Simon is a fun game to play that incorporates jumping and hopping. Students also get to be creative and make movement patterns for their partners to follow. This game has been a fun way to work on focusing and memory skills as well, while staying socially distant and safe!
Materials:
Video:
@ASE_Dalmatians Students playing Simon. Fun game to work on movement patterns, memory, and focus! #PhysEd pic.twitter.com/i8PnaAqaB9
— Kelly Land (@KellyLandASEgym) October 14, 2020
Instructions:
I set up poly spots of the same color. Chalk, spray chalk, or spray paint can be used outside to mark the spots as well.
Divide your group into partners. One is assigned a leader and the other a follower. The partners must focus and use their memory to recreate the series of steps (based on spot colors) the leader created. I encourage the leaders to start out with two simple steps and increasingly make it more challenging for their followers. Everyone gets a chance to be the leader and the follower.
With my younger students, I pair them up with a partner and they each have a hula hoop. They set up facing each other, socially distant. Then the leader does a series of jumps, hops, or leaps inside, outside, in front of, or to the side of the hoop. Then the follower recreates the pattern. Again, I ask them to start out simply with two step movement patterns for their follower. After that, the leader progresses to a series of three movements. The partners switch roles frequently. I also have a video on twitter showing two first grade girls using the hula hoops.
About the Author:
Kelly Land is currently an elementary physical education teacher in Sugar Land, Texas at Anne Sullivan Elementary. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University. Kelly has been teaching for 22 years and her favorite teaching position is definitely PE! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons. She also loves to run and attend boot camp workouts.
