Learning & Development: Outdoor Games - Part 3 - Going in circles

Aim: To practise and improve the basic movement skills.

Learning intentions: To enable children to practise and improve the skills of running, jumping, skipping, hopping, galloping. To help children make the link between pictures and words and action.

Tips: Once the children have mastered the rules of the game, leave the equipment freely available so they can set the game up without adult support. Even young children, aged two and half upwards, are quite able to play a simplified version of the game themselves. They may just put a dot or two on the ground and simply run or jump between them, but this is their interpretation of the game. Make sure you are watching the children to note these developments.

RESOURCES

Hat/basket/box, dice, laminated cards with drawings of the basic movements - jumping, skipping, hopping, galloping, marching, running, plus the written associated verb.

Step by step

1. Draw/create photo images of the various actions you wish children to perform - jumping, walking, skipping, galloping, hopping, running, rolling, bunny hops and so on. Laminate the cards.

2. Place the laminated cards in a hat/basket/box of the right size.

3. Chalk six circles with a numeral (1-6) in each on the ground, making sure that they are well spaced out.

4. Gather together all the children participating in the game at the number 1 circle.

5. Choose a child to take a card from the hat and then describe what the action is.

6. All the children perform that action as they move to the next circle.

7. Once at the next circle, another child takes a card from the hat and describes the action. Everyone performs the action as they move to the next circle.

ADAPTATIONS

- This game can be made more complicated for older children by incorporating a dice, so the child who throws a six is the one to pick a card from the hat. Or the number thrown is the circle number the children have to move to as they perform the action. Much more complicated movements can be included, such as bunny hoops and high skipping. Performing the action backwards or sideways or for a specific amount of time can add a new dimension.

- For the younger children, simply getting them to move from circle to circle is perfectly adequate for the game. Don't be critical of the children's attempts at the various movements. They can only get better as they practise the actions. They get tired more easily, so may perform two jumps only or two skips, but this is fine.

ADULT ROLE

- The adult needs to be involved in the game to help children understand the rules, to be a role model and to be a playmate.

Helen Bilton is the author of several books on outdoor play for the early years and PGCE programme director at the University of Reading.