Non-Competitive Games: Pre-Relay Races

Most children love to run, but they are discouraged if their only reward is to win and they are not able to. Even children who are intimidated by their first few days at school find themselves joining in. This is a good activity for acquainting kids with peers and with outdoor and indoor space of the school.

Objectives

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Children ages 4-5 years can run with control over speed and change of direction GM II
ages 2 ½-4 can discriminate prepositions on, in and under Lang. IIIA
children ages 2-3 can run freely with both feet off ground simultaneously GM II
and ages 1-1 ½ years can place or retrieve object from small box FM II
All children participating are able to take turn and verbally recall rules and procedure of group SE IV

Materials

Large open space with delineated place to line up; 3 or 4 empty
boxes; small blocks or objects (beanbags).

Procedures

1. Place 3 or 4 empty boxes at the end of the running area.

2. Have children line up into 3 or 4 short lines. Give the first runners each a block or beanbag.

3. Count, "On your mark, get set, GO!" The first group of runners should run to the boxes, put the object inside (under, behind, on top of) the boxes, and run back. They are all winners if they make it back.

4. The second group of runners RETRIEVES the objects from the boxes. They then hand their objects to the next ones in line, who in turn run to the box and place the objects back in the boxes.