try to switch to another arm without stopping
Hula Jumping
Hold your hoop in front of you and jump through it like a jump rope
If your hoop keeps hitting the ground – pick up your hands and hold them a little higher
Extension: Try Hula Jumping Backwards
Knees Hula Hooping
Put your knees together and then start the hoop on the back of your legs and then start it spinning and see if you can keep it going on your knees
Extension: Waist to Knees – start on your waist and see if you can make it all the way down to your knees
Hula Hoop Skipping
Put the hoop on your foot with one foot inside the hoop and one foot outside the hoop. Try to spin the hoop around your ankle while hopping over it with your other foot.
Required Material
4 Boundary cone, Hula Hoop
by Neetu | Jun 21, 2021 | Manthan
Learning Outcome
Endurance, Flexibility, Strenght, Jumping, Running, Dodging.
Activity Description
Playing with a Rope
Arms – pretend to turn a rope double-dutch (both arms, alternating inwards).
Legs – pretend to jump a rope (fancy foot patterns).
With Chair – pretend to climb a rope (stand up, sit down).
On The Spot – pretend to do skipping tricks with invisible rope (jump and turn, speed,
crossovers, backward).
Playing With a Ball
Arms– pretend to bounce a ball (alternate arms).
Legs – pretend to kick a ball (alternate legs).
With Chair– pretend to roll a ball (two hands, bend over to touch the floor, swing arms up).
On The Spot – pretend to pick up and throw a ball (overhand).
Playing Tag
Arms – pretend to reach and tag (both hands, all directions).
Legs – running on the spot.
With Chai – freeze in shapes (using a chair for balance).
On The Spot – run, dart, and dodge.
Required Material
4 Boundary cone, Chair, rope
