Imaginary Running


 

Imaginary Running
 

State Standard: 1, & 3

Equipment: Pictures of “Imaginary Wall”
Grade: K-5
Purpose of Event: Increase hear rate, creative thinking, personal space/general space use.
Time: 5-7 minutes
Description:

Take construction paper, and cut it in half, do not cut straight in half, make all different kinds of shapes, (circles/boxes/curves/etc.) Take each “half” and glue it to a solid piece of paper of  a different color.  The cut out piece becomes the “wall” and the solid part is the space around the wall.

I have a few rules: 1. the wall cannot hurt you/you can’t hurt the wall  2. you can’t go through the wall, you need to find an open space a use that to get over/under/around the wall  3. the wall is only paper-thin and goes from one side of my gym to the other.

I hold up the sheet with the picture of the “wall”.  I have the students divided into two groups and lined up at one end of the gym, parallel to the “wall”.  When I show them the picture, they have to look at it and figure out where the general space is around the wall (they will all “see” it differently, because it depends on their imagination).  Then the first group runs to the wall, goes over/under/through holes in the wall/between cracks/etc. in the wall, and then runs to the other end of the gym.  

The kids love it! And will run back and forth forever as long as I keep changing the wall.  You can hold the sheets sideways, upside down, what ever!  Change the wall from being the “wall” to the space that was around the wall, is now the “new wall”  Divide into smaller groups, kids don’t need to run straight lines this way, they may need to go to the other side, where it is smaller or higher! Let them use their imaginations!

Concerns: Watch for kids running into each other, remind them of personal space!  I don’t let my kids slide “under” the wall
This idea is from: Tracy Nelson, Associate Professor of HPER,  South Dakota State University

 

About mrkirsch

Greetings from Garfield Elementary School! My name is Dan Kirsch. I teach Physical Education for students in grades K-5! Please read about what students are learning within our Physical Education program at Garfield!!

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