Suitable for:
- 1 or more players
- Outdoor area or indoor area
- Range of physical literacy: running
- Age appropriate: 3-7 years
Primary physical literacy skills: running, co-ordination
Make it happen
Set a sequence of fast feet and feet co-ordination challenges to do on-the-spot (see ideas below).- Explain they should try to push off and land on the balls of their feet whilst moving the opposite arm with the opposite leg.
- Repeat the sequence after a rest and see if they can beat their score for running on-the-spot (the last one in each sequence). Many children will just count as fast as they can while running on the spot but as long as they are exercising it doesn’t really matter.
- It may take a few attempts for them to learn to co-ordinate their feet properly so see Make it fun and Make it a challenge below to help while they get the hang of it.
- Once they’ve mastered the footwork, ask them to look straight ahead rather than down at their feet when they go through the sequence.
Some ideas:
3-5 year olds:
- March on-the-spot for 20 seconds on the balls of their feet whilst pumping their arms
- Step on and off the spot forwards and backwards for 10 seconds
- Run on-the-spot as fast as they can. Count how many steps they can do in 10 seconds
5-7 year olds:
- March on the spot for 20 seconds on the balls of their feet whilst pumping their arms
- Step on and off the spot forwards and backwards for 10 seconds
- Step knees high in the air on-the-spot for 10 seconds
- Kick heels backwards into the air on-the-spot for 10 seconds
- Stand on the spot with feet together and then step the right foot off to point to the right side and then back again. Now step the left foot off to point to the left side and back again. Repeat this for 10 seconds
- Run on-the-spot as fast as they can. Count how many steps they can do in 10 seconds
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.
- Make sure the ground is level and the surface safe for vigorous activity.
- If you are using a marker spot or improvising one, then make sure it isn’t a slip hazard.
- If you increase the time periods make sure the activity level is appropriate for the age and ability of each child and make sure there are adequate rest periods.
- Help the development of the joints and muscles by teaching children to push off and land on the balls of their feet.
Please click on our headings below to help you make more of this activity and keep your children coming back to it over time
- Play some music or get the children to chant a song while they march or count their steps for each movement in the sequence.
- Play music of different tempos when they are running on the spot, see if they can achieve more steps when you play a song with a higher tempo.
- Pick a theme that will interest each child as they move on-the-spot
- Some ideas: traveling through an enchanted forest, running in the Olympics against imaginary opponents, pretend the spot is an eco-energy button that creates more power the more times they step on it.
- Leaper’s theme: Pretend to run with Pouncy the tiger as she clambers through the jungle, on and off branches, over boulders and across stepping stones in streams.
Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
- Children can challenge someone else to see how many steps they can take within time limits.
- If there are children of different ages and abilities, then the challenge should be for each child to see if they can beat their own previous score, not the score of the other child.
- Keep a record of the most steps they can achieve within the time limits so they can come back on other days to try and beat it.
- Challenge the children to perform the sequence in many different locations in the home environment or when you’re out and about i.e. wherever there is a stable, level surface and it is safe to do so.
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.
- If you don’t have a marker spot, see if there is another way to help a child stay on-the-spot.
- Some ideas: find a part of a pattern on the carpet, a mark on the floor boards, a different coloured paving slab, draw a circle with chalk on the concrete, or find any mark on the ground that is approximately the size of a dinner plate.
- NB: Check that whatever is used doesn’t cause a slip hazard.
Please also read our general guidelines on the Parents/Carers Information page.
- Try and increase the time periods they need to exercise for each movement
- Give them a total number of steps to achieve for each movement and then time the whole sequence. See if they can beat the previous time it took them to complete the sequence.
- Add two footed jumping to the sequence. They need to jump on and off the spot forwards and backwards with their feet together (bend knees on landing).
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.
