We are so excited about January’s theme at our gym!
Generally speaking we aim for one themed week each month – always aimed at our pre-school programs (age 6 and younger). I’m lucky to have a “theme team” comprised of a handful of keen coaches who like brainstorming program ideas with me! 🙂
This month’s theme is all about Teddy Bears! We sent out a reminder one week before for all pre-school programs to bring their teddy. We also have a huge bin full (brought in by coaches) for anyone who forgets.
Here are some highlights:
Warm up Activity
Music: Teddy Bear Hug by the Wiggles
Props: Picnic blanket & teddy bears for all!
Instructions: Place the teddy bears on the blanket and when the music starts, move in a circle around the blanket however the coach decides (walking, marching, jogging, hopping, skipping, etc.). When the music is paused, run to the blanket and pick up your teddy and give it a BIG hug! Repeat as many times as desired or until song is over 🙂
Bars Station Ideas
The p-bars teddy hammock! Place teddy in the hammock and bear/crab walk over!
Tucking into bed with teddy on a supported swing! This picture isn’t actually accurate — the child in the photo is sitting on top of a pillowcase, but we found it more fun to lay the pillow case over the lap of the kids (with teddy on top of course) like we were tucking them into bed! The coach them helps them rock in and out (the beginnings of a glide swing! Make sure you have a stopper block to prevent the cylinder from rolling right out!).
This photo is hard to see, but we have a pillow hanging from a string. There is a carabiner clip and some loops on the string to adjust the height. This station can be used for several purposes — in long hang (with the pillow hanging the lowest), kids can flutter kick or beat swing to kick the pillow. Raise the pillow a bit and kids can lift knees to the pillow for tuck and pike hangs. If the pillow is raised to the top, we had kids doing toe-to-bar type skills.
Beam Station Ideas
Beam was all about “bed time with teddy” so there was a bit of a sub-theme happening here.
Tuck in teddy for bed! We set up a simple bin at one end of the low beam. The kids walked across and then had to bend down to remove the blanket (the yellow scarf), place teddy in bed and then tuck him in. It was SO PRECIOUS watching the kids be so gentle and caring while doing this. SO CUTE. They then would jump down and could wake up their teddy and carry on.
I went crazy again with cups — this time I glue-gunned cotton balls to them and then glued a printed out sheep face on them. This was to go with the bedtime idea of counting sheep. The kids step over, them, reach down to touch them or pick them up, etc. There are also some printed out sheeps to jump over on the fat beam.
The best part about teddies on beam is that the kids are so focused on holding their bears, they don’t clamp down on coaches with death grips while they are walking.
Different ways of walking with teddies:
- holding teddy above head or down low
- tucking teddy under chin
- hugging teddy
- holding teddy in front and marching to touch teddy to knees
- tossing teddy up and catching him
- placing teddy on the beam and stepping over
- balance on one foot and pass teddy around your waist in a circle 3 times
- make teddy do a trick, then copy him!
Floor & Vault Station Ideas
Tight body falls – hug teddy tight while you fall!
Make a table and place teddy on top! (alternative – rear support or straight body hold)
Rockers! Place teddy on your tummy and a coach (or parent in suitable classes) will rock you sleep!
Front rolls and log rolls over/holding teddy!
Practising tuck jumps by bringing knees up to your bear!
Other fun things that didn’t get photographed
- Foam Cube Teddy Chairs – put out a hula hoop with 3 cubes in it, the kids can build a “chair” or “tower” seat for their teddy! Then knock it down!
- Over/Under teddy bear smooches – with our parent & tot classes, we had parents on one side of a beam (high enough a little kid can look over the top – or use blocks for this) and the kids are on the other. As the kids walk beside the beam, parents can hold a teddy above or below the beam for their child to give their teddy a smooch!
- Tossing teddy into the foam fit, and jumping in after to rescue him!
- At the end of class, both kids AND teddies get a sticker!
Overall, this was a great theme and the kids loved it (and were SO cute too!)!
Until next theme…
