Let’s Move it! Move It!: Encouraging Childhood Health and Fitness
Week of the Young Child Suggested Activities
Here is a list of some ideas for how you can incorporate the Week of the Young Child in your site/classroom.
These ideas can be a way to connect with your children’s families, as well as to celebrate with the children. Use
this list to stimulate your own ideas for making the week an experience that both the children and their families
will remember.
Monday April 15, 2013
Let’s Move it!
How do you move it, move it? Put on some music and “Move it” with the children. Invite parents, grandparents,
and others to watch and participate in this moving event. See how creative you can get! This can be a great way to
kick off the Week of the Young Child and make your program and the community aware of this special time.
Discuss with your children how important they are and that they are being celebrated all week
long.
Discuss the importance of exercising and staying healthy with children.
Invite guests to the classroom to read to the children.
Pinwheel Garden
April is Child Abuse Prevention month. In recognition, you can create a pinwheel garden at your center. Click here
for information on how you can make pinwheel gardens with your children.
Duck, Duck, Goose
Duck, Duck, Goose is an old classic that can easily be modified to keep kids' interest.
Have the children sit cross-legged in a circle; if this is difficult, have the kids stand in a circle holding
hands, and then sit down where they are.
Choose one child as the first "ducker," or assume the role yourself. T
he ducker walks around the outside of the circle, lightly tapping each child on the head and proclaiming
"duck."
The ducker chooses another child by saying "goose" instead of "duck" when tapping him on the head; then
the ducker runs around the circle, and the goose must get up and give chase.
If the ducker reaches the goose's seat and sits down before being caught, she is safe. However, if the
goose tags the ducker first, she must sit in the middle of the circle, or the "pot," until someone else is
caught and takes her place.
Play repeats with the goose as the new ducker.
To keep things interesting, you may guide the children in finding new and creative words to replace the
traditional "duck, duck, goose" - for instance, "caterpillar, caterpillar, butterfly!"
Tuesday April 24, 2012
Alphabet Fitness
A is for alligator crawl… B is for bouncing like a ball… C is for crawling like a cat…
Use the alphabet to get kids up and moving! Have the children try to come up with unique ways to move around the
room.
You Do the Hokey Pokey…
The Hokey Pokey is a great game for singing and shaking out the wiggles. Have the children stand in a circle, and
sing:
Put your right leg in,
Put your right leg out,
Put your right leg in
And shake it all about!
Now do the Hokey Pokey
As you turn yourself around That's what it's all about!
Take turns with different body parts, and act out the song as you sing it - putting your leg in and out, shaking it,
and turning around when the song dictates that action. Let the kids give you suggestions on body parts; there is
plenty of room here for creativity!
Animal Walks…
Arrange the children in a long line facing you… Ask the children “who can show me how (insert animal name) walks”?
If a child volunteers allow them to demonstrate. If what the child does is close to the description, have the other
children copy. If the demonstration is not close, ask if anyone can think of another way to show how that animal
might walk. You can also demonstrate or cue by using the descriptions below. Repeat with the animals running, with
each child selecting their favorite, adding their own animals and so forth.

Kangaroo (jumping while holding hands near chest with fingers forward)

Monkey (walking with hands on ground)

Bear (lumbering so that hand and foot on the same side go forward together)

Pony (galloping or trotting with all fours)

Giraffe (lift arms above head pretending this is the neck and head, then slide to move across the area)

