“Move to Improve”/
“Catch the Energy” – Pre K Calendar Themed Activities (hand out)
Pre K PE is drawing more attention by many Districts. The Sheboygan Area School District in WI has had a Pre K program (600+ children ages 3-5) housed in one district building (Early Learning Center) since 1994. Instructional PE was added to the student day in 2004 under the direction of a licensed Physical Educator with a curriculum that conforms to NASPE Standards. Emphasis is placed upon Standard # 3, # 4; #1 and although basic locomotor, nonlocomotor, manipulatives, and rhythms and some age appropriate games are presented, many other activities coordinate to calendar year classroom themes. The following illustrates such activities. For further information on curriculum content, see Nov-Dec 2007 Strategies article: “Fighting Obesity in 4 –Yr. –Olds”, published by the session presenter (Kristine Fritz). This session will illustrate a variety of activities that ‘connect to the classroom’ throughout the year.
Sept/ Open House parent – child activity, ‘Goin’ on a Bear Hunt:
Children & parents are instructed to stand on a poly spot shape and the CD begins and all follow along doing the actions (children have received previous instruction with emphasis that this is pretend & we do not climb in trees, chase bears or go in boats without life jackets). They are encouraged to ‘teach’ Mom & Dad what to do and to join into the activity. We often have over 100+ people at Open House event & I do not let participants move more than about a foot from their spot for safety during the activity.
Early Fall / Fire Prevention- ‘Stop, Drop ; Roll’:
Local Firefighters come to our school & visit classrooms sharing a safety message and some children take field trip to the firehouse in the neighborhood. To connect to the classroom, I review “What would you do if you see fire?” - ‘move away & get a grown up’. If fire were on you, ‘do not run but rather : “Stop, Drop : Roll”. We practice this in line and then I use a duck call to indicate the special time they are to do it while running, marching, or moving via some other locomotor means. This activity reinforces classroom concepts for fire safety.
2. Fall / Handwriting:
The school uses the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum and a CD by Cathy Fink & Nancy Marxer and I do an introductory tactile control activity with stress balls that children pass down a line handing to each other from right hand to right hand as we begin our class. Then we move to the activity area and do the ‘Hello’ song to reinforce using the right hand; this helps the teachers when they go back to the classroom to do writing.
Oct / Halloween : (some children cannot do holidays so we do pumpkins)
We do pumpkin patch or monster march as per designation with the Halloween theme. Children often make paper pumpkins and we place them or my cones in a playing area and tip toe, march, run, zigzag, etc, around within the area. If we can do the Halloween theme, we also add paper ghosts and we ‘scare’ all the items as we move. I teach them to use ‘little arms’ so as not to poke their friends & we emphasize this is pretend scaring and for fun. Teachers seem to have a handle on those who might be frightened and stay close to them. When moving we march like soldiers or little monsters to the accompanying CD. I use a multiple of locomotor moves while in the pumpkin patch.
Nov / Late Fall Turkey Chasing / Cow Herding:
This activity is designed to work on listening & following directions while experiencing hand eye coordination manipulation through holiday infusion. Children are assigned to color coded poly spots, asked to stand in their lines and directions are given quickly with a demo to get all going to be immediately active. Each child has a paint stick and ball that are color coded to the spot. When it is their turn, they take their animal ‘ball’ to the barn (a large milk jug on another color coded spot at the opposite end of the room). They go one at a time and then stand in line waiting for all to come and then they march back with ball & stick in hand to begin again. Sticks must be kept pointed down (no swords, light sabers, etc). All activity begins with the Philadelphia Chickens CD /song #1 “Cows’. Classroom teachers talk about farms and turkeys at this time of year so we have implemented this beginning manipulative activity to go along with their discussions.
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Dec/ AHA Gingerbead Run:
This activity is our JRFH event since 2008 and was designed to connect to our all school parent – child Gingerbread House Making activity. A course was set up that corresponds to the book (Gingerbread Man (retold by Eric Kimmel) and children move around it viewing all parts of the book as if from the ‘cookie’ perspective. We use various locomotor movements and each lap covered generates a ‘heart’ (made of paper) into a collection box to count laps to later be transposed into miles. Children know that more moving is ‘better for their hearts’ and try to get as many laps as possible to put into my box. When we do it with parents and siblings all ‘hearts’ are counted for our total school mile count which has exceeded 250+ for many years (17 laps = 1 mile). The school SET gives a donation to AHA for our JRFH event.
