Physical Activity Idea Cards

Preschool Healthy Environments Lesson 5 Apply Physical Activity Idea Cards Program Tool	WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG ACTIVITY ID: 18696 Name Certifier Date
Use the Physical Activity Idea Cards when you have a spare minute during transitions by randomly selecting a card and encouraging children to do the movement. Flexibility Sit like pretzels. Encourage children to stretch their legs straight in front of them and touch their toes. Now twist one foot over the other. Touch toes again and then switch feet. Finally sit crisscross and stretch forward. Flexibility Put a piece of painter’s tape just out of children’s reach on the wall. Encourage them to reach up toward it with one hand and then the other. Strength Do wall pushups. Help children put their hands on the wall and push their body weight up and down. Strength Need to drop some books off in the office or another classroom? Put them in a sturdy box and ask a child or children to push it to its destination. Balance Put a long strip of painter’s tape on the floor. Encourage children to walk across it without falling off. Balance Be a tree. Encourage children to stand on one foot for as long as they can. Try the other foot. Cardio Take a stop watch outside. Time children as they run to a fence and back. See if each child can beat his or her own time. Cardio Turn on the music and dance! Flexibility Do partner stretches. Have children find a partner and sit facing each other. Help them straighten their legs and sit with their feet touching. Try to grab each other’s hands and rock back and forth to the tune of “Row Your Boat.” Strength Encourage children to pull one another in a wagon. Balance Freeze in place. Play music and encourage children to stand perfectly still whenever the music stops. Cardio Have a parade. March around your classroom or program. Encourage children to lift their knees up like a marching band. Flexibility Make your own “Twister” game. Make shapes on the floor with painter’s tape. Call out a shape and a body part. Strength Let children try “lifting weights.” Use small soup cans as weights. Supervise closely so they don’t fall on children’s feet. Balance Play Limbo. Tie a ribbon between two chairs. Encourage children to balance as they lean backwards and go under the ribbon. Cardio Play ball! Toss a variety of different balls back and forth. Try kicking, rolling, and throwing.

Program Tool

WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG

ACTIVITY ID: 18696

Name

Certifier

Date

Use the Physical Activity Idea Cards when you have a spare minute during transitions by randomly selecting a card and encouraging children to do the movement.

Flexibility

Sit like pretzels. Encourage children to stretch their legs straight in front of them and touch their toes. Now twist one foot over the other. Touch toes again and then switch feet. Finally sit crisscross and stretch forward.

Flexibility

Put a piece of painter’s tape just out of children’s reach on the wall. Encourage them to reach up toward it with one hand and then the other.

Strength

Do wall pushups. Help children put their hands on the wall and push their body weight up and down.

Strength

Need to drop some books off in the office or another classroom? Put them in a sturdy box and ask a child or children to push it to its destination.

Balance

Put a long strip of painter’s tape on the floor. Encourage children to walk across it without falling off.

Balance

Be a tree. Encourage children to stand on one foot for as long as they can. Try the other foot.

Cardio

Take a stop watch outside. Time children as they run to a fence and back. See if each child can beat his or her own time.

Cardio

Turn on the music and dance!

Flexibility

Do partner stretches. Have children find a partner and sit facing each other. Help them straighten their legs and sit with their feet touching. Try to grab each other’s hands and rock back and forth to the tune of “Row Your Boat.”

Strength

Encourage children to pull one another in a wagon.

Balance

Freeze in place. Play music and encourage children to stand perfectly still whenever the music stops.

Cardio

Have a parade. March around your classroom or program. Encourage children to lift their knees up like a marching band.

Flexibility

Make your own “Twister” game. Make shapes on the floor with painter’s tape. Call out a shape and a body part.

Strength

Let children try “lifting weights.” Use small soup cans as weights. Supervise closely so they don’t fall on children’s feet.

Balance

Play Limbo. Tie a ribbon between two chairs. Encourage children to balance as they lean backwards and go under the ribbon.

Cardio

Play ball! Toss a variety of different balls back and forth. Try kicking, rolling, and throwing.