Coaches Warm up routine for mummy & me class

[Gymnastisism]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to run a warm up for 2-3 year olds? The class is of about 8 children.
How would you then change the warm up for a 4-6 year olds rec group?
Thanks.

 

[LucyTRA]

Games, games, games. Have them run around, and when you yell a colour, they have to touch something of that colour. Play the bean game (with a limited number of bean actions - jumping bean - jump, string bean - walk tall, baked bean - pretend to sunbathe etc) if they get distracted as they are running around, get them to run on the spot and do the actions facing you. Always model the action in the beginning (for the first few sessions) and then once they really get it you can stop doing it for them all the time. Get the parents to do it along with them.

Other games like Simon says work well because it gets them thinking and it's easy to keep them on task, or even races and obstacle courses.

When they are in the older group they should be able to hold more commands for games in their heads and be able to run around while still listening to your commands and not getting too distracted.

 

[LucyTRA]

Another great one for all ages (I have been known to use variations of this with my Uni students, but they aren't so different from toddlers anyway.... ) is to have a big box or basket full of soft objects (balls, beanbags, small teddy bears work well if you think they won't get too distracted by them) set up the story for them that you are the naughty messer upper/robber/whatever character you want to play and they are the tidy rangers. You fling the items out of the box and into the space and they run and get them to replace them in the basket as fast as they can, while you keep throwing them. Kids love this and get the concept really well even at super young ages. Once they have played a couple of times you can switch out who throws the items which they love doing

 

[Gymnastisism]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I might try a game of musical statues with the little ones (to develop their listening skills), and maybe modify the 'difficulty' for the 4-6 year olds (e.g hop on your left leg, frog jump). I like the idea of the colour game too, maybe I'll give that a go.
I'll see how it or goes, hopefully there'll be no one bouncing off the walls.
Any more suggestions are welcome if anyone wants to chime in.

 

[monnib]

With my 2-3 year old groups, I always warm up with a different dance/movement songs followed by a stretching song. So when the students come on the floor, they already know to go to their colors and get ready for their "listening song". They love following the actions in the songs, and I like that we have a system set in place for when they begin class. Now with my older preschoolers, we usually play fun games or have relay races.

 

[kholla]

With our pre-school classes with the parents we go around the floor in a big circle with different types of moving with music (any up beat music). So we might start with skipping while the music is on, play it for about a minute, and freeze when the music stops. Then we do something in between like gym shapes (tuck, L/pike, star/straddle, V), or something that they can do with their parent like a headstand on the parent's lap sitting on the floor. Then we put the music back on and do another type of moving like kangaroo jumping on two feet, galloping/chasse, hopping on one foot, bear walking.

 

[coachkazoo]

Simple moving games. Hop like a bunny to something red. Leap like a frog to something green. Bear walk and touch your nose to something blue. And a three legged dog - they love that one. Got to make it fun. Stomp like a dinosaur and make a "roar" sound. Very simple tag game with "it" holding a stuffy and chasing the kids with the stuffy. They don't get the "tag" concept but they get that an ugly little monkey stuffy is chasing them.

 

[coachmolly]

One of the coaches I learned from played a cute game with little ones. She had a bag of wind up toys and each child would get a chance to pick. When one was selected the coach wound it up and the children had to act out the same (or similar) action. When she rang a bell they had to run back and get ready for the next. You could do the same with little toys or stuffed animals and just have the children use their imaginations to act them out.
I've also just called out animals or moving objects and had the children act them out. Things that walk on all fours (dog, cat); go fast (cheetah); go slow (turtle); fly (butterfly, bird, airplane); jump (kangaroo, rabbit); and then some ones where you need to get a little more creative- elephant (stomp), giraffe (stretch up REALLY tall), you can get as creative as you want. I also would have each child pick something to act out (sound effects can be included for more fun) which would sometimes result in needing to think on your feet, or get the kids to get a little silly.

 

[flippinam]

With our little ones we usually go on an "adventure". So there's some kind of story to go along with it. We usually start flying a plane around the floor so I have them put their arms out & run around. Then there will be a spider or something chasing them so they have to run. Then we'll "climb a mountain" so I have them stand in place & move their legs up and down & move their arms. Or I'll have them "swim". Things like that. For stretching we continue the story. For pike stretches I'll put a bean bag in front if them & have them reach for it.