Balloon Relay

Description

Try a balloon relay. The students can either:

  • place a balloon between their knees as they walk
  • try to hold the balloon between two people without using hands.

The students need to walk or run a certain distance without letting the balloon touch the ground. If the balloon touches the ground, they would need to go back to the starting place and start over.

Balloon Blast

Description

For these games you will need medium to large balloons (any color).  Consider latex-free balloons as some students may have allergies to latex.

Divide students into equal groups of 3 to 6 people per group. These games can be done either standing or sitting.

Have the each group form a circle. Using just one balloon, see how many times they can volley the balloon without it hitting the ground or see how long they can keep it in the air (i.e. 1 minute, 2 minutes, etc.) The team that keeps the balloon up the longest wins!

A different version of this game would be to add a second balloon to the mix and have the students try the same activity.

Modification Option

Give youth the option to do this from a seated position so individuals who use a wheelchair can join in the fun, too!

Arm Burners!

Description

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms out at your sides and up to your shoulder level. Make a gentle fist with each hand and keep your neck relaxed. Rotate your shoulders forward, making tiny circles with arms. Do this for 2-3 minutes. Then reverse the direction and rotate your shoulders backward, making small circles with your arms. Do this for 2-3 minutes.

When doing this exercise, do not let your arms go below your shoulders. Keep your shoulder, elbow and wrist in a straight line.

Modification Options

  1. Poor balance: Lean back against a wall or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
  2. Hold onto the back of a chair and do one arm at a time.