Animal Action

I remember growing up in my gym and having the preschool teachers play this song on the stereo.  

It's fun for warm-ups or ending time...but I personally think it drags on and gets boring doing the same animals if teachers use it all the time!  

Animals are a great teaching tool though and here are a couple of my favorites to use and teach!

First we have our snake.  I always make sure the snake HAS to stay on a line and always has an end goal.  (those gyms that have a floor beam, the scooters fit perfectly over one of those).  In this video, we just use a regular velcro line on our floor (you can use masking tape at home!).  You also don't have to have a scooter.  Kids are just as happy to be a snake on the ground.

Then, we have our sloth!  Sloths are great gymnasts.  We do sloth holds on the bars and on the balance beams, and eventually as they get stronger, they can do sloth walks under the bars and beams.  Be careful when they are hanging upside down!  Always make sure you have a hand under the kids (especially around their heads!) to make sure they don't fall.  Watch the trainers with the sloths!

Try and get creative with the types of animals you use!  Be flamingos, crocodiles, bears, lions, cheetahs, penguins, rabbits, etc.  It makes stations easier to remember for kids and keeps their attention much better!