LEARNING FITNESS TRAIL

You can integrate reading, writing, math, and exercise with a learning/fitness trail.

Materials: cardboard rectangles (8” x 10”), markers, tape

Directions: Have your students brainstorm different “body” and “brain” exercises and write them on the board.

For example:
10 jumping jacks
say a nursery rhyme
8 windmills
count backwards from 20
12 squats
name your city, state, and country
15 toe touches
name 5 insects
run in place
sing the ABC’s forwards and then backwards
count by 10’s to 100
hop on one foot – hop on the other foot

Divide children into small groups and let them choose an exercise, write it on a piece of cardboard, and decorate it.




Tape the exercises around the playground and let the fun begin.

Hint! Invite other classes to participate in your learning/fitness trail.


Indoor Fitness Trail
Make a similar game to use in the classroom on rainy days.
For example:
*Count to 100 by 10's as you do jumping jacks
*Patty cake some nursery rhymes with a friend
*Count backwards from 20 as you march in place
*Do squats as you name as many insects as you can
*Balance on one foot as you name your city, state, and country
*Balance on the other foot as you say your address and phone number
*Touch toes and then stand up and read a word in the room
*Sing the ABC’s forwards and then backwards as you stand on tip toes
*Run in place as you name different shapes that you see

SUMMER SNACKS

Thanks to the cooking channel, young kids are more interested in preparing their own food. These are some simple (fairly healthy) snacks your students or your own children and grandchildren will enjoy fixin' and eatin' this summer. I can't wait to try them with Kalina and K.J. when the come to visit!

Fire Cracker Sandwich
Bread
Peanut butter, jelly, or other favorite sandwich filling
Clear plastic wrap
Yarn or ribbon

Cut the crusts off the bread. Flatten the bread with a rolling pin. (The children just like to "smush" it with their hand.) Spread on your sandwich filling. Roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Wrap in a piece of plastic wrap. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap and tie with a piece of ribbon. It will look like a firecracker!

Edible Mud Pies
Instant chocolate pudding
2 cups cold milk
Flat bottom ice cream cones
Plastic container with tight sealing lid

(Place the pudding mix in the plastic container before starting this activity.) Ask the children if they've ever had mud pies. Tell them you have and they're delicious. Show them the container and explain that it's dirt. Pass it around and let them smell it. (Be cool and don't let on!) Build vocabulary by talking about how dry the dirt is. What's the difference between dirt and mud? Suggest adding a liquid and pour in the two cups milk. Seal tightly, then pass the container around the group, encouraging each child to "shake, shake, shake." Open it up and have the children describe what happened. Serve in the ice cream cones.

Adaptations: Add seeds (sunflowers) and a worm (gummy worm).

Life Preserver Sandwich
Bagel
Cream cheese
Blue food coloring
Fish Crackers

Add a few drops of blue food coloring to the cream cheese. Let the children spread the cream cheese on one half of a bagel. Decorate with 4 or 5 fish crackers.

Trail Mix
Cheerios
pretzel sticks
raisins
fish crackers
chocolate chips
ice cream cones

Mix all the ingredients together and serve in an ice cream cone.
Yippee ti yi yo! No mess because you can just eat the cone when you’re through with the mix.

*Use cheese crackers, sunflower seeds, M&Ms, or other dry cereals in your trail mix.

Ants on a Log
celery
peanut butter
raisins

Take a stalk of celery (the log). Spread peanut butter (mud) in the celery. Place raisins (ants) on top of the peanut butter. March the ants into you mouth! MMMM!

*Use cream cheese instead of peanut butter to make “birds in the snow.”

Ice Cream in a Bag
1 gallon size heavy duty zip bag
1 sandwich size heavy duty zip bag
1 cup whole milk
1 heaping teaspoon of sugar
1 squirt chocolate or strawberry syrup
2 handfuls of ice
1 tablespoon rock salt

Pour the milk, sugar, and chocolate in the sandwich bag and zip. Place that bag in the larger bag, and then fill with ice. Sprinkle on the salt and zip shut. Throw the bag up and down for about 10 minutes until it starts to harden.

*Wear mittens or gloves to keep your hands warm.
*You can also make homemade ice cream with a small and a large coffee can. Fill the smaller can with the ice cream mixture. Place it in the larger can and pack with ice and salt. Children can “kick the can” until it freezes.

Pudding Pops
1 large (4oz.) package of regular pudding mix (not instant)
3 cups milk
large marshmallows
popsicle sticks
paper cups
aluminum foil

Stir the pudding mix and milk until well blended. Fill cups half full with the pudding mixture. Put a marshmallow on the end of the popsicle sticks, then insert them in the cups. Cover with foil to keep the marshmallows down. Freeze and enjoy!

*For healthier frozen treats, freeze fruit juice, yogurt, or smoothies.

VBS SONG!

Here's another video Alex May just created for those of you teaching about Creation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_vQ2XISHos

ACTIVE LEARNING #4 - YOGA YEAR

Make this A YOGA YEAR by incorporating some of these strategies. Yoga has health benefits, as well as learning benefits. "Mindfulness" is a buzz word now in education, and yoga might be just the trick to help children focus and relax.

