plac15631 aug school fitness newsletter

fun + fitness
school program
September 2015
In this issue
• Bounce for brains and balance
• Fitness tip: Five ways to jump
into playground fun
• Create an obstacle course to
pump up the challenge
• Jump onto the benefits
of springs
Leap into
Spring!
In this edition, we find out how jumping
can get young brains firing and
make young bodies
stronger. As we head into spring, it’s the
perfect time to get your students on the hop
with some great games, exercise and even
ideas for an obstacle course!
• Download our poster!
Visit the fitness website now
Bounce
for brains and balance
Jumping, hopping, skipping and leaping are
more than great fun – they’re also a serious
mental and physical workout for children.
Play that involves balance and jumping helps to stimulate
young brains and bodies in so many ways.
Brain benefits
Body benefits
• Strengthens the vestibular system, which includes the parts
of the inner ear and brain that help control balance and
eye movements.
• Improves coordination, flexibility and endurance.
• Improves spatial awareness and boosts mental alertness –
a bonus in the classroom!
• Requires the right and left hemispheres of the brain to work
together, developing neurological connections important
for skills like reading.
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• Provides a great cardiovascular workout to keep hearts healthy.
• Improves motor skills, reflexes and reaction time.
• Strengthens muscles from the feet to the core – helping in
everything from play to sitting up straight.
• Improves joint, tendon and ligament function.
www.playgroundcentre.com/fitness
Fitness tip:
3.Jumping relays
Jump
Five ways to
into playground fun
Playground games that involve jumping and balance
provide a great workout for mind and body, while
inspiring laughs every time!
1.Leap frog
Use: Open space
On oldie but a goodie! Divide into small groups
for a fast game of leap frog. Set up your start and
finish lines, say “go” and watch your teams of
leap froggers take off, each player hopping over
the person in front and immediately crouching
down to be hopped over. The first team to cross
the finish line wins the race.
2.Stepping stones (or lily pads)
Use: Hula hoops
Place a number of hula hoops on the ground
in a straight line with space in between. Line up
students and tell them to take turns, one at a
time, to jump from one target to the next to get
across the lake. If they touch the ground outside
the target, they start over.
Use: Sacks or small balls / balloons
Another classic jumping game that combines fun and
fitness is the sack race. Or you could have students try
to hold a soft, small ball between their legs as they hop
to the other end and pass off the ball to the next team
member.
4.Line jumps
Use: A crack in concrete, a rope or an imaginary line
Have your students stand with their feet together. Then
ask them to quickly jump back and forth over the line.
Encourage them to keep their core tight and pump their
hands for more momentum.
5.Hop or skip
Use: Skipping ropes
Timeless activities with boundless benefits. Younger
children still developing skills should start by hopping,
which can be easier said than done! Explain that it
means jumping with one foot and landing on the same
foot. They should use the ball of their to jump off and
land on softly, bending their ankle and knee when they
land. For older children, rope skipping is the perfect
activity for cardiovascular health and coordination.
Remember to land safely on the balls of
your feet and roll back onto your heels
Landing flat-footed can twist your ankle.
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www.playgroundcentre.com/fitness
obstacle course
Create an
to pump up the challenge!
Design an obstacle course that combines jumping
activities and playground equipment for double the fun.
What about hopping to the monkey bars, then leaping across “stepping stones”
(or hula hoops) to the climbing net – and finish it all off with a bit of spring
motion or see-saw action. Use what you have in the playground – and combine
it with your imagination – for the ultimate obstacle course to hone strength,
flexibility, motor skills and memory.
Get students involved
in designing the obstacle course to get their
minds working and enthusiasm pumping!
Jump onto the
benefits of
Springs
Get little legs and minds into action with our
huge range of spring motion play equipment.
From the Trick Skate, which makes you rotate & ‘skate’
on a spring, to trampolines, which provide various nets for
bouncing, we have everything to help boost brains and
balance in the playground.
Learn more about trampolines
View video
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www.playgroundcentre.com/fitness
Try our tramps for
boundless fun
It’s a new generation of tramps
for simple, safer fun!
Using different shapes and modules, our ‘in ground’
trampolines allow for endless possibilities in design.
Strong and simple, they don’t require concrete
foundations and use a unique mat system to allow
movement in all directions. Use just one – or combine
more for shared exhilaration and brain-boosting play!
See our website for more information
HOP TO IT
O
WAYS T
Become an
amphibian
and have
a game of
leap frog!
Use stepping
stones to jump
through an
imaginary river
– don’t touch
the ‘water’!
JUMP into
FUN & FITNESS
Put your feet together
& jump back and
forth over a line –
keep going or
jump on a
trampoline!
Regular jumping
helps you:
Get stronger,
fitter and faster
Catch, throw
an
kick on targe d
t
Have better
balance
Have strong
legs
Concentrate
in class
Play for longe
r
www.playgroun
dcentre.com/fi
tness
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Have a hopping relay –
try sack races.
Have a hopping
race or show off
your sensational
skipping skills.
Tips:
Jump-start
the fun!
Learn how to use the playground to get real
mind and body benefits from jumping.
Download this colourful poster to help you and
your students identify the best way to strengthen
their growing muscles in the playground.
Download the poster now
897
Freecall (NZ) 0800 805 256 Freecall (AU) 1800 092 897
www.playgroundcentre.com/fitness