Activity
Figure Eight Walk
This physical education activity is easily adapted for students of all abilities within the class!
This is a good warm up activity, getting students moving in different directions and understanding patterns of movement. The skills worked on within this activity are directly related to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education National Standards, the Perkins School for the Blind Adapted Physical Education Curriculum and components of the Expanded Core Curriculum.
Materials
- A minimum of five cones
Procedure
- Set up cones: four marking the corners of a square, and one in the center of the square.
- Have the student start at one cone, marking it as the lower right-hand corner of the square, and standing on the outside of the square with the cone on his left.
- Have the student walk in a figure 8. He will begin walking toward and then past the center cone, to the cone in the opposite corner (this would be the upper left corner of the square), walk around the outside of the cone, turning right around the cone, walking straight to the next cone, walking around the outside of that cone back past the center cone to the other corner cone, around the outside of that one, turning left and walking straight back to the first cone.
- For students requiring more assistance, you may use a sighted guide; for students who are more independent, you can call out directions.
- Do this activity as a line, with students lining up and walking one behind the other. Either leave space between students, or put a hand on the shoulder in front for a train.
- Start off slowly, then pick up the pace as the student becomes familiar with the pattern.
- For a larger space: set up cones in two lines across from each other, and spread apart. Have the students start at the farthest right cone, sidestep to the next cone, high step march forward to the cone across the room, turn around to face the direction from which they came, sidestep again to the next cone, and so forth, until the entire space has been traversed. Use different types of loco motor skills for each forward movement (skipping, marching, etc.). For students with more ability, use verbal cues; or hold hands and guide students who need more assistance.
By MLaCortiglia
