Build a Kids ABC Obstacle Course
Kids, young and old, love obstacle courses. An ABC Fitness Obstacle Course is a completely non-competitive group activity that builds strength, balance, flexibility, heart conditioning and focus, while allowing children to move around the room in a structured format. An obstacle course is a wonderful way to celebrate the culmination of learning a set of skills - in this case, learning all the movements that go with the ABC Fitness Letters. Teachers may also get creative and design an ABC obstacle course of their own design using equipment already available. Ready to give it a try?
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Begin by spreading out 26 mats or towels around the room, one for each letter of the alphabet.
- Place an ABC Fitness card at the top of each mat. If you don’t have the fitness cards, you can make your own by drawing pictures of each activity or movement yourself. If your students are good readers, you can write out directions for each activity. For example, you can have the children scoot on their stomachs on scooters for A is for Alligator, or shoot baskets for B is for Basketball, etc.
- Fill in the spaces between the mats with other fun obstacle course activities. Ideas include setting out a hula hoop and having children twirl it as long as they can, putting a strip of tape on the floor for walking heel to toe (forward and backward, sideways, etc.), tossing beanbags into a bucket from a line on the floor, stacking cups, rolling across the floor from one line to another on a scooter.
- Have each child begin on a mat and progress around in alphabetical order from their start point, going back to A once they have finished Z. Play fun music with a good beat. Have children stay on each mat until you hit a drum rhythm or ring a chime, approximately 30-90 seconds each, depending on the age of the children.
- When finished, have the children help clean up the materials and put them away.
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The obstacle course is a great way to end your study of ABC Fitness where children are taught each pose separately. Children then learn what is expected when they come to the mat and see the picture of F is for Frog and see the photo of the boy doing the frog movement. Have fun! You can find the ABC Fitness cards in the store, http://www.alphabetworkout.com/products/abc-fitness-letter-cards Directions for each movement are found on the back of each card for instructional purposes.
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