Semester 2 Fun in Year 1!

Semester 2 started with ‘gym fun’ activities such as pencil rolls, butterfly rolls, hand stands, forward rolls and a variety of balances. Students are often given the opportunity to make their own activities – sometimes with equipment, and sometimes without. We feel it is important for young students to learn to use their creativity when given open ended tasks. Physical Education is a great vehicle for igniting the explorer within. Students are encouraged to use trees, fences, logs and all their surroundings as part of their games.

Athletics is a big focus in term 3 and our year ones have been learning all about races and relays. The students know about pumping their arms, how to start and finish a race, and what being a ‘good sport’ means. They have experienced what it means to be a part of  team – to do their best for themselves and for their team.

To finish off the year we have spent a lot of time on overarm throwing. Students have focussed on using their ‘stepping foot’ when throwing as this helps with balance and momentum. In recent weeks we have learnt how to play ‘Bucketball’ – a throwing and fielding game similar to t-ball. During these lessons students are exposed to winning and losing and the concept of scoring to determine the winners and losers of games.

Here are some of the activities we have been enjoying in semester 1 PE:

Our Year 1 students are encouraged to explore their environment and use their imagination to create new games and activities without the use of the regular equipment we use in PE. We discuss what the potential dangers are and how to avoid them.

Bounce! In this unit skills such as dribbling, passing, catching and shooting are practised in modified games. Students learn the benefits of bending their knees when shooting and passing.

In Year 1 a large emphasis is placed on students becoming aware of which foot is their stepping foot – particularly for rolling and throwing (left foot for a right hander and vice versa).

Circus Tricks! Here students were given a variety of ‘circus’ style equipment to play with and create their own new tricks. Then they performed their tricks for their classmates.

Gym Fun! Students were given time and space to explore how their bodies move and what shapes and balances they can create, sometimes individually, in pairs and small groups. Playing carefully and safely was an emphasis here.