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Active HOME Week

(April 27th – May 3rd)

National ‘Active SCHOOL Week’ takes place every April and is a really enjoyable part of the school year for many children.

This year, because of COVID-19, it is not possible for this to go ahead so we are asking you to invite the families of your school to participate in the ‘Active HOME Week‘ challenge instead

PARENTS, GUARDIANS and CARERS – Active School Flag would like to say WELL DONE for everything that you are doing to support children and young people with their education and with their wellbeing.

Normally, Active SCHOOL Week takes places during April. This year that’s not possible so we are reaching out to you to ask for your help with the Active HOME Week challenge, starting on 27 April. Active School Flag is a Department of Education and Skills initiative supported by Healthy Ireland. To find out more visit www.activeschoolflag.ie. Visit www.gov.ie/together for advice, ideas and support for your physical and mental wellbeing.

About the Challenge

Some of our children are bored!

The aim of this initiative is to motivate young people to keep active at home by trying out NEW activities, taking on CHALLENGES and having FUN with family activities. To complete the challenge young people, have to find four different ways of being active every day, making sure that this adds up to 60 minutes, or more, of physical activity. All members of the family are encouraged, #Together, to take on the challenge.

Some of us need ideas to keep our children active! To help with this we have created an IDEAS word cloud made up of some of the excellent ideas, resources and challenges currently being shared by local and national agencies. Many of these ideas can be viewed in action and in one place by visiting @activeflag. There’s something to suit all ages, abilities and interests, including indoor and outdoor options, with NEW ideas added daily. Remember if exercising outdoors, keep within 2 km from home, keeping 2 m distance from others.

If you would like to support the work that is happening in PE lessons we recommend that you look up the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) Beyond the Classroom/Lasmuigh den Seomra Ranga series of PE home activity videos @PDSTpe.

We’d love to see some completed challenge charts to find out about the activities and challenges that children and young people enjoyed the most!

Active School Flag is a Department of Education and Skills initiative supported by Healthy Ireland

#ActiveHomeWeek IDEAS

Check out all the ideas in the Ideas Home Cloud, and more, by visiting @activeflag. NEW ideas added daily

Parents and Children of St. Brigid's NS, Welcome to our Virtual Sports Week.

This week we are focusing on being active and having fun while doing so. The timetable that you received is flexible and activities are described and demonstrated below on this web page. On the timetable the Beginner Activity 1 is the easiest with Intermediate Activity 2 is more difficult and Advanced Activity 3 is the most challenging. You do not have to do each activity, just chose one suitable to your child's level and ability. The activities can be adapted to the area the children have access to. They can be adapted to indoors or outdoors and the children are welcome to come up with their own version of the activities.The week is aimed at having fun and not a competition. We would love to see some photos of your family participating in the activities. You can email them to glassalts@gmail.com and we can upload them to our website then. We hope you enjoy it! Have fun everyone.

Monday: Running

Teacher Challenge: Shuttle Run

Set out 4 cones (or any markers) in a row, equal distance apart. Pupil will run to the first marker then back to the start line, then run to the second marker and back to the start line, then run to the third marker and back to the start line and finally run to the last marker and back to the start line as fast as you can.

Activity 1 - Traffic Lights (Soilse Tráchta - Gluais go maith, gluais go minic leabhair 1 lth. 26)

Description of Activity

Invite pupils to find a space in a large open playing area where they are not in contact with anyone else. On a signal, pupils move around the playing area in response to the following commands. Turn it into a game of moving statues to develop. • Red: stop• Amber: walk• Green: run

(REF - PDST MWMO Book 1)

Activity 2 - Rock, Paper, Scissors tag (Leaisteanna Carraige - Páipéir - Siosúir - Gluais go maith, gluais go minic leabhair 2 lth. 28)

Description of Activity Arrange pupils in pairs, standing one metre apart and facing each other. All pairs line up along a centre line with a safety line positioned twenty metres behind both sets of pupils. Each pair begins by performing a rock-paper-scissors routine. A rock is a closed fist, paper is a flat hand, and scissors are the index and middle fingers in a cutting position. Paper always covers rock, rock breaks scissors, and scissors cut paper. To determine a winner, pupils count to three and form a rock, paper, or scissors. The winning pupil then chases their partner toward their safety line, attempting to tag them before they are safe. Line up again and repeat the activity.