Yoga Letters
There are several videos where yoga poses are related to the alphabet.  Wouldn't it be fun to incorporate yoga poses with phonics?  Here's a poster that you can download free:

     

http://www.youngyogamasters.com/2014/05/28/yoga-alphabet-printable/

Yoga Shapes
I loved the yoga poses for kids I found on this website:


https://www.kidsyogastories.com/shapes-yoga/

Monument Poses
Linda Smith shared this idea for tying in MONUMENT POSES with social studies standards.

Statue of Liberty – One arm up holding the torch and the other arm holding a book with feet apart.
                                                                            
Washington Monument – Feet together and arms up and with pointed fingers.
Honest Abe – Sitting position with arms out as if on a chair.
Mount Rushmore – Legs apart with chin under fist and switch sides.
The Arch – Arms in an arc twice overhead.
Liberty Bell – Arms down swinging side to side as you say, “Bong, bong, bong, crack!”

Superhero Yoga
And, wouldn’t your students love doing this Superhero Yoga that Charley Schillinger does with her students?
Superman – Do a plank.
Wonder Woman – Sit in an invisible chair.
Spiderman – Feet together and squat.
Batman – Arms out and one leg up.
Captain America -  Squat with legs apart and stretch arms over head and behind as if extending a shield.
Flash Lunges - One foot in front and lean forward and touch the floor.
Black Widow - Take turns stretching out your arms.
Iron Man Pose - Stand straight and look up towards the sky.

Here's here blog so you can learn more about it:

https://mscharleyblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/superhero-yoga/

                             https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljZWZjN205R0NXMGc/view?usp=sharing 


Morning Stretch
Several teachers have told me how my “Morning Stretch” really helps their students focus and get ready to start each day.
                                           
                             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIq9TbaCokc


Here are some personal insights on yoga from my friend Drew Giles:

As a certified yoga instructor for both adults and kids, I have learned firsthand the benefits of teaching yoga and mindfulness to kids. Yoga is the coming together of mind (thoughts and feelings) and physical body. It’s a form of tactile and kinesthetic learning, which is the most basic child-centric learning style. Yoga can enable your students (and yourself!) to be more attentive and focused for learning. As a quick energizer, even one yoga pose done with purposeful breathing for just one minute will oxygenate the blood and lift the energy level of your students. Contrary to sceptics, yoga is not a religion. The practice of yoga was built on spirituality and the promotion of being kind and compassionate towards yourself and others. It is not a religion and does not judge religions.

Some of the benefits include: 

•       Increases self-esteem

•       Improves behavior, less discipline problems

•       Invites a calm atmosphere

•       Increases physical and mental awareness

•       Provides opportunity for discovery and fun

•       Improves motor development on both sides of the body

•       Relieves stress, anxiety and anger

•       Improves self-control

In a School Setting, yoga can also benefit educators by:

•       Giving educators an alternate way to handle challenges in the classroom

•       Giving educators a healthy activity to integrate with lesson plans

•       Gives educators a way to blend exerciseinto their classes

Ready to incorporate yoga in your classroom?!  Here are a few fun tips.

·     Make the yoga class fun! Let go of thinking what a traditional yoga class may look like. A kids’ yoga class is all about moving in mindful and silly ways, learning how to pay attention to the breath and having a good time.

·     Follow the children’s lead. Most yoga poses were created to celebrate the world around us. Ask the kids to come up with poses for common animals or things they see in nature. 

·     Be flexible and come up with a thoughtful lesson plan.

·     Kids yoga should be voluntary; never force children to do yoga. If a few kids are not interested, simply allow them to watch the class do yoga.

·     Give clear and concise verbal and visual directions.

How to come up with a simple yoga lesson plan:

·      Start your yoga session by creating a safe and friendly environment

·     Focus on the breath, it’s a great way to transition from spending time on the playground or coming back from lunch.

·     Next, moving into warms ups – stretch side to side or stand in a tabletop position on hands and needs, arch the back like a cat with your head looking at your belly button, lower your belly, look up as you breathe in like a cow staring at the sky.

·     Focus on the body, you can do some sun salutations and build heat in your body. This allows your body to breakdown stagnant fluids and bring in new, nutrient-rich cells.

·     After 5-10 minutes of body work, move into a cool down, long stretches – see if you can touch your shins, ankles or toes! 

·     Finally, reap in the benefits by laying down motionless on your mat of the floor. This is an essential part of yoga and should never be skipped

A few last tips for success:

·     Learn and practice the lesson plan before you teach it.

·     Be prepared with extra activities. You never know which ideas may be a flop or a hit.

·     Start slow – when first introducing yoga to the class – offer a few, simple movements during a transition period and build the amount of time up to 45 minutes! Yes, it’s possible!

·     Be present and have a positive attitude. The kids will feed off your energy.

·     Appreciate and enjoy the kids where they are at. Always phrase assistance positively like "How about this way?" or "Let's do this!" 

There are a lot of great resources out there. Pinterest, Omazing Kids LLC, Kidding Around Yoga, Kids Yoga Stories are a few of my favorites. I did my kids yoga teaching certificate through Next Generation Yoga. Hint! They offer current educators a 50% discount! (Tell them Drew sent you!) 

Reach out to me if you have any questions.  andrewjgiles@gmail.com