Parachute Games, Sink the Ship & Pinball

Mushroom- they learned how to do this together without my help!

The month of May is always one of my favorites because I am done with testing and we play a lot of fun games.   The 4th &5th graders completed their fitness testing, and they did a great job beating their scores!  I'm really proud of their hard work this year!

My classes have been participating in a variety of activities this month, including:
Parachute Games
Sink the Ship
Scooter Relays
Pinball
Capture the Flag
Prepping for Field Day

Squatting like a frog before lifting it up.  Great exercise and fun!

See below for a few videos, and even more on my youtube channel.

Parachute Games:
This year I gave my 1st & 2nd graders a "parachute test" where they had to use teamwork and cooperation to make an umbrella and a mushroom without my help.  The student leader was in charge inside the mushroom.  We have a "secret" way to make the mushroom go higher up (everyone sits on their handle and takes 3 scooches in at the same time).  They think it's the coolest thing!  We also played "Under the Sea", "Jellyfish", "Firecracker", Switcharoo and Popcorn.  Lots of fun and laughs!

Scooter Relays:
We have several different kind of races - riding the scooter on your knees, belly, bottom, "turbo speed", and then pushing a partner.  Check out some samples below and more on my youtube channel.

Pinball:
This game is great exercise!  It gives us a chance to practice many skills such as rolling a ball, defense, and teamwork.  Here is a short video sample.

Sink the Ship:
This game is always a favorite in my class.  Player practice a variety of skills including catching, throwing, rolling, scooters, defense, and teamwork.  Check out this video demo and more on my youtube channel.
https://youtu.be/GAFc2kPf_WU

Hide Out Game:
Thanks to Kyle Bragg for this great game!  The students always love this game and get a lot of exercise!  They leave the gym dripping with sweat.  We use soft yarn balls so they do not hurt at all.  This is a great opportunity to practice throwing and increase aerobic endurance. 

Field Day Prep:
I did this very simple "baton relay" with my students to let them practice doing a relay.  They learned how to encourage their teammates, take turns, finish the race by sitting down, and cooperation.  It's so simple but they really enjoyed it!

May Daily Dozen
Here is our  May Daily Dozen, which every class does for a warm-up.  I thought it was SO CUTE when a Kindergarten student asked me to write down all of the Daily Dozen exercises on a piece of paper so she could do it at home!  Several of my students tell me they do this at home, which makes me so happy!  Way to go kids, you are awesome!