Takeoff and Landing on the Soft Cloud

Children are superheroes learning to fly: they climb onto a low bench, take off with a jump and land on a soft cloud of mats. They practice jumping from a small height and landing safely with bent knees.

How to play

1. The teacher shows the runway: low bench, mats pushed together and hoops on the mats as landing zones (2 min).
2. Practice landing without the bench: a little hop in place, then land with bent knees and arms forward, "like a cat" (2 min).
3. First flights: climb onto the bench, superhero arms forward, jump onto the mat and land in a squat (3 min).
4. Hoop landing: jump and try to land with both feet inside the hoop on the mat (3 min).
5. Special flights: take off making a shape in the air (star, ball or cape arms) and land softly (3 min).
6. Superheroes lie down on the cloud to catch their breath (1 min).

Rules

• Only climb on the bench when the runway in front is clear.
• Jump forward, never backward or sideways.
• I land with bent knees, like a cat.
• After landing, I step off to the side so the next hero can fly.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: sit on the edge of the bench and slide onto the mat with help, or "fly" with the arms while a classmate walks alongside.
• Visual impairment: mark the bench edge with textured tape and the adult calls out "Three, two, one, take off!"
• Fearful or less confident: step down from the bench first, then jump from the floor onto the mat.

Learning goals

• Jump from a small height pushing off with both legs.
• Absorb the landing by bending the knees.
• Build confidence to try a new motor challenge.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Gym benches: 2
• Gym mats: 4
• Hoops: 4

Teacher tip

Always keep an adult right next to the bench and push the mats tight together with no gaps. Set up two runways so the wait is short; the most common mistake is landing with straight legs, so repeat the "cat landing" before each round.

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