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Name of Activity:

Hockey Highway

Purpose of Activity:

For students to practice using soft taps to travel and change directions, while dribbling and dodging in general space.

Suggested Grade Level:

K-2

Materials Needed:

One hockey stick and one yarn ball, whiffle ball, or puck (depending on skill level) per student; cones for boundaries

Description of Idea

After an instant activity, let students know they will be working on striking an object with a hockey stick. Demonstrate how they should use "soft taps" with both sides of the stick to dribble and control the ball, much like you use "soft taps" with the feet when dribbling a soccer ball. Then let them know they will be using these small taps to play a game called "Hockey Highway".

Let them know that once they have retrieved their equipment, they are to take them to a self space and begin to "start their engines". This means they are to dribble the object back and forth (left to right)ten times without moving out of their self space. In other words they pass it back and forth to themselves but don't move. Once they have done this, they can begin to safely travel around the "highway" (the open general space), using different pathways (straight, curved, and zigzag) to avoid collisions.

If students lose control of their ball, dribble out of bounds, or have a collision, their car is now "stalled" and they have to start their engine (soft tap the ball back and forth to themselves wile remaining stationary) again before they can begin to travel again!

As students travel through the general space, remind them to use soft taps in order to keep the ball close to their stick, and to use both sides of the blade.

Variations:

  • Periodically call out "red light", at which students stop the car (their body) but keep the engine going (keep dribbling back and forth). When you say "green light", they begin to travel again, as detailed above, keeping sure to change pathways to move away from others.

  • Add cones or other obstacles to the activity space for added challenge.

Submitted by Amy Duellman who teaches at Steuart Weller Elementary School in Ashburn, VA. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 8/19/2015.
Viewed 175127 times since 8/24/2001.

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Hockey Highway

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Previous Comments:

Kevin M

Awesome game! After playing with a few classes, I added in other rule variants including a "car crash" (students "hit the floor" under control then come back up to start their engines"), as well as donuts, where the s.s have to do 3 circles around a cone using one side of the blade before they continue moving in their own paths again. They loved the additions!

Patricia Ryan-Curry

This activity was great to introduce control when starting a unit on hockey in grades K-5. I use small beach balls that I purchased from Oriental Trading and noodles. The students did a nice job with striking and control. The red light/green light worked well also. When we progressed to moving at a medium speed I added yellow light to have the students slow down for a bit. As suggested I set up cones and told students those were work zones and to use caution. Thanks for posting this great idea!

Deb

Cute, Perfect my my primary kids. thank you



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