North Pole Expedition Story Circuit

Five-station circuit set on a polar expedition: ice bridge, crevasses, ice cave, penguin sled and snowy slope. Each completed station earns a piece of the final igloo. Students practice balance, jumping, crawling, pulling and rolling.

How to play

1. Set up 5 stations: ice bridge (bench to walk across), crevasses (zigzag hoops for two-foot jumps), cave (poles on cones at 20 inches to crawl under), sled (bench to lie on belly down and pull with the arms) and slope (wedge and mats for log rolls).
2. Tell the story (2 min): 'We're explorers and we must reach the igloo before the storm.' Make 5 groups of 5, one per station.
3. Each group works 3 minutes at its station, going through one at a time. When time is up, they take one cone, a piece of the igloo.
4. On 'Blizzard!', groups rotate to the next station waddling like penguins. Add one story detail each rotation: 'The bridge got narrower: cross sideways!'
5. After all stations (17 min), each group places its 5 cones in the middle and everyone builds the igloo together (3 min).

Rules

• Only one student at a time on the bridge and the sled.
• In the cave, crawl with a low back so poles don't fall.
• Roll down the slope with arms stretched.
• Wait your turn behind your station cone.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: each station has a no-bench option, such as rolling between two ropes or pushing a beanbag across the floor.
• Students with autism: a picture card at each station and a 30-second warning before rotating.
• Fitness level: students who finish fast repeat their station with the harder challenge.

Learning goals

• Combine balance, jumping, crawling and rolling in one course.
• Stay focused and organized during station work.
• Work with the group to complete the expedition.

Equipment for a class of 25

• gym benches: 2
• hoops: 6
• poles: 3
• cones: 31
• foam wedges: 1
• mats: 4

Teacher tip

Place the sled and cave away from walls and check that benches don't slide. Put a picture card on the floor at each station so groups can find their way on their own.

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