Keep Moving with Socially Distant and No Equipment Physical Activities

The pandemic has created some challenges for physical educators, caregivers and parents. Many schools have put in place safety measures that limit what physical activities can be conducted and many school are teaching remotely. Despite current barriers, it's more important than ever to help kids be physically active. Here are three physical activities from our StartFIT® Activity Packages that can be conducted with groups of children, socially distanced and involve no equipment. They're a great way to infuse some fun and physical activity into the day, whether at school or at home. 

Animal Actions

Materials

Poly Spots or similar markers, optional

Activity Set Up

Participants should be positioned at least six feet apart in a large circle. If you have poly spots, use them to mark where participants should stand (spaced six feet apart).

Activity Description

Starting with the letter A, the group goes through the alphabet performing physical actions or stretches representative of animals. Participants should maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from other participants.

Note: Review and demonstrate each action/stretch the first time this is conducted.

Animal Actions & Stretches

• Alligator – Extend arms straight out in front, one above the other, and open and shut like a mouth.
• Bear – Extend all limbs out and up and hunch back.
• Cat – Get on hands and knees with palms flat and forward and spine flat. Exhale and round spine toward ceiling/sky. Inhale and straighten spine.
• Dolphin – Arch back and perform diving motion with arms.
• Elephant – Bend at waste and make a trunk with arms extended in front.
• Frog – Squat down with knees out to side and hands on floor/ground and hop in place.
• Giraffe – Stretch neck high and arms low, reaching in opposite directions.
• Horse – Trot (slow gallop) in place.
• Ibex – Raise arms overhead, stretch and curve them back to form horns.
• Jellyfish – Extend arms outward and upward. Move them and body in swaying motions back and forth.
• Kangaroo – Jump up and down slowly, going high and low.
• Lobster – Extend arms forward and create pincers with fingers and thumbs that open and close.
• Moth – Quickly flap arms like wings.
• Narwhal – Lie on stomach and extend arms straight and upward to make a tusk.
• Ostrich – High step in place, raising knees as high as possible.
• Pig – Lie on back, hug knees and roll back and forth/side to side.
• Queen Bee – Smile regally and wave like a queen (vertical hand with a slight twist from the wrist).
• Rabbit – Crouch down on all fours and hop in place.
• Snake – Lie on back with legs straight and crossed at ankles. Raise arms over head and cross at wrists.
• Tortoise – Kneel and bend forward with forehead on floor/ground and arms at sides (child’s pose in yoga).
• Urchin – Sit on floor/ground, hugging knees to form a tight ball with head tucked down.
• Vampire bat – Smile to show teeth. Bend arms at the elbows and flap them like wings.
• Woodpecker – Stand straight with arms at sides and move head back and forth in a pecking motion.
• X-ray Fish – Make a fish face with lips and sway hips from side to side.
• Yak – While standing, bend over at the waste and make exaggerated chewing motions with mouth.
• Zebra – Gallop in place.

Variations

• Have participants develop new actions/stretches using a different theme.

Pirate Ship

Materials

Poly Spots or similar markers, optional

Activity Set Up

Participants should be positioned at least six feet apart, all facing towards the instructor. If you have poly spots, use them to mark the spots where participants will stand (six feet apart from each other).

Activity Description

Participants conduct a variety of Pirate-themed actions based on commands given by the instructor. They should maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from other participants.

Note: Review and demonstrate each command the first time this is conducted.

Commands & Actions

• Man the Lifeboats – Sit on the floor/ground and pretend to row a boat.
• Swab the Decks – Pretend to mop the floor/ground.
• Climb the Rigging – Pretend to climb a rope ladder.
• Captain’s Coming – Salute and say “Aye, Aye, Captain!”
• Man Overboard – Pretend to jump over the side and sink down holding nose with one hand and raising the other hand in air as if going under water.
• Walk the Plank – Walk in place with arms extended out, pretending to walk the plank.
• Boom Coming Over – Duck down to prevent being hit by the boom. (Instructor makes sweeping actions with straight arms to simulate the action of the boom.)
• Shark Attack – With arms extended straight, open and close them as if a shark’s mouth .
• Fire the Cannon – Explode in a star “jumping jack” shape like a cannon exploding.
• Hit the Deck – Lie face down on floor/ground as quickly as possible.
• Mark the Treasure – Draw a large X shape in the air.
• Crow’s Nest – Shield eyes from sun with one hand while looking out into the distance and saying, “Land Ahoy!”
• Port – Turn 90 degrees to the left and march in place.
• Starboard - Turn 90 degrees to the right and march in place.
• Aft – Turn 180 degrees and march in place.
• Forward – Turn 360 degrees and march in place.
• Mutiny – Pretend to sword fight.
• Storm at Sea – Sway back and forth as if on a boat in a storm.
• Treasure Found – Pretend to dig out a buried treasure chest with a shovel.

Variations

• Have participants develop new commands to add to the list.
• Conduct the activity in a “Simon Says” way with “Captain Says” preceding commands that should be conducted. If someone performs an action at the wrong time, they should do 5 sit ups and then rejoin the activity.
• Increase the speed at which commands are given and challenge participants to keep up.

Alphabet Stretch

Materials

Poly Spots or similar markers, optional

Activity Set Up

Participants should be positioned at least six feet apart in a large circle. If you have poly spots, use them to mark where participants should stand (spaced six feet apart).

Activity Description

Participants stretch in unique ways to create letters of the alphabet. They should maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from other participants.

As a group, discuss the alphabet and how to create each letter using bodies (think of the song “YMCA”). Some letters are easier to make in uppercase, while others are easier in lowercase. Once each letter of the alphabet has been discussed and decided upon, the activity can begin.

Depending on age of participants, the instructor can call out letters to be made or words to be spelled. If spelling words, have individuals spaced nearest each other create each letter of the words.

Variations

• Have participants spell their own, or each other’s, names.
• Conduct the activity with numbers and practice math facts.