(REF - PDST MWMO Book 2)

Activity 3 - Make the Face - (Déan an aghaidh - tri-o.org)

Aim: Use equipment or any similar household equipment and map key to create the Funny Face accurately using information on the map.

Organisation: Set up equipment as shown. Put out extra if available to allow for mistakes.Explain to children the concept of the word ‘symbol’. Pupil is given a Funny Face map, runs to their pile of equipment, selects the right piece for No 1 on their map, then places it in appropriate place in their Funny Face hoop / rope. The pupil then runs back and hands map to other person. Continue till Funny Face is complete. There is a full range of faces available free at the link below.

https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/images/uploaded/downloads/schools_tri_o_resources.pdf

Tuesday: Kicking

Teacher Challenge: Kick to the Target

This is best played outside. Using a football, choose an appropriate target to kick the ball at/against or into. How many times can you kick the ball to the target in a row?

Activity 1 - Through the Gate (Tríd an nGeata - Leabhar 1 lth. 178 Gluais go Maith, Gluais go Minic)

Arrange pupils in pairs with one ball per pair. Each pupil stands on a spot facing their partner who is also standing on a spot ten metres away. Set up a gate between each pair using two cones. Pupil A attempts to kick the ball to pupil B through the gate. One point is awarded for each pupil that successfully kicks the ball through the gate. Single pupils could play the game off a wall. Increase the distance to increase difficulty. Add some targets. (ref PDST Move Well Move Often Book 1)


Activity 2 - Kick to Score (Ciceáil le haghaidh scóir - Leabhar 2 lth 175 Gluais go Maith, Gluais go Minic)

Description of Activity: Draw or stick target areas at various heights on a wall. Points should be placed in the centre of each target from one to five. Arrange pupils in groups of three or four. Pupils are given a score to achieve, e.g. ten. Groups must hit the targets on the wall to achieve that score. Pupils could try to score a penalty on Mom, Dad or a big brother or sister.


Activity 3 - Rebound Ball (Peil Aisphreabtha - Leabhar 2 lth 176 Gluais go Maith, Gluais go Minic)

Arrange pupils in groups of four with one cone/skittle and one football each. The first pupil places their cone three to five metres from the wall within their designated playing area. This pupil then places their ball next to the skittle and kicks it, aiming to hit the skittle on the rebound. If the cone is hit, the cone is then moved one metre further away from the wall. A goal line can be set ten metres from the rebound wall. A goal is scored when a pupil has successfully progressed the cone, metre by metre, back across the goal line. Vary the equipment

Wednesday: Throwing

Teacher Challenge: Throw to the Target

This is best played outside. Using a basketball if you have one or another ball, choose an appropriate target to throw the ball at/against or into. Using the chest pass, see how many times you can chest pass the ball to the target in a row.

Activity 1 - Knock ‘em Down Pinball (Leag iad leis Bpionnliathróid - Gluais go maith, Gluais go minic - Leabhar 1 lth. 163)

Arrange pupils in groups of four or pupils can play in pairs or singly. Pupils line up fifteen metres apart, either side of a line of skittle targets as shown. Pupils could also use cans of Beans or empty cereal boxes. Groups take turns to roll a ball, trying to knock over a target in the middle. If a pupil successfully knocks over a skittle, they can claim this skittle and bring it over to their side. Continue playing unl all of the skittles have been claimed. (REF - PDST MWMO Book 1)


Activity 2 - Tennis ball Challenge (Dúshlán na Liathróide Leadóige - Gluais go maith, Gluais go minic - Leabhar 2 lth. 159)

Pupils work in pairs, one throwing and the other counting. The aim is to throw the ball against the wall and catch it again as many times as possible in thirty seconds. For safety reasons ensure that groups are spaced at least three metres apart (REF - PDST MWMO Book 2)


