Indoor Recess
Indoor Recess......
Who knew those two words could invoke such a strong emotional reaction inside someone. If you're an elementary teacher, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Your students need their time for movement, and while that's understandable, it's sometimes hard to achieve with 24 students inside this one small room.
Our go-to game is Mum Ball. They take turns throwing the foam ball around the room. The rules are simple: catch it and stay in, miss it and you're out. As exciting as that sounds (note my sarcasm here), the kids really do love to play it. The issue we experience most is if it was a fair throw or not.
The problem with Mum Ball and other games of this sort is that while they're getting physical activity, once you're out, you have to sit. Sitting leads to boredom, and boredom leads to trouble.
Enter the greatest solution ever (especially for my 4th graders)..................The Electric Company!
Straight from PBS Kids is the Electric Company. A show that incorporates all sorts of reading, writing, spelling, and even some math skills. Something my kids definitely need!
So, instead of just regular Mum Ball, I flip on an episode of The Electric Company and ta-da!!! No more boredom from the kids who are out for the current round AND they're learning at the same time. They get so engaged that sometimes they call a time-out so that they can all sing along with the songs!
It's a win-win situation for everyone! Just don't blame me if the songs get stuck in your head too!
Who knew those two words could invoke such a strong emotional reaction inside someone. If you're an elementary teacher, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Your students need their time for movement, and while that's understandable, it's sometimes hard to achieve with 24 students inside this one small room.
Our go-to game is Mum Ball. They take turns throwing the foam ball around the room. The rules are simple: catch it and stay in, miss it and you're out. As exciting as that sounds (note my sarcasm here), the kids really do love to play it. The issue we experience most is if it was a fair throw or not.
The problem with Mum Ball and other games of this sort is that while they're getting physical activity, once you're out, you have to sit. Sitting leads to boredom, and boredom leads to trouble.
Enter the greatest solution ever (especially for my 4th graders)..................The Electric Company!
Straight from PBS Kids is the Electric Company. A show that incorporates all sorts of reading, writing, spelling, and even some math skills. Something my kids definitely need!
So, instead of just regular Mum Ball, I flip on an episode of The Electric Company and ta-da!!! No more boredom from the kids who are out for the current round AND they're learning at the same time. They get so engaged that sometimes they call a time-out so that they can all sing along with the songs!
It's a win-win situation for everyone! Just don't blame me if the songs get stuck in your head too!
Comments
Post a Comment