Obstacle Fun

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Activity Duration

1 hr 15 mins

Objectives of the activity

For children to enjoy physical activities in a non-competitive environment.
Safe environment
Being positive about your own abilities and those of others
Gain a sense of achievement
Develop an atmosphere of encouragement

Materials required

Woodcraft Folk SW region Training Weekend 2005

A field, playground or park area; 4 adults; songbooks & guitar; spacehopper; 2 buckets, 3 bean bags, poles with ribbons attached, 2 sponges, parachute, tent pegs, bike, 2 footballs, objects for kicking footballs around (8); 2 potatoes, 2 large spoons, chalks, 2 skipping ropes names of all young people in a hat, Water to drink & cups. Children bring change of clothes in case get wet

Activity

1.Arrival games & take money eg Captain’s Coming (15 mins)
2.Circle time (5-10 mins) what we did last week & since we met. What we’re doing tonight
3.Obstacle fun - This will be demonstrated by one adult at the beginning to show the order of the course and pointing out any safety issues.
Each child will start at a different place in the course one after another determined by names pulled out of a hat. Children are encouraged by adults and other children throughout. No competition. Footballs, spoon & potato etc is returned to start point by each child ready for next child.

Course: kick football around obstacles, potato & Spoon walk/run, throw bean bag into a bucket or carry one on your head, crawl under the parachute (held down by tent pegs), jump on a spacehopper, ride a bicycle very slowly between two points and back, throw wet sponges (in buckets of water) at a chalk target, hopping, skipping, walk backwards, freestyle, spinning around, sign the line of a song or say a poem to an adult, climb through or over park equipment/chairs & dance with a ribbon on a stick. Have a drink after 1st lap
4.Sung song & circle time

Variations

Alternative obstacles could be planned. We did this in the summer on a dry day. Go around in pairs, maybe on blindfolded. Could also use scooters, hula hoops, Frisbees, draw on paths with chalks & 3-legged walk.

Evaluation

It went well but very quickly and so they all did it twice and then did it backwards! Next time I would change the order & have new ideas so it is not the same for the children who did it last year. They all seemed to enjoy it. Have an alternative in case it rains.