Activity 3 - Bowling (Babhláil - Gluais go maith, Gluais go minic - Leabhar 3 lth. 145)

Use cones to set up a bowling lane approximately five metres in length for each group. At the end of the bowling lane place five skiles as targets. Each bowler has three balls to knock over as many skittles as possible. All bowlers take a turn and then Replaced the knocked skittles. Keep your score. The pupil that knock over the most skiles wins. Increase difficulty by increase the distance between the thrower and the skittles or decreasing the width of the lane (Ref - PDST MWMO Book 3)


Thursday: Landing

Teacher Challenge: Speed Bounce

Speed Bounce is a dynamic test of speed, agility, co-ordination and stamina for all ages. The participant jumps two-footed from side to side over a line or a narrow object (eg broomstick) as many times as possible in the allocated time limit.

Activity 1 - Jack be Nimble (Seáninín Sciobtha - Gluais go maith, Gluais go minic - Leabhar 1 lth. 134)

Arrange the children in pairs and scatter the cones randomly around the playing area. Pupil A chants the rhyme below for pupil B who must jump off two feet over the cone (the candlestick) and attempt to land safely on the other side of the cone. Pupil B should jump over three cones while pupil A is saying the rhyme: 'Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack don't land on the candlestick'. After pupil B has completed three jumps and three landings, swap roles and play again.(REF - PDST MWMO Book 1)


Activity 2 - Jockeys up (Marcaigh in Airde - Gluais go maith, Gluais go minic - Leabhar 3 lth. 119)

Arrange children in pairs (horse and jockey) and invite them to find their own space in an open playing area. On a signal the children carry out the following movements: • Under the bridge - the jockey crawls under the horse's body. • Long way to town - the jockey jumps clockwise in a circle around the horse. • Short way to town - the jockey jumps an-clockwise around the horse. • Trade your horse - all jockeys find a new partner. Ensure partners regularly switch roles. (REF - PDST MWMO Book 3)


Activity 3 - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales

Arrange the children in 3’s. The 2 children on the outside have the elastics/skipping rope wrapped around their ankles to start. All the children chant the rhyme; “England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Inside, Outside, on the rails”. The children follow the routine as per the accompanying video. If the pupil is successful at the ankles, the elastics get moved up to the knees and then the hips. If children are working solo, they could wrap the elastics around sone chairs, a washing line, parents or older siblings’ legs.


Friday: Balancing

Teacher Challenge: Plank Challenge

The plank (also called a front hold, hover, or abdominal bridge) is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time.

Activity 1 - Walk the Line (Siúil ar an líne - Gluais go maith, gluais go minic Leabhar 1 lth. 114) Pupils walk along a line on the floor (this could be a line painted on the floor, a strip of tape or a line of spot markers). Invite pupils to: • turn fully around in the middle without losing balance or toppling off the line • complete the task with their eyes closed (in pairs with one pupil acting as a guide) • hold a shape for a count of three as they balance on the line. (REF - PDST MWMO Book 1)


Activity 2 - Wheelbarrow Races (Rásaí Barra - Gluais go maith, gluais go minic Leabhar 3 lth. 107)

Arrange pupils in pairs. Set up two lines of cones, twenty metres apart and invite pupils to find some space along the line. One pupil adopts the high plank position and their partner lis their legs below the knee. The pupil holding the high plank moves their hands to go forward, with their partner carrying their legs behind. Invite pupils to me themselves travelling from one cone to another. (REF - PDST MWMO Book 3)


Activity 3 - Obstacle Course - Cúrsa Constaice

Invite pupils to set up and run their own obstacle course with parameters as set out below. Use any equipment available - household or otherwise. Invite pupils to do the obstacle course, time themselves and try to beat their original time.


We would like to credit Sligo Education Centre for the hard work they put into creating a Virtual Sports Day source page for schools across Ireland. Most content on this page has been sourced from Sligo Education Centre 2020.