Dec / Raindeer Dancing:
This is simply doing a dance to the song Jingle Bells. We practice in roll call lines and then go to an activity area using scattered formation and put on the CD and enjoy. Again, some classes cannot do ‘Santa & holiday theme’ so we just emphasize the raindeer. With those that can do Santa, I emphasize the ‘ho ho ho part & flying sleigh raindeer’. Dance parts: Hold hands (raindeer paws up & with 1 foot paw, paw, step x3
Repeat with other foot / Repeat both again
Slap knees, clap hands, hold stomach & repeat
Walk in a circle/ change direction … start over / at very end, ‘ho, ho, ho’
Jan / Healthy Eating – “Good Food Train Express”:
This activity emphasizes good food choices while children move along a train track using many locomotor movements (tip toe, walk, march, run, etc.). The lead child gets a milk jug and is the engineer and all others carry ‘good foods’ with them that they take from my pile of healthy foods before we start. During Jan. our children often visit local grocery stores and do food activities in classrooms so this coordinates. Activity is set to CD from Nutricise.
Jan/ Healthy Eating – Colorful Plate:
This goes along with classroom ‘making healthy food choices’.
Children will use locomotor movements to ‘build a healthy meal’ selecting from foods of all colors and placing their choices on their plates. Children are in 6 to 8 lines using farm animals & colored dots to mark start & end.
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Each group will have a plate/ cup near their line. On ‘go’, 2 children will move via the assigned locomotor skill (tip toe, run, slide, etc.) to the ‘store’ where they will shop for healthy foods. One child will take a color card from a dish; the other will pick up the hoop (grocery cart) and drive it around the store picking up items of required colors and dropping it into the cart (it will actually fall thru onto the floor for reuse). The children go back home and place their chosen color card onto their plate. Next 2 children do the same until all food colors are on their healthy plates. Once the last card is ‘on the plate’, the next child gets the milk and brings it to the glass near the plate at each group’s line. Staff will reposition items and the game/activity continues using different locomotor movements to ‘go & shop’. Upon finishing, a short discussion will be conducted about why we need to choose foods of many colors. Staff will also encourage children to try new foods even if they look ‘strange’ or are unfamiliar. Some children will make healthy parfait/ yogurt snacks in their classrooms at a later date.
Winter / Explore Penguins:
The school does a penguin unit usually in mid winter so I follow up with a movement activity. This activity uses children’s curiosity about penguins to review and use locomotor movements, review following directions; to begin to have cooperative experiences. I place 6 color- coded dots in the activity area and then put a penguin near each. Children stand in groups by dots of similar colors that I refer to as penguin teams. We use music from LeAnn Haggard’s CD and move to a specific team penguin. Activities are as follows:
1)tip toe / wave at new friend (penguin) & tip toe back
2)march / dance for him & return
3)walk like a penguin & throw him a fish & return
4)skate & take penguin’s photo & return
5)change color dots as a group (I give them some direction) and repeat #’s 1 – 4 above with your new friend
6)run to penguin & all members carefully pick him up and carry him back to your starting dot …. Feed him a fish, wave goodbye & tip toe him back as a group to his place. Sneak back alone.
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Early March / Dr. Seuss:
While others are doing “Green Eggs & Ham”, we are moving to the actions of the “Foot Book” and learning language (prepositions) while moving our feet going over, under, around, on, in & out, etc. Small groups of 3 – 4 start at each station and rotate.
March / Irish Activities:
We wear green and leap like leprechauns over green toys. At the end of this leaping, we do some Irish dancing that is impromptu when I put on a Celtic CD and show them a few steps.
April / Celebration of Learning:
This activity corresponds with an end of the year all school ‘celebration’ where children and families interact showing off what they have learned particularly a knowledge of letters, and other classroom projects. For a PE activity, I do the alphabet song from a CD and again use many locomotor movements as children and parents engage in activity via a large circle activity. The music plays and they ‘march’ around the alphabet (carpet square letters on the floor) & when the music stops, they stop. I then question children, ‘what letter do you have?’ & they tell me and I further ask for a PE / healthy food example to match that letter. Music starts & we go again with a different locomotor movement and more questions about letters, activity and food choices. We even do a ‘thumbs up’ / ‘thumbs down’ to my questions about candy vs carrots, etc.
