Fit 4 Fun Fitness WorkNotes Earth Day

EARTH DAY: EVERY DAY

Earth Day occurred just last week. and here are some games to celebrate this fun holiday. These related games can be played inside or outside and require a minimal amount of space. Instead of harping on the values of recycling for Earth Day, teach children those values through interesting games.

WARM-UP ACTIVITIES

Hug a Tree

In a forested area, pairs take turns being blindfolded. Have one person in the pair lead the other to a tree (for touch and feel) and then them lead away. After removing the blindfold, the tree hugger tries to locate his/her tree.

Wind Storm

Materials: parachutes and newspaper sheets

Stand around the chute. Start to wave it like a slow wind. Put several newspaper sheets under the chute. Say the sounds of the wind and lift the chute over their heads and wave it fast. As they are lifting the chute, name a few children. They should run underneath the chute, pick up the newspaper sheets, and run though the wind storm. Encourage all the other children to make the wind sound as they wave the chute and make the wind stronger. When the children come out of the windstorm, calm down and lower the chute. Rest and ask what it would be like to be in a wind storm. Talk about the importance of putting the trash in the trashcan after play.

RECYCLE RELAYS

Trash Can Relay

Materials: trashcans

Set up five classroom trash cans in an obstacle course. The first student on the team runs the course, weaving in and out around the cans. When the student reaches the last can, he or she turns around and weaves back to the team. The runner taps the next team member in line, who takes his/her turn running the course.

Newspaper Relay

Materials: Newspapers

Provide a stack of newspapers for each team and have team members divide the stack evenly among them. Set up a paper bag or recycle bin (or whatever container your community uses for recycling newspaper) at a finish line. At a signal, the first member of the team carries his or her stack of newspaper to the finish line, deposits it in the container, runs back to the team, and taps the next person in line.

Recycle Relay

Materials: cones/markers, large beach ball, recyclable goods, recycle bin/box, trash cans/bins/box.

Two teams are line up at the start line. One player from each team races to recyclable goods. After getting a object from the can, the student must go to the large ball and run five times around it. He should deposit the item in the recycling bin located by the earth ball. The player must run back and ask the next person to go. The team that finishes first wins.

Landfill Loser

Divide the class into three groups of nearly equal size. Have one group of players occupy a space between the other two groups. These players are known as the "landfill losers." Discuss how landfills take up valuable space and sometimes create groundwater pollution. The object of this game is to keep "recycling" the balls by passing them back and forth to each other without letting the landfill losers grab them and put them in the ground. The two groups on either side of the landfill losers will try to pass balls back and forth to each other without allowing the losers to get them. Balls may be thrown or bounced to each other, but no ball may go above the heads of the losers. Balls that go above the heads of the losers become their property. Play for a certain time limit, and count the number of balls at the end to see which team has more. Switch jobs and try again.

SAVE THE EARTH SPORTS!

Bottle Bowling

Materials: medium-sized plastic bottles, ball

Set up bowling pins made from 2-liter pop bottles, small bleach bottles, or tall dishwashing detergent bottles.

Putt for Points

Materials: Coffee cans or buckets, golf clubs, balls

Give each student a golf ball and the club and see how many strokes that it takes for the team member to get the balls in the three cans. The student with the smallest amount of strokes wins.

Toilet Paper Football

Materials: Toilet Paper Rolls

Players run in pairs, connected by toilet paper. Every player must hold onto the end of a length of toilet paper. The team in possession of the rolls kicks it downfield and the other team runs to retrieve it and carry it across the opponent’s end zone. The connecting toilet paper cannot touch the ground. Players are tackled if their length of the toilet paper is torn. If tackled, players may not run, but they can kick the ball whenever possible. Any players who runs by himself not connected to another player by a toilet paper strip or who touches another player, trades places with the referee. Players score six points by completing a pass into the end zone (touchdown). The teams that scores more points at then end of the 20 minutes wins. If there is no score, the team closer to the opponent’s end zone wins.

Towel Volley

Materials: old towel

As in volleyball, the goal is to cause the other team to miss a legal serve. Pairs must keep their hands on their towel at all times. The ball may be tossed around players on the same team up to three times before it must be lofted over the net. The ball should be returned more or less immediately after being caught. The players can’t touch the ball with their hands. The team with more points at the end of twenty minutes wins.

COOL DOWN ACTIVITIES

Springtime Flowers

Materials: parachutes

Have the children face in the same direction and squat around the parachute. Grab the edge of the chute with one hand. Stand walking in a circle while singing Springtime Flower. One the last line, they all pop up, jump, and wave the chute high. Play again using various flowers such as roses and petunias.

Springtime Flowers

(Tune: Ring around the Rosie)

By: Jane Flynn

Ring of Springtime Flowers

Made from April Showers,

Tulips, buttercups,

They all pop up

If you are looking for opportunities to pop up and teach saving the earth, try these new games. You never know what spring will bring!

References

DeKoven, Bernie. Junkyard Sports.Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2005.

Education World

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp308-02.shtml