ANIMALS IN OUR NATURE

There are lots of movement activities in Latvian about animals which we use in our sport lessons to reveal to children the characteristic behaviour of animals ad their relations with other animals. Here we offer only a tiny amount which we have used in our sport activities.

For 1.5-3 years old.

"Hare's house"

Whilse there is a song playing about a hare (teacher can also sing it), children-hares are playing and jumping in the wood (sport hall). When the music stops (or  the drums beat) children-hares must find one house (hoola hoop or air pillow) to hide themselves from wolf or just to stay for the night.

For 3-4 years old.

"Diligent squirrels"

Children (squirrels) are divided into 4 teams. Each team is standing near their hollow (hoola hop) in which there are placed equal number of nuts, chestnuts or acorns in each. After a signal squirrels go to other hollows and, taking only one nut (acorn, chestnut) at a time, bring them to their own hollow. The teacher is counting to 10 and says STOP. After that no nut can be taken. Now squirrels count how many nuts there are in their hollow. The team which has the biggest number of nuts has won.

For 4-5-6 year old

"Cat and mice"

One cat is selected the other children are mice. Mice put one end of a twine in their sport trousers to make mice tale. The cat tells two lines of the rhyme and starts catching the mice. Cat must pull out the twine - then the mice is caught. The caught mice go to rest.

For 4-5-6 year old

"Hare and fox"

Children stand in hoola-hoops in pairs. There is also one fox and one children is hare - holding one in hands. The fox chases the hare. It runs away, it runs up to one pair gives a hair to one child and then this child must run away from the fox. Then this child who has the toy hare now, tries to give it away to another child, then this child runs away from the fox.

"Birds in nests"

Children stand in pairs in hoola-hoops that are placed in circle. One child is a tree (arms are put in the waist), the other child is the bird - he puts his arms on the "tree's shoulders". There is one bird without a tree (without nest).  The teacher says "All birds are flying" and all birds fly in the middle of the circle. The teacher says "All birds in nests" - each bird tries to find his tree and place hands on the shoulders of the "tree". One bird stays without nest.

After a while trees and birds chnge their roles.