Today’s theme was all about balance, and what better way to practice balance and coordination then pretending to be pirates RRRR, Matey!
Book we read: Grandma and the Pirates Phoebe Gilman
Special Words: When these words were read in the story children had to stand up and reach for the sky on their tiptoes!
Next, the kids made their own pirate hats!
After everyone had their pirate hat made and decorated, we examined the map and tried to uncover where the treasure was!
ABC = Alphabet Hop
- Write out the letters of the alphabet onto the sidewalk
- Write out the letters of the alphabet on pieces of paper and fold and put into a hat or bag
- Play music and have the kids dance around
- When the music stops the kids have to hop (on 2 feet or 1 foot) to a letter
- Get one child to pull a letter from the hat or bag
- All the kids have to hop to that letter as quickly as possible
- Last kid to that letter has to tell you a word that starts with that letter
Shark = Sharky Water
- Set up pool noodles to act as the plank
- Place 2-3 hula hoops beside the plank (these are the sharks
- The grass is water and the kids have to try to walk to plank and feed the sharks without “falling in the water”
- Kids have to collect balls or other objects at the beginning of the plank and try to throw them into the hula hoop without falling off the noodle
Diamonds = Treasure Grab
- Set up 3-6 hula hoops or coned safe areas on the outside of a large circle
- Place a bunch of balls or bean bags in the middle of the playing area
- Give each group a soccer ball
- Kids have to dribble the soccer ball to the middle of the playing area and collect a treasure (1 at a time) to bring back to their safe area
- If there are more than 1 kid in each group, have the kids take turns dribbling into the middle to collect treasure (like a relay)
- Time the whole group to see how long it takes everyone to collect all the treasure
- Play it again and see if they can beat their time!
Balloons = Water Balloon Toss
- Split the group into partners
- Have the partners get 1 water balloon
- Get the kids to throw and catch the water balloon in different ways
- ex: throw and catch with just your right or left hand, balance on 1 leg while you throw and catch, throw then spin and spin before you catch, how many catches can you and your partner make without breaking the water balloon?
Treasure at the end: Kids got to take home a Northumberland Sports Council Bag with bubbles, a frisbee or a skipping rope!
Thank you Port Hope Public Library!