Copy Me

Learning Outcomes

To practice skipping, bounding, sliding, and leaping movements.
Develop coordination and gross motor skills.
 

Description Of Activity

Warm-Up (5 minutes):

Animal Walk: Play some upbeat music and have students walk around the play area pretending to be different animals. Call out animal names like elephants (stomping feet), monkeys (swinging arms), and bunnies (hopping).
Activity Stations (15-20 minutes):

Skipping Jungle: Set up cones in a zigzag pattern. Play some jungle music and have students practice skipping between the cones.

Bounding Bunnies: Place hula hoops scattered around the play area.  Instruct students to pick up a beanbag and hop (bound) from one hula hoop to another, placing the beanbag inside each hoop.

Slidy Snakes: Lay down soft mats in a straight line.  Students take turns lying on their bellies and scooting (sliding) across the mats, using their arms and legs to propel themselves.

Leaping Frogs: Scatter the soft mats around the play area. Play some pond sounds and have students pretend to be frogs.  They can jump (leap) from mat to mat, trying to land softly on each one.

Cool-Down & Parachute Play (5 minutes):

Slow Animal Walk: Play some calming music and have students slowly walk around the play area, mimicking different animals moving slowly (bear walk, crab walk, tiptoeing like a cat).

Parachute Fun (Optional): If you have a play parachute, hold it together with the students and gently raise and lower it, creating waves and dips. You can also try singing songs or rhymes while moving the parachute.

Differentiation:

For younger students, simplify the movements. Allow them to walk or march at the skipping station, take smaller hops at the bounding bunnies station, and crawl on their hands and knees at the slidy snakes station.
For more advanced students, encourage them to skip faster, take larger bounds, slide on their backs at the slidy snakes station, and jump further during the leaping frogs activity.
Tips:

Demonstrate each movement yourself before the students take turns.
Use fun animal sound effects or music to keep the students engaged.
Offer encouragement and praise the students for their efforts.

Equipment/Material Required

Cones (4-6)
Beanbags (1 per child)
Hula hoops (4-6)
Soft mats (4-6)
Play parachute (optional)