Little Athletes' Four-Station Circuit

We set up a little "Olympics" with no medals and four track-and-field stations: frog jumps through hoops, beanbag tosses into a bucket, a zigzag run between cones and jumps over noodle hurdles. It practices fundamental movement skills in a group circuit, with no times or points.

How to play

1. The teacher walks the whole group through the four stations and demonstrates each one once (3 min).
2. We make four groups, one per station, and each group plays at its station until the drum sounds (3 min).
3. At the drum, each group moves to the next station, following the teacher's arrow (3 min).
4. We keep rotating until we have visited all four stations (6 min).
5. We gather in the middle, the teacher gives everyone a pretend "medal" with a group hug, and we sit to catch our breath (3 min).

Rules

• At each station everyone plays, with little waiting.
• When the drum sounds, we change stations together.
• There's no first or last here: we are all athletes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: an arm version at each station (throw, push, pass the noodle over) and room for the wheelchair in the zigzag.
• Autism: a picture sign at each station and an "almost time" warning before each change.
• Visual impairment: a partner guides by the hand, and stations use brightly colored equipment.

Learning goals

• Practice jumping, throwing and running in one game.
• Organize into groups and follow station changes.
• Experience track and field as play, without competition.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Hoops: 6
• Beanbags: 12
• Cones: 6
• Pool noodles: 4
• Large buckets: 2
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

The hurdles are noodles resting on two low cones, so they fall when touched and nobody gets hurt. Set up the circuit before the kids come outside; they usually all want the same station, so form groups first.

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