There are many factors to consider when thinking about the overall well being of students in a classroom. All areas of health and well being are important— mental, emotional, social, and physical. Some are easier than others to address in a classroom setting, but all are equally crucial to a child’s well being. As teachers, it is important that we are taking time to provide opportunities for our students to grow in all areas. Physical health is an area that can be a little trickier to incorporate into a classroom, especially a secondary classroom. It’s not impossible, though! Below are some fun ideas for integrating physical movement into your classroom, regardless of the age or grade you teach.
- Brain breaks: Have students stand next to their desks and stretch, shake their arms and legs, or jog in place for 30 seconds. Put on a Danny Go episode and have students follow along with the actions. These kinds of quick, simple activities can help students get their wiggles out and clear their brain so that they can more easily focus on what they are being taught.
- Take your class outside (weather permitting) and play a relay game, such as transporting an object from one side of the field to the other.
- Take your class on a short walk around the perimeter of the building. If weather doesn’t allow for that, take a walk around the halls of the building, adding in the extra challenge of seeing who can be the quietest.
- Play PE Bingo, where each student must pick five activities to complete off their Bingo board— and the activities chosen must be in a row to create a Bingo (You can use the free resource below if you’d like.)
- Do a “name workout”, where each letter of the alphabet is a different exercise, and students must complete the exercises for each letter of their name. (Ex: A- 5 jumping jacks, B- 30 second jog in place, C- 5 pushups, etc.)
- Play “4 Corners”. Think of a series of multiple choice questions. On paper, create posters with A, B, C, and D on them. Place the papers in the four corners of the room. As you read each question and answer options, students must move around the room to the corner that corresponds to their response to the question. This not only creates a good opportunity for physical activity, but also helps students to see what they have in common with others in their class.
- For secondary students, have a class period where you play “old school” playground games— kickball, four square, hopscotch, or wall ball. You’d be surprised at how much fun teenagers have with these kinds of games (even if they put up a front that they are too old for such silliness).
Physical movement is so important for growing bodies and minds. It promotes healthy habits now and encourages kids to continue those healthy habits throughout their lives. Students of all ages need to see that all different areas of health and well being are important, and that there are simple, accessible ways to take care of each of those different areas.
**Feel free to use the free PE Bingo card below. It is intended solely for classroom or personal use and may not be sold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**