Reaction Speed with Audio Signals
Speed starts on a whistle from different positions (standing, sitting, lying face down or facing backward) with a 15-meter sprint. Students work on reaction speed to sound cues and wake up the nervous system.
How to play
- Use cones to mark a start line and a finish line 15 meters (about 50 ft) away; organize students into 4–5 waves of 5–6, about 6 ft apart.
- Do one practice start standing at half speed to check lanes and stopping.
- Each wave gets into the position the teacher calls: standing, sitting, lying face down or facing away from the finish.
- On the whistle, students get up and sprint to the finish; after crossing it, they slow down gradually over about 15 ft.
- They walk back along the sides while the next wave goes, then repeat from a new position.
- Each student does about 6–8 starts in total (two per position).
Rules
- Go only on the whistle; anyone who jumps the start repeats it.
- Slow down after the finish line, never right on it.
- Stay in your own lane.
- Walk back along the sides, not down the middle of the running area.
Variations
Easier
All starts are from standing or kneeling.
Standard
Four different positions with two starts each.
Harder
Two blasts mean run backward (toward the start line) and one blast means run forward.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: upper-body reactions (touch a cone, push the wheelchair 10 ft) or starts from accessible positions.
- Hearing loss: the whistle is paired with a dropped arm or a visible flag.
- Low fitness: shorten the distance to 10 meters (about 30 ft) and allow sitting out one wave if needed.
Learning goals
- Improve reaction speed to sound cues.
- Wake up the nervous system before the main part of the lesson.
- Get up and accelerate efficiently from different positions.
Equipment for a class of 25
- whistle: 1
- cones: 10
Teacher tip
Vary the time between "Ready!" and the whistle so students don't anticipate. Lying-down starts need room: leave about 6 ft between students.
PatioLab has "Reaction Speed with Audio Signals" and 599 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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