Physical Education - Chinese Jump Ropes and Long Rope Rhymes

This week's agenda was:

1.  Warm-Up = Jump and Jog
2.  Jump Rope Activities = Long Ropes (learning rhymes) and Chinese Ropes
3.  Poison Ball (For a video of this game, click HERE)

Two of my classes this week were the lucky ones.....we had two special visitors from the high school!  These two Kenowa Hills seniors came to demonstrate some jump rope skills and also spend time jumping with the students.  We had a lot of fun!  Below are some videos of our special guests.

Wow - check this out!


Criss Cross and Doubles


2nd graders demonstrating the rhyme "Bubble Gum"


2nd graders demonstrating the rhyme "Teddy Bear"


Chinese Jump Rope Videos

5th graders doing the criss cross


Jumping the "Name Game": Spell your name while doing straddle jumps, then end it with In-On-Out.


Jumping the pattern "American's" (4 straddles, In-On-Out)


5th graders playing our "Elimination Game" (jumping in, jumping out without getting caught in the rope).


3rd grader practicing frog jumps with long rope.

Jump Rope Unit - Partner Tricks and Long Ropes

This week's agenda:

Warm-Up (new) - Jump and Jog
Jump Rope Activities - Partner Tricks and Long Ropes
Dr. Mario (modified Dodgeball Game)

Click for more jump rope videos.
Click for Jump Rope Teaching Ideas

Video of "Jump and Jog" warm-up.  I play the music for about 1 1/2 minutes, then students switch from jogging to jumping or jumping to jogging.


5th graders practicing partner tricks:


More partner tricks:


Long Rope Jumping:



2nd graders:

P.E. Jump Rope Unit - Single Rope Tricks (with videos)

January - Jump Rope Activities

This month's focus is a variety of Jump Rope activities. Students will be learning about jumping with single ropes, long ropes, and Chinese jump ropes. The bulk of our 55 minute P.E. class will consist of jump rope activities, but I will also be saving about 15-20 minutes at the end of class for a variety of other fun games.

Our agenda this week was:

1. Warm-Up
2. Single Rope Activities: Basic Jumping (single bounce, double bounce, jogging step). Jump Rope Tricks: Side Swings, Hopping on one foot, Criss Cross, Backwards jumping, Backwards Criss Cross. Note: If you're looking for a good resource, Rene Bibaud's Fundamentals DVD is an awesome teaching tool!
3. Dr. Mario (this is a modified version of dodgeball).

Note: If you would like details on my Jump Rope Unit (Using Single Ropes, Long Ropes and Chinese Ropes) please click the link: Jump Rope Unit. 
For posters to hang in your gym, click the link:  Jump Rope Posters


3rd Graders practicing Side Swings:



5th graders practicing one handed side swings:



After learning side swings they practiced making a pattern (example: 4 side swings, 4 jumps).


5th graders doing a side swing pattern:



Criss Cross and some Backwards Criss Cross:





5th grader doing a combination of tricks! Backwards criss cross on one foot with her eyes closed.




Hopping on one foot:


Playing Dr. Mario: This game is a modified version of dodgeball. Players must ROLL the ball (not throw it) and the "doctor's" (the players on the scooters) can help players who are "out" by touching them. We pretend the balls are "germs" and the players are wearing protective gloves, so they can only touch the ball with their hands. If it touches any other part of their body they are "infected/sick" and have to sit down and wait for the doctor to "give them medicine" (touch them).

P.E. Class - 3rd week of December/ Parachute Games and Pacer Running Test

Last week's activities included:


1) Warm-Up CentersClick the link to watch videos: Warm-Up Centers
2) Parachute Games (Day 2)
3) "Feed the Reindeer Relay"(for the groups who did not play last week)
4) PACER Running Test (5th Grades only)
*Dr. Ingrid Johnson from Grand Valley State University has volunteered to administer this test to our 4th-5th graders three times throughout the school year to track progress.

The PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular
Endurance Run) is the default aerobic capacity test
in FITNESSGRAM. The PACER is a multistage fit-
ness test adapted from the 20-meter shuttle run
test published by Leger and Lambert (1982) and
revised in 1988 (Leger et al.). The test is progres-
sive in intensity—it is easy at the beginning and
gets harder at the end. The progressive nature of the
test provides a built-in warm-up and helps children
to pace themselves effectively. The test has also been
set to music to create a valid, fun alternative to the
customary distance run test for measuring aerobic
capacity. (intranet.usd475.org)

Please click on the link to read more: Pacer Running Test.

Please see below for video clips!

2nd Grade playing "Cat and Mouse" parachute game:




Playing "Cat and Mouse" with TWO cats:


3rd graders playing "Cat and Mouse"


Pacer Running Test Videos:

P.E. Class - 2nd week of December (Parachute and Christmas Games)

This week's agenda was:

1) Warm-Up Centers
2) Parachute Games
3) "Feed the Reindeer Relay" AND/OR Santa and Mrs. Claus Tag

Here are some videos from last week!

2nd graders doing "warm-up centers"


2nd graders doing warm-up centers


3rd graders doing warm-up centers


Practicing V-Steps on the aerobic steps!


Parachute Activities
Click HERE to view the parachute videos!

Reindeer Relay: In this game, students worked in groups of 3 to "feed the reindeer". One player rode on the scooter (the sled) and collected reindeer food (balls). The person in the hula hoop had to toss the food (the balls) into the reindeer's bucket. The player behind the bucket was the catcher. We took turns playing each position.

5th graders playing Reindeer Relay



3rd graders playing Reindeer Relay



2nd graders playing the Reindeer Relay


5th graders playing the Santa and Mrs. Claus Tag. Click HERE for directions on how to play this game.

P.E. Parachute Activities for Elementary Students

Parachute Activities

Everyone loves parachute day! Even the adults who walk through the gym tell me about the fond memories they have of playing with the parachute in their PE class when they were in school! I too have great memories playing games with the parachute and I enjoy teaching my students a variety of parachute activities.


Attention P.E. teachers:
Before teaching parachute activities, it is very important to talk about your rules/procedures. Please click on the link "Tips for Teaching Parachute Activities" for details on my rules and procedures.

Parachute Activities: For details on how to play these games, please click the link: “Parachute Activities”.

1. Practice following directions with the parachute. (Hold, Stand on a handle, sit with parachute, etc.)

2. Making Waves - big/slow waves and fast/small waves.

3. Umbrella


4. Mushroom and Mushroom Activities
5th graders making a mushroom


2nd graders brainstorming ideas for ways to get exercise outside in the winter time.


2nd graders making a "mushroom"


5. Mountain (no video of this yet)
6. Climb the Mountain (no video of this yet)
7. Merry Go Round (no video of this yet)
8. Switch-a-roo


9. Popcorn

10. Cat and Mice (no video of this yet)
11. Roly Poly (no video of this yet)

P.E. Activities - First week of December

This week's agenda was:
1. Warm-Up Centers
2. Battleship - click here for videos of us playing!
3. Christmas Tag games - click on the game title for videos of each: Reindeer Tag, Christmas Tree Tag, Candy Cane Tag

Each month I like to teach a new warm-up activity and begin a new unit. This week, however, we played Battleship again because I wanted to make sure all the students had a turn to be the "lifeboat person". Therefore, parachute games will begin next week! This month's new warm-up activity is called "Warm-Up Centers". For details on this activity, please click the link "Warm-Up Centers."

Videos of Warm-Up Centers will be posted next week!

For the month of December, our unit of focus is Parachute Games and possibly beginning jump rope activities if time allows. I spend a few months on jump rope skills so if I do not have time this month we will focus on that in January and February.

I try to save the last 5-10 minutes of class for playing fun Christmas Games such as Reindeer Tag, Christmas Tree Tag, Candy Cane Tag, and the Christmas Match Game (link to this will at the end of the month).

Because of the snow, this was the first week many students forgot to bring their gym shoes. :-( If you would like to read about my no shoes policy, please click on the link: "No Shoes Worksheet".

Here is a video of 5th grade students doing their "No Shoes Worksheet".