Three-Level Course: Crawl, Creep, and Leap
A course where each section forces students to move at a different height: crawling under cords at 16 inches, on all fours under poles at about 30 inches, and leaping over low obstacles. They practice adapting movement to space, judging heights, and endurance.
How to play
- Setup (3 min): four parallel lanes about 50 feet long. Each lane has a low section (elastic cords between cones at 16 inches over mats), a middle section (poles on tall cones at about 30 inches), and a high section (hoops on the floor and poles at 8 inches to jump).
- Groups of 6 per lane. Practice run (3 min): easy pace, one lap per student.
- Round 1 (4 min): sections go low, middle, high; staggered starts when the student ahead finishes the low section.
- Round 2 (4 min): the teacher changes the rule of each section with a signal: in the low one, crawl on your back; in the middle one, crab walk; in the high one, hop on one foot.
- Round 3 team challenge (4 min): each group counts how many laps it completes in 3 minutes; every cord touched takes away one lap.
- Wrap-up (2 min): which height was most awkward and why?
Rules
- In the low section you can't touch the cord; if you do, repeat that section.
- Safety: start when the student ahead has cleared the low section to avoid collisions.
- Poles rest on the cones, never tied, so they fall if bumped.
- Walk back to the start along the outside of the lanes.
Variations
Easier
Raise the cords to 24 inches and remove the poles in the high section.
Standard
Three height sections with rule changes and a team challenge.
Harder
Do every section with a beanbag on the back that can't fall off.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: an adapted lane for a wheelchair or scooter board, with higher cords to duck under and hoops to go around.
- Visual impairment: guided with a hand on a partner's shoulder, and bells hung on the cords ring if touched.
- Lower fitness: do two sections per lap instead of three.
Learning goals
- Adapt movement to different heights in space.
- Judge distances and heights to avoid touching obstacles.
- Keep up a steady effort through a course.
Equipment for a class of 25
- elastic cords: 8
- cones: 24
- poles: 12
- mats: 12
- hoops: 12
Teacher tip
Put mats under the cords so crawling doesn't scrape elbows or knees. If the low section backs up, lengthen the lanes or make groups smaller.
PatioLab has "Three-Level Course: Crawl, Creep, and Leap" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Elementary
1-on-1 Mini Volleyball Up and Down the River
One-on-one mini volleyball duels on 3 x 3 m courts under a rope 2 m high, using a receive, self-set and send rule.
1-on-1 Side-Step Square Duels
In pairs, inside 5 x 5 m squares, an attacker holding a football tries to get from the starting side to the far side without the defender pulling a flag.
1v1 Four-Gate Soccer Duels
In a square with a gate on each side, two players go head to head and score by dribbling through any of the four gates.
2-on-2 Mini Volleyball with a Neutral Setter
Two-on-two mini volleyball with a neutral setter under the rope who always plays for the team with the ball.
2v1 Attack Waves to Mini Goals
Two attackers take on one defender and try to score on a small goal in under 10 seconds.
2v2 Alley Mini-Volleyball
A 2v2 mini-volleyball game on a very long, narrow court, about 33×10 feet, where the only way to win a point is by playing for depth: short near the net or deep to the…