CLASS SCHEDULE:  45 minutes per week.

 

THEME/FOCUS:  Emphasis on Physical Fitness, Motor Skill Development, and Personal and Social Interaction.

 

STANDARD:  Personal/Social Skills and Knowledge.

 

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:  Throughout the year, the student will demonstrate and explain responsible personal behavior and responsible social behavior in physical activity settings.

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Participate in "your choice" of physical activities, at least 20 minutes per day, at least two times per week. See list below for ideas.  (Optional addition to assignment:  create a journal of "your choice" physical activities you participated in and send me a copy of your journal via email.  I will do my best to respond to all journals and/or journal entries I receive.  (See example below.)

 

EXAMPLE:

CLASS SCHEDULE:  40 minutes per week.

 

THEME/FOCUS:  Emphasis on Physical Fitness, Motor Skill Development, and Personal and Social Interaction.

 

STANDARD:  Motor Skill Development.

 

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:  Throughout the year, the student will demonstrate the skill-related fitness components of balance, coordination, agility, and speed.

 

 

• Create an exercise log /journal. You choose the day, activity, and length of time or # of reps. Try to choose at least two activities per day. You may choose more if you like.
• See list below for a variety of ideas, remember you can make up your own ideas / activities too. 

 

                DAY        ACTIVITY                     LENGTH OF TIME   or

                                                                    NUMBER OF REPETITIONS            

                 

                 12/07         sit-ups                                             10 reps 

                 12/07        participate in a dance video               3 minutes

                 12/07        shovel snow.                                     15 minutes

                       

                  12/08         walked the dog                                 30 minutes

                  12/08          burpies                                            10 reps

                  12/08           push-ups                                         10 reps

                    Etcetera…

 

 

                                          

                                                  SEVEN UP

***This super fun activity was written by our awesome music teacher Mrs. Gordan (who has been teaching in the Windham/Raymond School District for more than thirty-five years.  She now mostly teaches at RES and WPS).  She explained to me, that she participated in this activity many times when she was a young student in school.  She shared this activity with me, and I would like to share it with all of you.***

 

“Seven Up”:   This is a game you can play by yourself (or with a friend), with a hand sized, bouncy ball. A tennis ball or pink rubber ball works well. Follow the directions for each level. If you make a mistake, you must go back to the beginning of that level and start again. 

 

Level 1 

1. Bounce the ball on the floor and catch it - one time. 
2. Bounce the ball under your leg and catch it - two times. 
3. Throw the ball slightly above your head, let it bounce, and catch it - three times. 
4. Bounce the ball on the floor, spin around, and catch it before it bounces a second time - four times. 
5. Dribble the ball with one hand - five times. 
6. Bounce the ball on the floor, squat down and touch the ground with your hand, and catch it before it bounces a second time - six times. 
7. Toss the ball up in the air and catch it - seven times. 

 

Level 2 - Clap (Put a clap into every trick) 

1. Bounce the ball on the floor, clap, and catch it - one time. 
2. Bounce the ball under your leg, clap, and catch it - two times. 
3. Throw the ball slightly above your head, clap, let it bounce, and catch it - three times. 
4. Bounce the ball on the floor, spin around, clap, and catch it before it bounces a second time - four times. 
5. Dribble the ball with one hand, clap in between each one - five times. 
6. Bounce the ball on the floor, squat down and touch the ground with your hand, clap, and catch it before it bounces a second time - six times. 
7. Toss the ball up in the air, clap, and catch it - seven times. 

 

Level 3 - Everything Up (Toss instead of bounce.) 

1. Toss the ball up in the air and catch it - one time. 
2. Toss the ball under your leg and catch it - two times. 
3. Throw the ball super high above your head, let it bounce, and catch it - three times. 
4. Toss the ball up in the air, spin around, and catch it - four times. 
5. Dribble the ball, up in the air, with one hand - five times. 
6. Toss the ball up in the air, squat down and touch the ground with your hand, and catch it - six times. 
7. Toss the ball super high up in the air and catch it - seven times

Level 4 - One hand (Do every trick with one hand only) 

1. Bounce the ball on the floor and catch it - one time. 
2. Bounce the ball under your leg and catch it - two times. 
3. Throw the ball slightly above your head, let it bounce, and catch it - three times. 
4. Bounce the ball on the floor, spin around, and catch it before it bounces a second time - four times. 
5. Dribble the ball with your weak hand - five times. 
6. Bounce the ball on the floor, squat down and touch the ground with your hand, and catch it before it bounces a second time - six times. 
7. Toss the ball up in the air and catch it - seven times. 

 

Level 5 - Against the Wall (Do every trick against the wall.) 

