Warm-up, kg and first grade activities: Far Away: Topics: Spatial Awareness, Aerobic Fitness, Locomotor Skills, Manipulative Skills. When the music stops or you give the signal to stop, children who have moved into the largest empty spaces score one point. In order to score a point, they must freeze when you stop the music, they must not go outside the boundary lines you set, they must move the way they were instructed, and they must not be too close to the outer boundary lines. The outer boundary lines are like an invisible person. This rule encourages the children to use the middle of the play area. Use the expression, "When I say go, or when the music starts, can you walk, skip, jog, move like a robot, etc." Teach the children how to move safely in the play area in any direction while using a variety of the following locomotor skills: walking, jogging, galloping, sliding, hopping, jumping, leaping and skipping. Teach them how to find personal or self- space (a place in the gymnasium or play area where they can sit or stand, reach out in any direction, and not touch anyone or anything). After a brief warm up using one or more locomotor skills, do some balances on various body parts. Kindergarten and first grade children enjoy moving in different directions using various locomotor skills as well as moving like animals, machines, toys, etc. They also enjoy manipulating beanbags, ropes, balloons, and large type balls. Safety: move with control; look in the direction you are going.

Pass and Run Topics: Aerobic Endurance, Manipulative Skills, Cooperation - Grade level: kg and up. Equipment: one manipulative that can be thrown or tossed (may be rolled in kg and first grade) and caught for every two students. The game: One child begins with the piece of equipment. That child may not move. The other child moves a few feet away and stops. Pass the equipment and then run to a new spot. Score one point for each successful catch. A successful catch may be defined as a catch caught on a fly, on one bounce, on two bounces, etc. After an unsuccessful catch, return to the last starting point. Use this game for any sport. For example, bounce pass in basketball or forearm pass in volleyball. Remember that changing partners often adds interest and prevents children from only playing with their best friends. Variations: 1. How many successful consecutive passes can you complete before I say stop, or the music stops. 2. How many times can you go back and forth between two poly spots? In this case, give out one poly spot to each student. They place the spots where they like. Safety: Do not pass over anyone's head.

No Relay Relay Topics: various - Although this game is set up like a relay race, the no relay aspect changes the focus from winning and losing to practicing skills and cooperation.- Grade level: kg and up. Equipment: almost anything. The game: Play as in any relay race. However, instead of each team completing the race by going once, play for a designated amount of points or a designated amount of time. Teams do not need an equal amount of players because play is continuous and only the points matter. Have a maximum of four persons per line. Otherwise there will be too much waiting. If you are playing a running relay, score one point for each completed run. Teams keep their own score. Here is an example of how to play with equipment: each team begins with one beanbag and one tennis can or other target. Set up the tennis can on one side of the play area. The first person on line slides the beanbag attempting to knock over the tennis can. If he knocks over the can, he runs to the can, sets it back up, runs the beanbag back, and hands it to the next person. That team receives one point. If the tennis can is not knocked over (which is usually the case), that player turns and tags the next person on line. The second person runs to where the beanbag has stopped and slides it at the target from that point. You may not run with the beanbag in your hand until the can is knocked over. Only then do you run back with the bean bag to your line. The next person continues the game by sliding the bean bag at the target. Variation: Each relay line is given a different task. After the first round is over, each line tries to beat their previous score. Then each line rotates to a new piece of equipment or a different type of task.

Poly Spot Ball Topics: Manipulative Skills, Cooperation - Grade level: Grade 2 and up. This is an excellent game for shooting or scoring goals. It can also be played when throwing at a target. Equipment: four to eight poly spots for each group, one or two balls for each group. The game: Divide the class into groups of four to six players. Give each group some poly spots and one or two balls. The group places the poly spots on the floor at different distances from the target, goal or basket. The players take turns shooting or throwing from the poly spot of their choice. If she hits the target or scores a goal, she picks up that poly spot and keeps it until the round is over. The idea is to collect the most poly spots in your group. After the poly spots are all collected re-set them and play again. Variations: 1. Use this game to play poly spot basketball, soccer, hit the target, etc. 2. Two groups play in the same area. Play one group against the other to see which group collects the most spots. 3. Play for time: see how many spots the whole class collects in a given amount of time. 4. You may set the spots yourself, or allow each child to set one or more spots. You can tell them that they have to try to set the spots in the same location for each round; or you can let them vary the locations after each round. When there is only one spot left, if a player cannot reach the basket or target from that distance, he may move it closer. Each player may move the last spot.

