Suitable for:
- 2 or more players
- Outdoor area or indoor area of a few metres
- Range of physical literacy: Multi-movement & Hand-eye skills
- Age appropriate: 3-7 years
Primary physical literacy skills: running, object handling
Make it happen
- Lay out an activity area with two markers at one end and a collection of objects at the other.
- Two players stand beside each other next to the markers and play Rock/Paper/Scissors.
- The winner runs to the far end and collects one object to bring back and place down on their empty marker. While they are doing that, the loser performs star jumps on-the-spot.
- If you only have a small indoor area available then make both players exercise on-the-spot, but the winner still gets to place an object on their marker each turn.
- They keep playing Rock/Paper/Scissors with the winner collecting an object each time until one of the players has moved five objects from one end to the other – that player has won a game.
- Change the movement types to vary it from running and star jumps.
Some ideas:
Collecting an object: hopping (change legs at the end), jumping like a frog, rolling sideways along the ground, crawling on hands and feet, side-stepping, galloping, skipping.
Exercising on-the-spot: running on the spot, touching the ground and then jumping into the air, kicking their heels in the air, jumping forwards and backwards with feet together.
- Involve more players by turning a series of games into a match – see Make it a challenge below.
We provide this list only as a guide of what parents/carers may wish to consider. Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
- Adapt the activity to suit the space you have available.
- Make sure the objects being collected are safe and appropriate for carrying in one hand whilst running. See Make your equipment suitable.
- If the movement type needs both hands (e.g. jumping like a frog) it may be that they should only walk, skip or run when returning with the object.
- Place the markers at a suitable distance from each other to avoid collisions.
Please click on our headings below to help you make more of this activity and keep your children coming back to it over time
After a while the children may tire of Rock/Paper/Scissors so think up some variations together. You need three things where each one scores against one of the others.
Some ideas:
- Elephant beats Lion/Mouse beats Elephant/Lion beats mouse
- Alien beats Spaceman/Spaceman beats Robot/Robot beats alien
- Leaper’s theme: Dolphin beats Turtle/Turtle beats Jellyfish/Jellyfish beats Dolphin
- Help the children make up actions for each animal or character as they move.
- Try and relate the objects to the theme you have chosen.
- Some ideas: rolled up balls of paper could be fruit for the elephant or energy balls for the alien, or fish for Loopy the dolphin
Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
- Play a match that keeps the score over a series of games. One game is over when one player has collected five objects. One game = 1 point on the score chart.
A match could be whoever is first to 5 games (5 points). The match can be played in one sitting or returned to throughout a day or over a number of days. - You can involve more than two players by playing the match format. All the children can take turns in playing each other, you just have to record how many games each child wins. The first to win 5 games (whoever those games are against) is the overall winner of the match.
- Give an incentive to play out the whole match by giving rewards to the winner and runner up and something to everyone who completes their series of games.
Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
- Always make sure whatever equipment you are using is safe and appropriate for that use.
- Use objects that are soft or have smooth edges and can be carried in one hand.
Some ideas: small cuddly toys, tennis balls, beanbag, rolled up balls of paper secured with sticky tape, a clean sock.
- Instead of markers spots or saucers to collect the objects, you could use hoops or use empty cardboard boxes/ice cream tubs, or lay a tea towel out on the ground to place them on.
Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
- Choose activities that have higher energy levels (e.g. running typically uses more energy than skipping along, jumping up and down into a crouched position like a frog would typically use more energy than galloping).
- Change it so that children have to move from their marker to the other end a certain amount of times before they can pick up their object and return with it.
- Adjust activities so that children of different ages/abilities are working at a level appropriate for them (e.g. a younger child may just do one lap to pick up their object, whereas an older child may have to do several laps or a more energetic activity).
Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
Printable PDF download here
Use of the resources
This move to improve resource is provided as a guideline only for parents and carers who wish to supervise physical activities for their children. Users of this resource have a duty of care to ensure the safety of their participants. We do not endorse the use of any content in this resource that a user feels may present a risk to the safety or well being of the children in their care.