1. Bounce the ball against the wall and catch it - one time.
2. Bounce the ball against the wall, let it bounce on the floor under your leg, and catch it - two times. 
3. Bounce the ball against the wall, let it bounce on the floor, and catch it - three times. 
4. Bounce the ball against the wall, spin around, and catch it - four times. 
5. Dribble the ball against the wall, with one hand - five times. 
6. Bounce the ball against the wall, squat down and touch the ground with your hand, and catch it - six times. 
7. Toss the ball up high on the wall and catch it - seven times.

 

(Optional challenge: at Level 4 perform each trick with your right hand first.  Once this is completed, perform each trick with your left hand.)

 

 

                ANIMAL KINDOM ACTIVITY - MOVE LIKE THE ANIMALS

The animal kingdom is a great resource to turn to for inspiration.  Moving like an animal is a fun, healthy activity for students k-5th grade.  All students can complete these "animal" activities independently or with friends. Students use their imagination to unleash their "inner animal" and improve cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength, balance, coordination, and motor skill development.

ALLIGATOR CRAWL:  Start on your belly, staying as low to the ground as possible. Alternate using your right arm and left leg and left arm and right leg to move forward. (This builds total-body strength.) 

BEAR CRAWL:  Start on your hands and knees. Gently lift your knees 1 to 2 inches off the ground. Travel by crawling like a bear, keeping your back flat with your knees bent and close to the ground. Move forward, backward, and sideways.

BUNNY HOP:  Keep two feet together and hop across the room like a bunny. (This exercise will get your heart rate up!) 

CRAB WALK:  Start on your bottom with your hands behind your back and legs bent at the knees. Lift your bottom off the ground. Move forward, backward, or sideways like a crab.  (Need more of a challenge? Add toe touches! Keeping your bottom off ground, reach a hand across to the opposite foot, and repeat on other side.)

DINOSAUR WALK:  With your knees high, stomp like a dinosaur to release your energy. (The higher you can get your knees, the better.)

FROG JUMP:  Start in deep squat with your hands on the ground. Jump up as high as you can with your hands and feet leaving ground at the same time. Land and return to your starting position.  

GORILLA WALK:  Start in a deep squat with your hands between your legs on the ground like a gorilla. Stay in deep squat as you travel in any direction to build strength and flexibility. Swing your arms while you travel.

INCHWORM:  Start in a standing position. Bend forward, lower your hands to the ground, and keep your feet still as you walk out to a plank or raised push-up position. From the plank, keep your hands still as you walk your feet in toward your hands.  Then, stand up and begin again.

SEAL CRAWL:  Start in the cobra yoga position—legs on the ground, pushing belly and chest off the ground with hands on the ground at your sides. Crawl using only your hands, keeping your belly and chest off of the ground, dragging legs behind to build strength.    

 

 

                                LAZY EIGHTS - RELAXING ACTIVITY

Lazy eights is an activity designed to help students relax their bodies and minds. It is ideal for a break anytime, but especially after intense or mentally challenging activities. 

1.  Extend one arm in front of you with your thumb pointing upwards.

2.  Trace/draw the shape of a figure eight in the air.  The eight should be on its side and as you trace it out large, slow movements focus your eyes on your thumb.  Without moving your head draw/trace three eights, one after the other in the air.

3.  Now do the same with your other hand. 

4.  Finally, clasp each hand together and draw 3 more sideways eights in the air.

 

 

               PHYSICAL EDUCATION MEETS SNOW ART ACTIVITY

 Our awesome art teacher, Mrs. Clark, here at Manchester Elementary School shared this fun activity with me.  It is so cool I have to share it with all of the hard working physical education students at Manchester Elementary School and in the entire Windham/Raymond school district

This is "snow day / remote learning activity" or any day Physical Education / Art activity (weather permitting - if there is snow on the ground).

Check out artist, Simon Beck. He creates drawings in the snow using snowshoes, ski poles, and thousands of steps walking back and forth across the snow. His artwork is  amazing!

Watch the video below and check out his final drawings below.

The assignment / activity is for you to do the same thing using boots, snowshoes, sticks, or any other items you may have at your home.

Here are a few ideas you may want to draw in the snow:     

• a heart for Valentine’s Day.
• spell “your name.”
• spell Manchester Elementary School.
• any design: examples: an “x” inside a circle.  a square inside a diamond.
• any shape:      examples:  square, rectangle, triangle, circle, heart, star, diamond.
• any number: examples:   1, 8, 10, 44, 100.

https://video.link/w/iexNb

 

3rd TRIMESTER:  03/06/2023 - 06/12/2023

 

 

FIFTEEN SIMPLE WAYS TO GET MOVING. TRY EACH ONE.  WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE? (The activities listed require only you and your imagination.)

1. Spread paper plates on the ground. Pretend they are rocks in a stream. Get from one side to the other without stepping in the stream.

2. Work on moving in different ways. Go outside and practice walking, running, galloping, skipping, jumping and hopping.

3. Time to march! Pretend to have your favorite instrument and march as you play. Can someone guess what instrument you are playing? Bring real instruments outside and march in a band with friends.

