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Name of Activity:

Oodles of Noodles

Purpose of Activity:

To encourage creative movement and practice various locomotor skills.

Prerequisites:

Students have a solid understanding of self/general space and a variety of locomotor skills.

Suggested Grade Level:

K-2

Materials Needed:

One wacky noodle for each student, music

Description of Idea

Here are some examples of noodle activities and challenges:
(The sky is the limit, use your noodle to come up with tons more.)

Noodles are scattered on the gym floor as students enter the physical education classroom.

Students move through the gym using various locomotor skills. Each time they approach a noodle they may:
1) jump over it
2) do a fancy jump over it (add a turn, tuck, etc.)
3) hop over it
4) leap over it
5) place the weight of the hands over it or any other weight transfer taught

Students move through the gym using locomotor skills to the music. When the music stops they may:
1) freeze straddling it
2) freeze making a bridge over it (feet on one side and hands on the other)
3) freeze posing as a funny statue using the noodle (i.e. a guitar player, baseball player or giant smiley face)

Students find their self space with a noodle and follow the teacher's lead. The teacher creates stories to go along with the activities and asks students to use their imagination. i.e. "We are going to travel around the school/town/world with our noodle...
1) moving through the jungle like an elephant." (Students make a trunk with the noodle.)
2) moving like a dinosaur with a big tail."
3) moving like a snake." (Students hold one end of the noodle and slide the other end along the floor.)
4) moving like a unicorn." (Place the noodle on top of your forehead.)

Find a safe space and shoot your rocket into the air. Students hold one end of the noodle and toss it into the air attempting to catch the "falling star."

March in a parade and fancy spin your noodle around the body and neck and perform figure eights through the legs.

Fly an airplane. Spin the noodle in front like a propeller.
Fly a helicopter. Spin the noodle over the head.
Pretend to be a motor boat. Spin the noodle behind the back.

Circus stars -- Balance the noodle on your flat hand, finger and head (making the letter T).

Move through the science lab with your magnet -- Wrap the noodle around the waist with the ends of the noodle to the front. Move to attract other noodles, touching ends.

Ride your horse through the pasture -- Place the noodle through the legs and gallop. Ye ha!

Put on your protective fire gear -- Use your hose to fight the fire!

Use the noodles as tinikling poles. No pain!

Be Creative!

Assessment Ideas:

Use the noodles to assess concepts like over and under, front and behind, etc.

Use the noodles to assess locomotor skills (i.e. skip around your noodle).

Use the noodles in creative movement activities and assess how students are able connect three movements together in a sequence and repeat.

Teaching Suggestions:

Many of these ideas came from watching the students. Ask them if they have a cool trick or way to use the noodle. Let them share with the class and everyone try it!

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities

Noodles are light, which helps with manipulation.
Ask students to pair up and work together on challenges.

Submitted by Sara Mallory who teaches at Beaverdam Elem in Beaverdam, VA. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 7/27/2006.
Viewed 130359 times since 3/16/2006.

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Oodles of Noodles

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Previous Comments:

Mark Beatty

My kids loved this activity! Thanks for sharing.

Jim

I like these ideas. I have noodles at my school and was not quite sure what to do with them. We will definitely try these activities



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