The Air Squat

Warm up: Tabata

  • Select a suitable tabata song (loads to choose from on all Music streaming services)
  • Two exercises, Jumping Jacks and Mountain Climbers
  • For Jumping Jacks stress the importance of getting legs out wide and keeping hands/arms long and straight(clapping at the top)
  • For mountain climbers emphasise knees coming up close to the arms during each movement
  • Complete 8 rounds of 20 seconds work followed by ten seconds rest, alternating between exercise every round
    For example:
    Round 1: Jumping Jacks 20 seconds
    10 second rest
    Round 2: Mountain Climbers 20 seconds
    10 second rest
    Round 3: Jumping Jacks
    10 second rest
    Round 4: Mountain Climbers 20 seconds
    10 second rest… etc.
  • Remember to keep encouraging children to keep going, using countdown each time so they realise there is never that long to go.
  • Stress how well they have done at halfway mark
  • Use final rounds to motivate to the end… i.e. “only three rounds to go! Second last round, Final round”

Squat: Key points

  • Big chest, superhero chest, gorilla chest, whatever comparison you can come up with(Swimmers chest, National anthem at Croke Park are a couple of others)
  • Feet in the Goldilocks position shoulder width apart(Not too wide, not too narrow, just right)
  • Maintain natural curve in the spine
  • Feet stuck to the floor, heels down all the time
  • Drop below parallel
  • Keep those knees over the toes, no knobbly knees!
  • Complete 3 rounds of 10 reps

Music is always good for this too!

Box out Balloon game:

This is a simple game with balloons as our props. The game is good fun and is a great way to introduce sports physicality to you class in a controlled way. You will need a couple of packets of balloons inflated.

  • Split class into pairs.
  • Use one pair as a demonstration group.
  • One player must try to let the balloon hit the ground
  • The other player must try to keep it in the air.
  • The player keeping the balloon in the air must dodge, spin, feint, jump and reach long to keep tapping the balloon in the air(they cannot catch it)
  • The player trying to get the balloon to hit the ground must block their opponent’s path to the balloon using their body to get in the way.
  • While there will be some contact, do not permit any overly aggressive play.
  • Play in 30 second spurts, switch roles each time. Change partners regularly throughout the class.
DOWNLOAD LESSON PLAN (PDF)