4. Rainbow Run. As you name each color of the rainbow, run and touch 3 things that are that color.

5. Go for a walk. Breathe in the air as you swing your arms and hold your head high.

6. Take a walk. First, go in straight lines, then curvy lines, and then try walking backward.

7. Go outside and practice running. When you run, work on pumping your arms front and back and moving in a straight line.

8. Set up an obstacle course using things to jump over, go around and even under. See how quickly you can run the course.

9. Find an open space and work on rolling in different ways: long, straight body and a curled up small body. Rolling down a hill is fun!

10. Blow bubbles outdoors. Chase and catch the bubbles before they pop.

11. Pretend you are at a zoo. Identify an animal, then move and sound like that animal.

12. Pretend to be a growing flower. First, you are a tiny seed in the ground and then grow into a big flower.

13. Pretend to be a balloon: first, without air, then being blown up, floating around, and then being popped.

14. Motions of the weather. Use your body to pretend to be different types of weather: rain, wind, thunder, snow. Be creative!

15. Pretend to move like different foods. Melt like a Popsicle or pop like popcorn. 

 

              PHYSICAL EDUCATION FUN ACTIVITIES (TRY THEM ALL AND                    VOTE ON WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE)

*Activity: Floatin’ On a Breeze

Equipment:  Anything that floats in the air (shopping bags, paper, scarves, balloons, sandwich bags filled with air, feathers, etc.).

- Decide on a “goal area” (couch, chair, container, person, etc.).

- Decide how the objects will travel (hot air, pillows, pool noodles, an elbow, a knee, soft toys, etc.).

Objective: Make a pile of floaters at a starting point. Plan to get the floaters to their final destination by tossing them in the air and seeing which piece of equipment works best to keep it afloat as it travels through the air to its goal area. If working together as one team, time yourselves to get a best effort score, then repeat to try for a better score. If working as teams, set up two different game areas with equal amounts of floaters. Compete for the fastest time or set the time and see which team can move the most number of floaters in the 60 seconds.

Follow-Up: What happens if the floaters touch the floor? Do we start back at the beginning, is it strike one, or is there an exercise payment to do before picking the floater back up and continuing where you left off?

- What do we say to the winning team?

- What do we say to any team that didn’t win?

 

 

 

*Activity: Take a Kindness challenge art break!

Equipment: Paper, crayons, markers… whatever you have!

Objective: As a family, take a break and catch your breath! Work together, or everyone work independently, to create a small poster about ways to show kindness to each other during your long stretch at home. Display them nicely somewhere as a reminder. Consider adding ways to show kindness to other people (e.g., extended family, friends, strangers), even though you can’t be with them!

 

 

 

*Activity: Squat flip challenge!  (can be done by yourself or with friends)

Equipment: A partially filled bottle of water for each participating person.

Objective: How many water bottle flips can you get in one minute, while holding a squat position?!

- If you have enough equipment, each person gets their own water bottle.

- Use a clock or timer and set it to an agreed upon time (30 seconds? One minute? Two minutes?).

- Remember to squat with hips going back so knees don’t bend out past the toes!

-Everyone gets into the squat position and start the timer.

- Hold the bottle by the top and flick the wrist so the bottle flips as it falls to the floor. If it lands straight up and down it’s a point!

- You can either count your own flips, or even better, add everyone’s total flips together at the end to get a grand score.

- Massage and rest your legs and try another round to beat your best score.  -

- Use positive and fun words to support each other throughout the challenge: “Feel the burn! Stay strong, you can do it! Flip that bottle!” “Oh so close, don’t give up, stay positive, we can do this!”

 

 

 

*Hand-Washing Activity (practice washing your hands, Follow directions below.)*

Reviewed by Esther Ellis, MS, RDN, LDN

 

Proper hand-washing has the power to reduce food poisoning and significantly reduce the spread of the common cold and flu and other viruses. Help keep yourself and those around you healthy with some tips on scrubbing up.

How to Wash

• Wet hands with running water and apply soap. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water can be warm or cold. Make sure to wash your hands front and back, up to your wrists, between fingers and under fingernails.
• Take at least 20 seconds to wash your hands — about the time it takes to sing two choruses of "Happy Birthday."
• Dry hands with disposable paper towels, clean cloth towels or air dry.

When to Wash

Always wash hands before handling, preparing or eating food and when feeding children or the elderly.

Hands also should be washed after you:

• Prepare or handle raw foods such as poultry or other meats and seafood
• Switch food preparation tasks, such as working with raw meat then cutting vegetables
• Handle egg products
• Use the restroom
• Handle garbage or dirty dishes

Other situations that indicate hands should be washed include:

• Changing a diaper
• Coughing or sneezing
• Touching animals or other people
• Touching your hair or body or any open cuts or sores
• Using the phone
• Handling dirty laundry