Days of the Week Station Dash

Seven stations named for the days of the week form a big circle; the teacher calls questions like "What comes after Tuesday?" and groups race to the right day to do its exercise. Students practice listening, basic movement skills, and calendar vocabulary.

How to play

1. Set 7 cones in a large circle about 80 feet across, in order, each with a sign: Monday through Sunday. Next to each cone, place an exercise card (jumping jacks, squats, balance, frog jumps, spins, claps, stretch) (3 min).
2. Make 7 groups of 3 or 4 and place one at each day. Everyone says their day out loud and does the exercise for 20 seconds.
3. On the whistle, groups jog to the next day, say its name, and do the new exercise. Go all the way around twice (5 min).
4. Now the teacher asks questions such as "What comes after Tuesday?", "What comes before Saturday?", or "Find a weekend day!" and each group runs to the right cone (6 min).
5. If two groups end up at the same cone, they do the exercise together; the teacher confirms the answer and everyone repeats it.
6. Finish by chanting the days in order while the class walks around the circle touching each cone (2 min).

Rules

• Run on the outside of the circle, always in the same direction unless the teacher says otherwise.
• Groups arrive together: nobody gets left behind.
• Do the exercises in your cone's area without crowding other groups.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with limited mobility: use a smaller circle or a peer who pushes the wheelchair, with arm exercises at each station.
• Students who are deaf or hard of hearing or students with autism: color-coded picture signs and questions written on a whiteboard the teacher holds up.
• Fitness level: students who need more challenge run one full lap of the circle before going to their cone.

Learning goals

• Name and order the days of the week.
• Travel and perform different basic skills following a cue.
• Move as a group, timing their arrival with teammates.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 7
• day signs (cardstock): 7
• exercise cards: 7

Teacher tip

Give each day a color and use the same one in the classroom; it really helps young students.

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