Squirrel (running, darting and dodging, quick head movements during short stops)
Wednesday April 25, 2012
Lights! Camera! Action!
Let children be the star of the show. Allow children to act out their favorite books or their favorite songs.
Examples: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle
We're Going on a Bear Hunt Michael Rosen
Chicka Chica Boom Boom Bill Martin Jr.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around!
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy bear, jump up high.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the sky.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, bend down low.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch your toes.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn off the light.
Everybody say, ssh!
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say goodnight.
Hot Potato
Have children stand in a circle.
For the "hot potato," use a ball, beanbag, or other small item that is easy for little hands to catch and
pass.
Direct children to pass the potato around the circle while you play music on a CD player, tape player, or the
radio.
At random intervals, stop the music; whoever holds the hot potato is caught red-handed, and must choose a
different part of their body to catch the potato with.
See how creative children can be with catching the potato.
Blast-off
Arrange the children in a line on one side of a rectangle facing the other side of the rectangle. The rocket launcher
counts backward, “5,4,3,2,1 blast-off”.
“Blast off” is the signal to run as quickly as possible to the opposite side of the rectangle. The adult should be the
first rocker launcher. Select a child to be the next rocket launcher. Help the child count and say blast-off if
necessary. Play the game until everyone has been the rocket launcher. Repeat.
Thursday April 26, 2012
Let’s Go On a Safari!
Celebrate safari day with the children. Invite them to dress up like they are going on a safari and decorate the
rooms into different habitats. Encourage the children to move like the animals they would see if they were on an
actual safari.
Rhymes:
The Elepant
The elephant has a trunk for a nose
And up and down is the way it goes
He wears such a saggy, baggy hide
Do you think two elephants could fit inside?
CHORUS:
Going on a lion hunt.
But I’m not afraid!
‘Cause I’m smart and I’m strong,
And I’m very, very brave.
[Recite 1st part]
I see some grass.
It’s very tall grass.
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under it.
Gotta go through it.
(Make noises by brushing palms
together.)
[Repeat 1st Part]
I see a tree.
A very tall tree.
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under it.
Gotta chop it down.
(Make chopping movements with
hands.)
[Repeat 1st part]
I see some mud.
Ooey-gooey mud.
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under it.
Gotta go through it.
(Make squishy sounds with hands clasped together.)
[Repeat 1st part]
I see a cave.
A dark spooky cave.
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under it.
Gotta go inside it.
(Wave open hands in front of eyes.)
[Repeat 1st part]
I see something furry.
Something big and furry!
(SCREAM)
It’s a LION!! RUN!!!
Run out of the cave,
Through the mud puddle,
Over the chopped down tree,
Through the grassy place,
Run inside and slam the door
Songs:
Alphabet Zoo CD: Jack Hartmann
The Jaguar: Mrs. Jones Sing Along Songs
Hear the Animals: Mrs. Jones Sing Along Songs
Going to the Zoo: traditional song
Kourilengay (West Africa): Multicultural Rhythm Stick Fun by Kimbo
Carnival of the Animals: Classical music by Camille Saint-Saens
Red Rover
Red Rover is a good teamwork game for groups of ten or more children. Divide the children - or let them divide
themselves - into two equal teams. The teams link hands in a line and face each other across a distance of at least
ten or fifteen feet. Whichever team is elected to go first decides among themselves which child they want from
the other team. Once they decide, the team chants in unison, "Red rover, red rover, send [child's name] right
over!" The chosen child runs across the space and tries to break through the team's linked hands. If they manage
to keep their hands locked, and she fails to break through, the teams gets to keep her; however, if she breaks
through, she returns to her own team, taking with her a child from the opposing team. The winning team is the
team that accumulates all the players.
As a cautionary note, with very competitive or very hyper children, this game can become very rough, and children
can get hurt; at the first sign of trouble, before things get out of hand, it's best to redirect the children to a
different game.
Circus Elephants…….
Arrange the children in a scatter formation on a soft surface. Present the following balance challenges. If the
children do not understand, demonstrate. Balance on:
One foot
The other foot
One hand and one foot
Two hands and one foot
Switch to the other foot and two hands
Head and two feet
Elbow and one foot
Knees (no feet!)
One knee
Seat (bottom)
Hint: To challenge older children, ask “can you think of other ways to balance?” or switch quickly from one to
another of the challenges. Repeat.
Friday April 27, 2012
Celebrate!
Have a celebration on the last day of the week. Possible suggestions include an ice cream party, multicultural parent
luncheon, a picnic, or beach party.
Freeze Tag
Tag is always an excellent vent for excess energy. In Freeze Tag, one child is "it," and the rest try to keep from
getting tagged. When tagged, a child must "freeze" in his tracks until another child unfreezes him (by tagging him
or crawling between his legs). When a child is tagged for the third time, he replaces the original "it."
Encourage children to freeze in silly and creative ways!
Fitness March
Arrange the children in 1-2 lines facing front. Play the music and march. Encourage high steps with the knees lifted
up on each step. Encourage moving the arms vigorously in a pattern opposite to the legs. Begin with you as the
leader. March around the area in various patterns (lines, zig zags, circles, etc). Then allow a child to be the leader.
Switch leaders often.