Gym Ideas

We have been trying to figure out how to incorporate play-based learning ideas into our gym times. So far our best ideas are to provide 1-3 types of gym equipment for the children to use and invite them to make a game or activity with the items.

1. Scoops, balls and pylons
2. Pylons and bean bags
3. Hoola-hoops and pylons and dodgeballs
4. Two hockey nets, pylons and small balls

As you can see, the pylons are the biggest part of our inquiry / play-based gym learning / exercise. We have a set of 70 different sized pylons plus a set of 25 purple rectangle pylons. This gives a large number of pylons available for student use.

We also have lined up our set of 7 tricycles and 12 plasma cars and 1 little red wagon and put out pylons and asked students to make an indoor track (usually I make the track on my prep and then students drive the trikes and plasma car through my track).

These activities provide students with about 15-20 minutes of focused inquiry and engagement. It is neat to see the games they create. Once students began forming numbers with the pylons. Other times students created distance (throwing) challenges with the balls / bean bags. There was lots of "talk" as they started out. For our class, the first 5-8 minutes was chaotic as students tried things that they didn't like or didn't work. The last 10 minutes of play saw the ideas develop into neat games and student-led activities.

The "make a track" activity usually means that several children really like setting up a track and the remainder of the class just puts pylons places. We might ask for "track creating kids" to leave computer class early (my prep) to help me set up.

I need more ideas! I have looked online and can't find many examples of play-based, student or inquiry driven gym class lesson ideas. If you have any, please post!

Snow Inquiry in JK

In January we asked our students what they were interested in learning about during a KBC.  The children decided they were interested in knowing more about planting and snow.  As we talked about planting, the children decided that the winter might not be the best time to explore growing things.  However, they were quite interested in snow, how to make snowballs and where snow comes from.  A few days later we went for a walk around the school yard and then did another KBC.  The discussions centered around what they thought they knew about snow, what they noticed when we were outside and what they still wondered about snow.  Although we have integrated snow into our Water Table, Science Center & Craft Center we are looking to expand the learning of our students in other ways.  We would love some suggestions!