Galloping and Skipping

Last week we worked on two new fundamental movement skills Skipping and Galloping. Skipping is the combination of two fundamental movement skills: A step and a hop. Galloping is keeping the same foot forward and using a step-together, step-together pattern. 
We learned these movements by playing a variety of games such as:

• Horses vs. Monkeys
• Grand Portage
• Catch me if you can
• Rodeo Roundup

Dodge

This week in PE we focused on DODGING. No we did not play dodgeball, haha. Instead we focused on the skill of dodging. The definition of dodge is quick, deceptive changes in direction to evade, chase or flee from an opponent.

To practice and understand this skill we played games such as:
Line tag
Scorpion
Keeper of the Castle
Octopus
Tree tag

Jump, Leap and Hop

This week in PE our focus was on Jumping, Leaping and Hopping. We grouped these locomotor movements together as they  are commonly mistaken for each other.  We defined each of the terms and then practiced them throughout the week by playing games like: 

• Kangaroos Vs Lemurs
• Kangaroos Vs Fish
• Fish and Frogs
• Tsunami dance

Jumping is where we take off on two feet and land on two feet.
Hopping is where we take off on one foot and land on the same foot
Leaping is where we take off on one foot and land on the other foot.

Over the long weekend be sure to ask your child to show you how they hop, leap and jump! 

If they are having difficulty leaping and hopping it normally stems from lack of balance. Practicing balancing on one foot will help them leap and hop!

Orange Shirt Day

Monday was Orange Shirt Day and we played two Indigenous games: Tatanka Tatanka and Moose bone.

Tatanka is the leader of the buffalo. It is a game that is usually played by women and small children; they would mimic their fathers and grandfathers who used to go on the buffalo hunt. The game helped the women and children learn how to lead the buffalo into the compound during the hunt. (Source: https://www.nscrd.com/uploads/document/files/indigenous-games-for-children-en.pdf)

How to play: 

• One participant is chosen as the Tatanka and the rest of the participants line up against the wall. 

• The Tatanka calls out “Tatanka, Tatanka” and the participants run across to the other side of the gym and try not to get tagged by the Tatanka. 

• If a participant is tagged they become part of the Tatanka’s herd and have to try tag more participants to become part of the herd. 

• When there are no more runners the game is over and new Tatanka is chosen.

Moose Bone is a Cree game played by the whole community. One of the prize parts of the moose was the bone marrow. Seeing as there was not enough bone marrow for everyone they would play this game to see who would get the marrow. Since it is a cooperation game, the community members that helped the person win, so then they would share the marrow with the helpers.

How to Play:

• Group will stand in a circle
• One person is in middle of circle with stick over shoulder, eyes closed/blindfolded
• "Moose bone" will be placed some where in the circle
• Group directs person and attempts once to place stick on bone
• If the person in the middle steps on or kicks the bone they are out.
• If they miss the bone, a new person will come in the middle.