Balance Skills

Overview

In this eighth of nine lessons in “Balance and Weight Essentials”, students consolidate their balance techniques through short revisiting activities and then minor challenges inside games. They practise locating and controlling different body parts in balance positions and recognise how their body changes when they grow and move safely.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• use safe body control to balance on different body parts for a short time
• recognise and name key body parts they use for balance (e.g., feet, legs, hands, arms)
• respond to small challenges (e.g., moving arms/stepping carefully) without losing balance
• apply turn-taking and fair play with a partner in structured games

Success criteria

“I can…”

• hold a balance position for about 3 seconds and stay still
• use my body parts (feet/legs/arms/hands) to help me balance
• try again after a mistake, using a cue (look, breathe, hold)
• play safely and take turns with my partner

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education (Towards Foundation (C) — Identities and change): locate parts of the body and recognise some changes to the body
• Health and Physical Education (Personal, Social and Community Health — Health Education): engage in peer interactions using turn-taking in structured activities
• Learning through movement supports students to identify attributes and awareness of their body as they grow and change

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval warm-up (Balance Tag). Teacher sets a “safe zone” and models two balance types from previous lessons (e.g., one-foot stand, two-hand balance); students jog lightly then freeze to hold the cue when the teacher calls “Freeze!” and shows the body part used (Spanish: pie, mano, brazo).

2. 5–8 min · Goals and safety. Teacher states: WALT: Refine my balance by holding a stable pose and responding to small challenges in games. Students repeat the I can success criteria and practise the safety rule: “Stop, freeze, hold. No pushing.” Quick call-and-response with body part words (pies, piernas, manos).

3. 8–18 min · Learning (I Do – We Do). Teacher demonstrates a “Balance Checklist” with simple cues:

• Look at a spot, Breathe, Hold
• Use base (feet/hand placement), still body, quiet arms (or controlled arms for challenge) Then guided practice: in mixed-ability pairs, one balances while the other counts 3 seconds and gives one agreed cue from a choice card (look / breathe / hold). Teacher checks understanding by asking: “Which body parts are helping your balance?” and “What do you do if you wobble?”

4. 18–33 min · You Do (small-sided balance game rounds). Students rotate through 2–3 stations in small groups (minimal downtime). Each station includes a mild challenge:

• Station A: Statue Balance — move arms slowly and then freeze; challenge: hold with arms at side then up (Spanish: arriba, lado).
• Station B: Step-and-Hold — step onto a marked spot, then hold still for 3 seconds; challenge: add a gentle reach with one hand while keeping feet planted.
• Station C (optional if time): Hand-Head Coach — choose either “hands on hips” or “hands by sides”, then balance; challenge: add a controlled head turn while holding. Teacher roams and gives quick feedback: “Your base is strong—try still arms.” Targeted reteach for students who lose balance early (shorten hold to 2 seconds; enlarge marks; reduce challenge).

5. 33–48 min · Game-based consolidation (Turn-taking Balance Relay). Teams of 4–5. One at a time completes a mini-course (marks on floor). After each step, students perform a balance pose at the checkpoint (teacher provides 2–3 pose options). Rules:

• Turn-taking: next player goes only when partner is frozen (fair play)
• If balance breaks, they return to the previous mark and try again (resilience) Teacher monitors safety distance and correct behaviour. Differentiation in-game: support learners use larger spots and “hands on hips” only; advanced learners choose a second challenge pose (controlled arm raise or slow head turn) without stepping off the mark.

6. 48–53 min · Show Me What You Know. Two quick rounds: teacher selects 2–3 pairs to demonstrate their best pose while partner explains using one sentence:

• “My balance uses my ____.” (e.g., pies y piernas)
• “I stay still by ____.” (look, breathe, hold) Class gives a thumbs-up if the success criteria match.

7. 53–50 min note for pacing (teacher check). If you are short, combine steps 6 into the final relay round debrief; keep total on-time by reducing station count to two.

Resources

• Floor markers (tape spots) and cone lines for safe zones
• Balance cue cards: look / breathe / hold
• Balance pose picture cards (feet, hands, arms/legs)
• Countdown timer (teacher uses visible timing)
• Partner-counting score sheets (one per pair) or simple tally cards
• Cones to create relay/checkpoint areas
• Hoops or spot mats (for support learners)
• Bilingual Spanish cue cards: pie, mano, brazo, pierna, arriba, lado, congelar (students understand through pointing/model)

Assessment

• Observation checklist: holds a balance for ~3 seconds and stays still (or improved attempt)
• Teacher listens for correct body-part naming (at least one body part) and cue usage (“look/breathe/hold”)
• Quick pairing reflection: partner states what helped balance (1 short phrase)

Differentiation

• Support: reduce challenge (shorter hold, larger floor spots/hoops, only one arm position), allow a stable support option (hands on hips), provide extra counting time
• Scaffold language: sentence starters in English with Spanish prompts: “My balance uses my ____” / “I stay still by ____”
• Mixed-ability grouping: stations with the same rules but different starting complexity; advanced students choose the harder pose card
• Extension for advanced learners: add a controlled arm movement while maintaining the pose, or perform balance with a slower “step-and-hold” pace (no stepping off)

Behaviour and safety expectations

• Clear “freeze zone”: students hold positions only in their marked area
• No pushing, no grabbing partners, and safe spacing in relays
• Teacher models correct fall prevention: “Step back to safety; try again” instead of tackling obstacles fast