Holiday Lesson Ideas

Set up the following three stations in your activity area. You can have more stations if you wish and not limit them to only these three. For this particular lesson I used it as a pre-assessment to determine the basic ability of my students' overhand throw. I was looking for those who have no or poor skill concept of how to throw a ball. This helped me to determine the level of my classes and the basis of the activities within the throwing unit.

Station #1: "THANKS"

Set up large pieces of paper with 1 letter on each piece to spell "THANKS". Place polyspots on the floor for throwers to stay behind.

Object is to throw the fleece ball at the "T". Once students have hit the "T" they move down to the "H" and so on to hit every letter and spell out the word THANKS.

Station #2: "STUFF THE TURKEY"

Place polyspots on the floor for throwers to stay behind. For a target use a plastic turkey door decoration and cut a hole into the middle of it. Vary the size of the hole for different ability levels.

Object is to throw the stuffing (fleece ball) into the turkey target to stuff him for Thanksgiving Day.

Station #3: "MASH POTATOES"

Scatter the stepping stones in a small area of the floor.

The object is to have the students jump from one potato to the next to mash them. The students love this station because the stepping stones make a squeak noise and immediately regain their shape.

Station #4: "CAPTURE THE TURKEY"

Set up the balloons as the turkeys. I prefer white balloons so with a magic marker I can draw on a face and colored tail feathers). Place boxes or crates for the turkey's pen. Set out the lollipop paddles. The object is to use the foam paddle to guide--not hit-- the turkey into it's pen. If they hit the turkey he will go up into the air and fly away so you have to guide him and keep him close to the ground. Only the paddle can touch the turkey - no body part may help.

Assessment Ideas: