Hopping Tag

Learning Outcomes

Practice various locomotor skills (hopping, jumping, crawling).
Improve balance and coordination.
Follow directions and participate cooperatively.

Description Of Activity

Activity 1: Hopping Island Adventure

Warm-Up (5 minutes): Start with some basic jumping jacks, high knees, and butt kicks to get the blood flowing.
 Hopping Island Set-up (5 minutes): Scatter the cones around the play area. Place a hoop on top of each cone, creating "hopping islands."
Hopping Tag (15 minutes): Choose one student to be "It." All other students stand on the hopping islands (one student per hoop). "It" tries to tag students by hopping from island to island (landing with two feet on each before hopping again). Students on the islands can hop freely from hoop to hoop to avoid being tagged. When tagged, a student joins "It" and helps tag others. Play for several minutes, then switch who is "It."
 Beanbag Challenge (10 minutes): Place the beanbags scattered around the playground. Students continue hopping on the islands. On a signal, students hop off their islands, grab a beanbag, and hop back to a different island (no two students on the same island with a beanbag). Play for a few minutes, then collect the beanbags and repeat.
Cool-Down (5 minutes): Finish the class with some gentle stretches like arm circles and hamstring stretches.
For a more challenging tag game, allow "It" to tag while hopping on one foot.
Hide small objects (pom-poms, plastic coins) around the playground. Students hop off their islands, collect an object, and hop back.
 

Activity 2: Hopping Obstacle Course

Obstacle Course Set-up (10 minutes): Create an obstacle course using cones, hoops, and noodles. Possible elements include:
Hopping over cones
Crawling under tunnels
Jumping through hoops
Balancing on pool noodle halves
Hopping Relay Race (20 minutes): Divide the class into teams of 3-4 students. Each team lines up behind a starting line. On a signal, the first student from each team completes the obstacle course while hopping on one foot. Once they reach the end, they tag the next teammate in line who repeats the course. The first team to have all members complete the course wins.

Activity 3: Hopping Zoo

Hopping Animals Introduction (5 minutes): Discuss different animals that hop (kangaroos, frogs, rabbits) and how they move. Show pictures or let students wear animal masks (if available).
Hopping Zoo (20 minutes): Explain that the class is now a zoo filled with hopping animals. Call out different animals, and students must hop around the play area imitating their movement:
Kangaroo Jumps: Hop high on two feet.
Frog Leaps: Squat low and jump forward, landing with two feet.
Bunny Hops: Hop quickly on one foot at a time.
Hopping Snake: Hop forward on your belly.
Cool-Down (5 minutes): Similar cool-down stretches as
 

Variations

Change the type of locomotor skill required for different obstacles (e.g., skipping, galloping).
Have students complete the obstacles in pairs, hopping side-by-side and holding hands.
 

Equipment/Material Required

Cones (4-6)
Hoops (4-6)
Beanbags (1 per student)
Pool noodles (cut in half)
Tunnels (2-3)