My Pocket Warm-Up: A Personal Routine for Outside School

Each student designs a short warm-up on a pocket card for the physical activity they do outside school, tests it and improves it with a partner. It builds independence to take care of yourself with no teacher around.

How to play

1. Each student picks something they do outside school: a pickup game at recess, biking, dancing, running, skating, playing at the park... (3 min).
2. On a pocket-size card, design a six- to eight-minute routine with three phases: raise the pulse, mobility, and activation specific to the activity (8 min).
3. Solo test: everyone does their routine to the teacher's clock and notes what's too much or missing (7 min).
4. Swap cards with a partner: each does the other's routine and suggests one specific change (8 min).
5. Write a clean final version; anyone who wants can photograph it to keep on their phone (4 min).

Rules

• The routine must work with no equipment or with something easy to find.
• Suggestions to your partner are specific and kind.
• During testing, respect others' space.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with visual impairments: record the routine as audio instead of writing it.
• Wheelchair users: design for their own activity (wheelchair basketball, rolling, etc.) with trunk and arm drills.
• Students who aren't active outside school: design for an activity they'd like to try.

Learning goals

• Design a useful personal warm-up.
• Apply the warm-up phases to your own activity.
• Build habits of independent physical activity.

Equipment for a class of 25

• card stock: 30
• markers: 30

Teacher tip

Keep a box of sample cards for anyone who gets stuck. Students tend to cram in too many drills: set a limit of seven.

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