Mission to the Red Planet
Astronauts travel to the red planet to bring rocks back to base: out through the hatch, across the asteroid belt, on a space walk, up and down the crater, then dropping their rock in the container. Each lap brings back one more rock until the base is full.
How to play
- Sitting at the base, the teacher explains the mission and the course: hatch (play tunnel), asteroids (hoops to jump), space walk (gym bench), crater (foam wedge with mats) and rocks (balls) for the container (a box) (2 min).
- The teacher walks the whole course and shows that you climb the crater on hands and knees and slide down on your bottom (2 min).
- First lap: everyone counts down and astronauts leave one by one, without rocks, to explore the planet (4 min).
- Now, at the end of each lap, each astronaut picks up one rock from the planet floor and tosses it into the base container; keep going until no rocks are left outside (6 min).
- Dust storm! The teacher waves a cloth and everyone crouches wherever they are, covering their helmet; when it passes, they finish their lap (2 min).
- Back to Earth: sit at the base, look at the full container and applaud the completed mission (2 min).
Rules
- Leave the base only after the countdown.
- One at a time on the crater: up on hands and knees, down on your bottom.
- One rock per lap.
- During the storm, everyone crouches and stays still.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, put the asteroids close together, make the space walk a rope on the floor, and put the container right at the line.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use the gym bench, a small wedge and a container two steps away.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, hop through the asteroids on one foot or alternating feet, and pass a ball from hand to hand on the bench.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: a route alongside the course that goes around the crater, with a buddy bringing rocks to toss from the chair.
- Visual impairment: swap the hoops for textured ropes and put a bell on the container.
- Different skill levels: early finishers can be “mission helpers” and gather rocks that bounced out.
Learning goals
- Link moving, jumping, balancing, climbing and throwing.
- Work toward a simple shared goal: filling the container.
- Control the descent down a slope.
Equipment for a class of 25
- túnel de tela: 1
- aros: 8
- banco sueco: 1
- cuña de gomaespuma: 1
- colchonetas: 4
- pelotas: 25
- caja: 1
Teacher tip
Surround the wedge with mats and keep an adult there the whole time. Scatter the rocks well away from the course so no one steps on them. If the container fills too fast, quietly take a few rocks out so the mission goes on.
PatioLab has "Mission to the Red Planet" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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