Holiday Lesson Ideas

Name of Activity: The Twelve Days of Fitness

Purpose of Activity: I use this activity as a warm-up during the month of December. It's a great way to teach students about different types of exercises and how they relate to the different components of fitness.

Prerequisites: Students should know the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Suggested Grade Level: 1-5

Materials Needed: Bulletin board or wall space, different cut-outs of various Christmas/winter shapes (trees, stars, gloves, snowmen, etc.) with one exercise written on each.

Description of Idea

Variations:

This activity can be used with younger students if the exercises are simple. For example, use the locomotor and body management skills that have previously been taught.
12 jumps on both feet,
11 side steps,
10 swinging sways,
9 gallop steps,
8 runs in place,
7 skipping steps,
6 hops on one foot,
5 twists and turns,
4 giant leaps,
3 high reaches,
2 forward rolls, and
a big lap around the gym.

Assessment Ideas:

It's easy to assess whether students are learning the new exercises with proper form because there is so much repetition of exercises throughout this activity. When students line up to leave at the end of class, ask which components of fitness are demonstrated with the new exercise for that day. Ask which muscles were used and why it is important to strengthen those muscles.

Teaching Suggestions:

One can create a bulletin board outside of the gym to go with this activity. The bulletin board is designed to look like a calendar and each day put up a new paper cut-out out of a winter shape with the new exercise on it.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities:

Modify the exercises for students with disabilities and give the student a chart of the adaptations. For example, a student in a wheelchair can do abdominal tightening during the sit-ups, or stretch arms upward during the vertical jumps.