HUFF & PUFF WARM UP GAMES
Before commencing any gymnastic program a Warm up must be completed.
A Warm up session should involve 5-10minutes of general activity followed by
stretching:
o Warm up Game 5 minutes
o Stretching Activities 10 minutes
Warming up prepares the mind, heart, muscles and joints for the activity and increases
body and muscle temperature.
The game should be inclusive to all participants with no sit outs.
Games should be fun and fast moving activities
When warm up games are part a program is extremely important to relay the rules of the
game to the participants and stress the safety component to all involved.
There are 3 forms of game formats:
A. Random activity within boundaries
B. Circle Games
C. End to End Games
A. Game format: Radom activity within boundaries
Call the Action
Within a given playing area instructions are given on how to move eg on toes, big steps,
reaching tall, moving forward, backward, sideways.
Safety:
Boundaries marked and visual to all
Freeze command acknowledged by all
Stress special awareness
B. Game format: Circle Games
TPs and Indians
In pairs form a circle with one sitting crossed legged and arms crossed (Indian) and the
other child standing behind with legs apart and arms touching straight above the head
(TP)
When called, TP runs around the Indian, around the big circle to the right, run around
the Indian again and finish in Tp stance.
When called, Indian crawls through the TP legs, around the big circle to the Right, back
through the TP legs and sit in Indian.
Last group back does something special eg 5 star jumps.
Additions: when hands are clapped change direction
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Safety:
All participants run the same way
Tall participants are the tee pees
No overtaking around the circle
C. Game format: End to End Games
Spiders Web
One person is in the spider all participants start at one end, the spider in the middle.
Participants run from end to end and try not to be tipped by the spider.
When tipped they become a fly stuck in the web, the can tip other runners but cannot
move.
The last one tipped is the winner
Safety:
All participants run at the same time
Wait for coach to say go before running back to the other end.
Make sure the participants cross a boundary instead of running into a wall.
Games
Snap, Crackle and Pop
Sit in a group of 3 one behind the other to form a circle (as per Tps and Indians)
First person is Snap, Second is Crackle, and third is Pop.
When Called, Snap, Crackle or Pop, stand and run around the big circle to the right (this
can be changed to suit environment eg run, skip, hop) and back to the group.
Once there, they can crawl through legs, or ZigZag in/out group to grab a beanbag in
the middle then sit back in the same space.
The group/s without a beanbag can do 5 star jumps.
Safety tips: Make sure bean bags are scattered away from each other
Discourage diving into the centre.
Bean Bag Snatchy
Everyone has a beanbag.
Jump randomly around and try to grab someones beanbag.
When you have grabbed a beanbag, give it back to the person.
When your bean bag has been grabbed, you must do a task to re-join the game eg
throw and catch bean bag 5 times, pass it around your body 3 times etc.
Additions : Hats can be substituted for bean bags
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Games Continued
Form a Group and touch body parts
The Class runs randomly.
On cue (eg music stops) a number and body part is called eg
6 hands, 4 knees, 2 backs 3 bottoms, 5 shoulders
Children have to quickly form a group of the designated size with the body part touching
another player.
Alphabets
Children move around defined area.
When letter of the alphabet is called, three children have to form a Group and make the
letter called out.
Easy letters: A C D E F H I K L M T Y V Y Z
Harder: B G J M O P Q R S W X
Dead Ants
Choose an ant exterminator.
The ant exterminator exterminates the ants by tipping them on the shoulder. Once
tipped and ant becomes a dying ant lies on its back with arms and legs waving in the air.
The exterminators objective is to eliminate all the ants (colony) to finish the game.
The ants have to continue the colony by taking their dying ants (the ones who have
been tipped) off the Ant hospitals.
There are 4 ant hospitals scattered around the room and determined by hoops.
It takes 4 ants to carry 1 ant to hospital (hold leg, leg, arm, arm).
Once in the hospital the dying ant is cured and continues the game.
Safety tips: When holding on to an ant you cannot be exterminated.
Place ants into hospitals
If in a confined space have the children do crab walk instead of running.
Island hopping
Have 8-10 less hoops than children.
Children must move out of their hoop (Island) when someone else comes to occupy it.
Children move randomly around.
Only 1 child can occupy a hoop (Island) at one time
Sharks and Islands
Same as Island hooping
Include a Shark to swim the waters to tip someone looking for an Island.
Once tipped you then become the shark and the other player re-joins the game.
Additions: Sharks stay in and gang up on other players.
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Fox and Geese
In a Group of 4, 3 line up heads behind heads (Geese) the other faces the 3 (Fox)
The fox has to try to tip the last geese on the end of line on the shoulder.
The first geese can only move the line sideways and semi circles. The line is attached
by holding onto each others hips.
Once the goose has been tipped, rotate the line and change the fox.
Musical Puzzle Balance
See attached sheet for balances
Scatter the puzzles around the room. When the music stops the children do the nearest
balance.
Or ask the children to run, jump, and skip to the music. When the music stops, the
coach holds up a card that all the children do.