May / NSPE Day & Let’s Move in School:
I invite parents to come in and ‘play’ with their child’s class during scheduled PE time. We do a CD Animal Aerobics & a parachute activity. I have been surprised by the number of people who actually have come, including our District Wellness Coordinator whom I invited last year, that have participated. A couple years ago, I gave out small Let’s Move bags, pencils and ELC water bottles and these items were well received and parents ‘thanked’ me for doing so much ‘stuff’ with their kids. Another year, I handed out healthy eating magnets that I obtained from Health & Human Services in our community.
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Accompanying Music or Literature References:
Goin’ on a Bear Hunt / Kids in Action CD by Greg & Steve
Handwriting Without Tears CD / Cathy Fink
Monster March / I got this CD from a colleague & I don’t know origin
Gingerbread Man / Eric Kimmel – Holiday House New York
Cows / Philadelphia Chickens CD by Sandra Boynton
Jingle Bells
The Good Food Express / Nutricise CD by Catherine Slonecki
Colorful Plate activity: Shake it Up (LA Unified Schools Nutrition Network,
Nutrition & Fitness Can Be Fun (U of Arkansas Medical Sciences/Kids First),
March Around Alphabet / I think it is a Greg & Steve song
Dr. Seuss / The Foot Book
Celtic Music CD with Irish Step Dance
Animal Aerobics is from Nutricise CD
Penguins / Feel the Beat by LeAnn Haggard Funky Fitness Fun
(Classic Connection)
Parachute music/ Popcorn by Greg & Steve, We all live together #2
Walking Along song is from NutriciseCD by Catherine Slonecki
Kristine (Kris) R. Fritz, presenter
50 Million PE Buddy project reference
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SHAPE America (Society of Health & Physical Educators)
NATIONAL STANDARDS:
Physical Education:
1The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.
2The physically literate individual applies knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance.
3The physically literate individual demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness.
4The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.
5The physically literate individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self – expression and / or social interaction.
Health:
1Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
2Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
3Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health.
4Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
5Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision – making skills to enhance health.
6Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal – setting skills to enhance health.
7Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health - enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
8Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
PE / PA Tips to get started: 8.
1 start slow & small Heart / Brain healthy child concept
2 rules - Elephant Ears & Eagle’s Eyes / ‘stop signal’ /”No Crashes”
3 review rules / procedures
4 warm ups – get children to Focus on You
5 run / move
6 Minimal Instruction
7 Check for Understanding
8 Engage children
9 Monitor / correct behavior 1 – 2 -3 ‘sit on your bottom’
10 Explain Safety . . .
11 Ask children to ‘tell you’
Let’s Get Started
1shoes on the wrong feet / put a dot on inside of each & tell them to match the dots
2Brain Based Activities
- open & close hand / make an L & do same/ crossovers
3Warm Ups / following directions
- stand on a line in your space
- marching feet but do not go anywhere/ stop signal
- walk Fwd/ stop signal
- tip toe & stop
- go in a circle & back again
- balance on 2 feet – ‘little & big arms’
- balance on 1 foot / other
- jump & land / jump x3 & land
- walk Fwd / back using ‘look & walk’ cue
- hop
- slide
- gallop
- skip (elephant skipping)
- zigzag
- letter writing warm ups
4Motor Skills
- UH throw ‘coloring hand, back, look; steppie foot & throw’
- Catching ‘hands ready,look, feel it come in, squeeze & bring it in’
- Stomp & catch (rules to use)
- Kicking ‘ball, look, step & kick’ / ‘look, drop & kick’
- Hop Mat
- Station independent practice (to move all point & move at once)
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Tom Strenger : Representative
Pre K Physical Activities : OPEN now!
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offers a variety of physical activities for pre k in both small & large spaces
steps necessary to register for Open will be provided
illustrates benefits of why it is so important to engage young children in movement activities throughout their day