Multiple Partners Topics: Fitness, Manipulative Skills, Cooperation - Grade level: kg. and up. For grades k - 2 limit or do not use equipment. Equipment: one tennis ball for each student. Begin by jogging in general space while tossing and catching your ball. When the music stops, quickly find a partner who is standing nearby. This is partner number one. Create a central meeting place for students who cannot find a partner. An odd student may join any pair. Each time the students form a pair; they stand next to each other and wait for instructions. Partner number one is your toss ball partner. When the music begins, can you toss underhanded to each other using one or both balls while continuously moving? When the music stops, find a new partner. This is partner number two. Partner number two is your hit the ball partner. When the music starts, place one ball on the floor between you and your partner. Try to toss the ball up underhanded and make your ball hit the ball on the floor. Partners keep moving in a circular fashion (to keep the game more aerobic) while tossing the ball at the target. When the music stops, find partner number three. This is your knock hockey pushup position partner. Using one ball, face each other in pushup position. Place the ball on the floor between you and your partner. Alternately touch your partner's right hand and the floor three times. After touching hands for the third time, try to be the first to grab the tennis ball. See who has the most points before the music stops. When the music stops, find partner number four. This is your throw and move partner. When the music starts, see how many times you and your partner can move back and forth between two points without dropping the ball (see above game: Pass and Run). If the ball drops go back to your last starting point. Only the person without the ball may move. When the music stops, find partner number five. This is your curl up partner. Can you curl up at the same time and exchange balls by tossing them to each other? Give the students practice with earlier partners before increasing the number of partners, otherwise they will forget their earlier partner. Once they know all their partners, change the numbers often and watch them quickly scramble to that partner. The students always perform the same activity associated with each previous partner. Therefore, they will always perform knock hockey pushups with partner number three. Keep the game moving by constantly calling a different number. Make sure you call the numbers out of sequence so they don't know what to expect. Variations: 1. Increase the number of partners and create more ways to manipulate the equipment. 2. Partners count successful catches and try increase the number of catches each time they meet. 3. Use other kinds of equipment or no equipment all. If not using equipment, create activities that the partners can do together. Some examples: follow the leader, alternate pushups or curl ups, partner tag, teach a dance step and toe fencing.

Capture the Cheese Topics: Spatial Awareness, Locomotor Skills, Manipulative Skills - Grade level: 2 and up. Equipment: 15 or more soft type balls, three to six crates, pails, or hoops to hold the balls, poly spots or cones to mark off a captured mouse zone, pinnies or tagging implements for the cats. The game: Choose three or four students to be the cats. The rest of the students are the mice. Mark off a captured mouse zone with cones or poly spots at one end of the play area. Mark off a safe zone at the other end. You can use spots for the safe zone or simply use the 3 second or foul lines of the basketball court. The mice begin the game in this safe zone. The balls represent the cheese. The hoops, crates or pails are placed near the safe zone but on the outside of this zone and are used to store the captured cheese. To begin the game roll out the balls (cheese) anywhere in the play area except the safe or captured mouse zone. On the go signal the mice try to capture the cheese and drop it in a container. The cats try to tag the mice once they venture out of the safe zone. If a mouse is tagged, he goes into the captured mouse zone. If a mouse is tagged while holding a piece of cheese, she drops it and goes to the captured mouse zone. Another mouse may free her if the untagged mouse successfully makes it to the captured mouse zone and re-tags the captured mouse. Cats may not enter the captured mouse zone or the safe zone. Play for time. See how many pieces of cheese are collected in that given amount of time. Pick new cats and play again. Variations: 1. Passing game: When a mouse picks up a piece of cheese, he may not be tagged, but he cannot move with the cheese. After passing it to another mouse, she can move again but can also be tagged. 2. Same as in variation 2, but instead of freeing mice by re-tagging them in the captured mouse zone, any mouse may shoot at a basket. If the basket is made, all captured mice are free and begin again in the safe zone. When a mouse attempts a shot, he may be tagged as soon as the ball is released. As in variation 2, mice may not be tagged while holding the cheese, but cannot move with the cheese.

Coney Island - a Brooklyn Game Topics: Aerobic Endurance, Spatial Awareness, Cooperation, Manipulative Skills Grade level: kg and up. Equipment: Cones, poly spots or gym mats, and music. The game: Set up the cones scattered throughout the play area. Place the poly spots or mats on the outside of the cones. When the music begins, the students use a designated locomotor skill to safely move from cone to cone tagging the top of each cone. When the music stops, the students use the same or another locomotor skill to move to an island (poly spot or gym mat). Students may share islands. Variations: 1. Students count how many cones they tag in a given amount of time. Time them again and see if they can beat their previous score. 2. Change the locomotor skill. 3. For upper grades, students can dribble a basketball, soccer ball or move with some other type ball as they tag the cones. 4. Begin with enough poly spots for every student to find one. Each time the music stops, take one spot away so that the students will have to share. 5. Divide the class into small groups of four to six students. Each group works in their own small area.