Scooter Balances - Outcome A (K-3)-3

Examples of nonlocomotor skills include turning, twisting, swinging, balancing, bending, landing, stretching, curling and hanging. The following activity explores balances.

Give each child a scooter board. Discuss the safety issues involved with the scooters "scooting" away if students stand on them. Students should be aware of the importance of leaving space between one another and the need for extra space to stop. The importance of placing hands so they do not become pinched between floor and wheels should be taught.

Discuss large body parts (back, stomach and rear end) and small body parts (knees, elbows, hands, and fingers).

Call out tasks for the children to solve on the scooter:

• Show me how you can balance on your scooter on three body parts.
• Show me how you can balance on your scooter at a low level, in a wide shape on one body part.
• Show me a balance on two body parts - one on the floor and one on your scooter.

Complete the activity by playing a game of "Red Light Green Light" on scooters. One student is chosen to be the leader. He/she stands in the center of the gym and all others are at one end of the gym behind a starting line. On his/her signal, he/she calls out "green light" or "red light". On "green light" the children at the end of the gym attempt to move across the gym. On "red light" all students must immediately stop and create a balance on their scooter. The student in the middle watches for students who do not stop immediately and if there are any, sends them back to the starting line. The object of the game is not to be the last one across to the other side of the gym. The next leader can be either the first student across or the last.

"Green light, stop sign" is another variation of this game that children like to play. When it is time to stop, the leader calls out the type of "stop" that must be performed (e.g., a three-way stop means a balance on three body parts).

If scooters are not available, this activity could be done on a small individual gymnastic mat or small square of carpet.

For Grades 2 and 3, add the challenge of making some balances on large or small body parts. (For example, show a balance on three body parts where one is a large body part.)

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Students can demonstrate safe balances and hold for 3 seconds.

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