Warm Up Body Stretches

Equipment Required

Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is for children to be active. Preschool children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of structured physical activity and 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity every day.

Overview

In this activity children will learn basic stretches.

How to Play

Instruct children to spread out so they can’t reach anyone else. Through demonstrating the LESSON actions, instruct children to do the following: Reach up high with your hands and stretch up tall on your tiptoes. Stand tall with your arms overhead. Lean to one side, feeling your side stretch. Lean to the other side and stretch. Hold your arms straight out to the sides, shoulder-high, and reach your arms as far behind you as you can. Do you feel the stretch in your chest? Hang arms by side and roll shoulders in a forwards and backwards motion. Sit down, with your legs straight out in front of you.

Activity 1 Step-By-Number

Equipment Required

Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is for children to be active. Preschool children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of structured physical activity and 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity every day.

Overview

In this activity, children will learn numbers and apply them to the rules of the game. Children will also improve locomotor skills.

How to play

Children stand in a row at one end of the room. You will stand at the other end of the room facing children.

Children will call out, “What time is it?” The teachers answers by yelling out a time, such as “three o’clock.” Three o’clock indicates the children can take three steps forward.

Then, they again yell out: “What time is it?” The teacher answers another time that indicates the number of steps the children take forward.

When the children get close to the teacher, she responds to the question, “What time is it?” with “Skipping Time!” “Skipping Time” indicates that the children are to turn around and skip back to the start.

Practice other locomotor skills by including “hopping time,” “frog leap time,” “swimming time,” etc.

Activity 2 Steal the Hat

Equipment Required

Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is for children to be active. Preschool children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of structured physical activity and 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity every day.

Overview

In this activity children improve their agility, static balance and locomotor skills.

How to play

Children stand in a row at one end of the room. You will stand at the other end of the room with your back to the children.

Place the hat behind you on the ground.

Instruct children to move towards you in different ways, such as crawling, hopping, leaping, tip-toeing, etc.

When you turn around, the children must freeze.

If you see a child moving, you will instruct him/her to move back to the start.

It is the children’s aim to steal the hat from behind you, without you catching them.

Cool-Down/Wrap-Up Rest & Relax (Listen)

How to play

Instruct children to find a space on the floor and lie on their backs with eyes shut.

Tell children to stay completely still.

Without opening their eyes, ask children to listen to all the surrounding sounds.

Give children between 3–5 minutes to relax before you instruct them to sit up slowly.

Ask children to tell you what sounds they heard.

As listening skills improve, try making different sounds for them to identify. You can use musical instruments or other items in the classroom.

Enrichment

Read The Busy Body Book, by Lizzy Rockwell. Discuss with children their favorite activities that keep their bodies busy!

Attention Teachers!

Following this activity, please fill out the teacher’s weekly log form for this lesson.

Weekly Log

Attention Teachers!

Following this activity, please fill out the teacher’s weekly log form for this lesson.