Winter Olympic Fun

Lesson Objectives

• Develop Basic Motor Skills: Improve balance, coordination, and agility through winter Olympic-themed activities.
• Encourage Teamwork: Foster skills for working in groups and pairs, developing communication and cooperation.
• Promote Engagement and Enjoyment: Make physical activity fun and inclusive, encouraging a lifelong love of sports.
• Introduce Winter Olympics: Provide foundational knowledge about the Winter Olympic Games and their significance.

Introduction (5 minutes)

Welcome the students to today's exciting Physical Education lesson themed around the Winter Olympics. Begin with a brief introduction to the Winter Olympics, explaining that it is an international sporting event that features winter sports held every four years. Use visual aids, such as pictures of winter sports like skiing, ice skating, and snowboarding, to capture their imagination.

Discussion Points:

• Name some sports played in the Winter Olympics.
• Ask if anyone has watched it on TV or knows any Winter Olympians.
• Highlight how these activities are not only fun but help athletes stay healthy and happy.

Activity 1: Olympic Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Objective: Prepare bodies for physical activity and introduce winter sports movements.

Instructions: Lead a warm-up session while mimicking movements from Winter Olympics sports.

• Shivering Shake: Shake and wiggle to warm up like you're cold.
• Penguin Waddle: Walk on heels with arms at sides – like a penguin on ice.
• Cross-Country Skiing: Step-slide-step-slide rhythm with arms moving in an imaginary skiing motion.
• Figure Skater Spins: Slow spins with one foot in front of the other, arms outstretched.

Activity 2: Sliding Ice and Stepping Stones (8 minutes)

Objective: Enhance agility and balance using a relay race format.

Instructions: Use mats as 'ice patches' and hoops as 'stepping stones' to create a course.

• Form teams and have students navigate the course, stepping only on hoops and sliding across mats without touching the ground.
• Emphasise careful foot placement and maintaining balance.
• Rotate so everyone gets a turn.

Activity 3: Bobsleigh Teams (8 minutes)

Objective: Practice teamwork and coordination.

Instructions:

• Split into groups of four or five.
• Create a "bobsleigh" using ropes or hula hoops. Each team member holds onto the rope/hoop.
• Navigate an obstacle course while holding onto the "bobsleigh" without letting go.
• Discuss as a group how everyone felt they communicated and cooperated.

Activity 4: Snowball Target Throw (8 minutes)

Objective: Develop hand-eye coordination and throwing accuracy.

Instructions:

• Use soft balls as 'snowballs'.
• Set up targets (cones or buckets) at varying distances.
• Children take turns throwing snowballs into the targets, adjusting their distance based on success to increase challenge.
• Encourage cheering and support for each other.

Activity 5: Ice Dance (6 minutes)

Objective: Express creativity and rhythm through movement.

Instructions:

• Play a popular song related to frost, ice, or the cold season.
• In pairs, students create a short 'ice dance' incorporating spins, slides, and creative movements.
• Volunteer pairs can showcase their dance, encouraging others to watch and clap along.

Cool Down and Reflection (5 minutes)

Lead a gentle cool-down session, focussing on slow stretches and breathing exercises.

Discussion Points:

• What was everyone's favourite activity and why?
• How did the activities make students think about balance, coordination, or working together?
• Reflect on how these fun activities resemble real winter sports.

Future Learning

In the next lesson, students will expand their exploration of the Winter Olympics by focusing on a specific sport: curling. They will learn about the history and rules of curling and engage in a creative, adapted version of the sport using accessible materials. This will continue to build their teamwork and strategic thinking skills.

Activities:

• Intro to Curling: Discuss the sport's origins, rules, and famous curling moments.
• Indoor Curling Game: Use soft pucks and targets to mimic curling ice sheet play.
• Focus on Strategy: Teach students basic strategies in curling, encouraging discussion and planning.

This approach aligns with the Physical Education key stage 1 aspect of the UK national curriculum, emphasizing mastering basic movements, developing balance, agility, and coordination, and engaging in competitive (against self and others) and co-operative physical activities.