Hoop Floaties: A Walk in the Pool

Each child steps into a hoop, holds it at the waist like a pool floatie and moves around an imaginary pool: walking, splashing, swimming and jumping waves. The whole body warms up while children learn to move with an object around them without bumping.

How to play

1. Everyone takes a hoop, steps inside and holds it with both hands at waist height: now we have a floatie! (1 min).
2. We walk around the pool looking for open spaces so the floaties don't touch (1 min).
3. We splash: march with knees up high, then swim with our arms without letting go of the hoop for long (1 min).
4. Here come the waves: the teacher says “Wave!” and we jump with our floatie (1 min).
5. We jog faster around the pool and, at “Back to the beach!”, put the hoop on the floor and sit inside it (2 min).

Rules

• The floatie always goes around the waist, never the neck.
• If two floaties touch, both stop and move apart.
• We only jump when the teacher says “Wave!”

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: rest the hoop on the knees or hold it in front like a steering wheel and move in the wheelchair.
• Visual impairment: the hoop works as a bumper, and a classmate signals “Wave!” with a tap on the shoulder.
• More skilled children: carry the hoop hands-free, held with the elbows.

Learning goals

• Move through space respecting others' room.
• Coordinate arms and legs while carrying an object.
• Speed up gradually.

Equipment for a class of 25

• aros: 25

Teacher tip

Large hoops fit best; if you only have small ones, have children hold them in front like a steering wheel. Give the “never around the neck” rule right at the start, in one sentence with a clear demo.

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