Target Games - Week 3

Early Stage 1

Equipment

Marker cones
Balls and objects to throw
Variety of targets
Hoops

Download the Target Games - Week 3 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.

FMS focus: Static balance

Learning intention

Students are developing proficiency in the static balance.

Success criteria.

Student has:

Support leg still, foot flat on the ground.
Non-support leg bent, not touching the support leg.
Head stable, eyes focused forward.
Trunk stable and upright.
No excessive arm movements.

Explicit teaching of the static balance

About the skill

Balance is an essential prerequisite of almost all movement skills. A static balance is defined as being able to maintain a stationary position throughout the movement. The static balance on one foot is an important non locomotor skill that is used in gymnastics, dance, diving and many team sports.

View 'The Get Skilled Get Active - Static balance video' to support the explicit teaching of the static balance.

Model the skill

Model the static balance to students while explaining the components needed to effectively balance.

Say to the students:

- Stand still with your foot flat on the ground.
- Hold your bent leg away from your other leg.
- Look at something in front of you.
- Stand up tall when you balance.
- Relax your arms.

Guided practice with immediate teacher feedback:

Hoop hop

Place ten hoops randomly in a designated area. Students hop inside the area between the hoops until the teacher calls a number. The students then hop to a hoop. When they are in the hoop students form a group of the size called by the teacher.

Guided practice

Ask students to talk about what is needed for good balance. Discussion should centre around the components of the balance.

Students stand with one foot in front of the other, the heel of one foot touching the toe of the other.

Ask students to:

hold arms out to the side
place hands on hips
balance a bean bag on their head
repeat these activities on the other leg.

Ask students to identify which leg provides the best base for a balance: which is the preferred leg?

Students stand on the preferred leg and position the non support leg:

behind preferred leg
near preferred leg
high above preferred leg.

Ask students which position they feel most comfortable with.

Skill development games

FMS focus activity - Frozen tag

FMS focus: Static balance

Equipment: Marker cones for playing area, bibs for taggers

How to play: One or two taggers try to tag other players, who must hold a static balance for five seconds.

On teacher's signal, one or two taggers try to tag other players.
Once tagged, a player must hold the particular static pose that you call out.
To become free, they must hold this position for 5 seconds.
Static holds could include front support, rear support, stork stand, crab support, straddle stand.

Playing for life - Frozen tag

Hit the target - Playing for Life Activity Card

FMS consolidation activity - Hit the target

Skill focus: Overarm or underarm throw

Equipment: A variety of targets (such as 2-litre (or larger) plastic bottles with a little sand in the bottom, cricket wickets or buckets) and objects to throw (softballs, beanbags, tennis balls, soccer balls – 2 per player)

How to play: Targets are set up away from a throwing line. Players score points by throwing, kicking or rolling a ball at the targets.

Players throw, roll or kick a ball to hit or land in targets.
Each player has a set number of throws (e.g. 2).
Play is stopped to re-position targets that have been knocked over.

Modified small-sided games

It's game time!

Teams play each other in the game outlined below.

Throlf

Equipment:

A range of 5–6 targets, set up at different heights over a course (indoor or outdoor)
Small bean bags or hacky sacks, one per player, or any other suitable object that ‘stops where it drops’ (scrunched-up paper and tape makes a useful ‘ball’)
Objects to create obstacles and barriers, such as towels, gym mats or benches
A numbered flag or card for each ‘hole’

How to play: As in golf, a course with ‘holes’ is established. Players move around the course attempting to reach the target in the least number of throws.

Establish the course and spread the players out on it.
Players throw from a start line (‘tee’) next to each target.
The next shot is taken from where their bean bag (or similar) lands.
Encourgae students to move from target to target on the 'throlf' course using the hop.