ADULT-LED
Organise a physical activity to reinforce body part vocabulary.
Planned learning intention
To recognise the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active.
Adult:child ratio
1;whole group
Resources
A large open space (indoor or outdoor), up-tempo piece of music.
Step by step
Warm up to music
* Get the children to shake out their fingers and hands, then arms, tummy hips and knees, working down the body, but keeping their feet on the ground.
* Ask them to stretch their fingers and hands high in the air, out to the front and then to the sides.
In a circle
* Ask the children to dientify where they think their heart is and to feel it beating. Is the heart beatin fast or slow?
* Next, desribe and demonstrate a tap, a stroke and a squeeze on different parts of the body, for example tap your nose, stroke your arm, squeeze your hand into a fist, and ask the children to copy you. Remember to include less obvious parts of the body such as the wrist, shoulder and hip. If the children respond well speed up the process!
* Go round the circle inviting each child to choose an action and asking the others to copy.
* Repeat, if appropriate, only naming the body part and the action.
In pairs
* Ask the children to stand in their own space and one by one to begin moving around room.
* Call out a body part, for example, elbows and get the children to find another child with whom to touch elbows.
* Extend by getting each pair to make a group of four with all touching elbows, and so on!
* Ask the children to feel their heartbeat again and comment on why it might be faster.
Cool down
* Ask the children to lie down in their own space and to squeeze and stretch their whole body starting with their toes and working their way up to feel how their muscls relaax when they do this.
* Allow them a short time to lie still at the end of the session and feel their body relaxing. Feel the heartbeat again and comment on why it might be slower than before.
Stepping stones
* A child with little experience may choose to observe rather than join in. If participating, they may follow the instructions randomly, needing adult support to enable them to complete the tasks. They may have some basic knowledge of body part vocabulary, but watch others for reassurance.
* A child with some experience will begin to follow instructions confidently and take turns appropriately. They will probably demonstrate awareness and control of their body and have a greater sense of space. They may have some sense of the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active and when they are resting.
* Children with a lot of experience will show a greater awareness of space and their bodies and be able to move with increasing control.
They will find it easier to collaborate safely with others to complete the task. They will recognise the changes that take place in their bodies when they are active, and may be able to suggest why.
* Extension ideas
* Share the songs 'Heads', shoulders, Knees and toes' with the children and encourage them to learn the Bengali version on the backof the Nursery Topics poster.
* Encourage the children to do actions and join in the song 'keep on dancing' on the back of the 'Nursery Topics' poster.
