3 & 4 Year Old
AGE GROUP
Activity Manual
2014 / 2015
Learning athletics through FUN PLAY
Junior Club Policies:
Parent/Child Supervision: Ratio: 1:1
Participation: In fairness to club members only registered athletes are
permitted to participate in the club programme and activities.
Leadership: Leading the groups each week is a shared role between all parents
within your allocated groups. The programme is designed to be self-run, this
means that any parent can pick up the manual and lead their team through the
activities. All parents are required to be actively involved in helping their
children engage in the activities: Please do your share for your team.
(Please see leadership duties below)
Problem Resolution: Please send a parent to the registration desk to request
assistance. A senior club captain or committee member will attend to any club
related matters during the programme:
Committee: Our committee members are parents just like you who volunteer
their time to ensure that the programmes are safe, relevant and run efficiently.
There is a strong committee presence every club night in the form of technical
coaching in the 7 + age group, manning the registration desk outside the Senior
Sheds and providing general supervision.
NEW Programme Structure 2014 / 2015 Season:
5.15pm
Roll call & Warm up
5.30pm
1st Activity
5.40pm
2nd Activity
5.50pm
3rd Activity
6.00pm
4th Activity
6.10pm
Stretch and warm down
GROUP LEADER DUTIES
PRE PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES:
 Check off Attendance Register
 Assist your team to warm up see recommended warm up below
 Return to assembly point.
DURING PROGRAMME DUTIES:
 Move promptly between each activity to maximise the time at each
station
 Use the activity sheets to teach the required skill.
END OF PROGRAMME DUTIES:
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Provide positive feedback to your team members
Return activity stations to the equipment shed
Return clipboard to equipment shed
SELECT NEXT WEEK’S LEADER:
WARM UP SCHEDULE:
Warm up should include a light run, fun warm up and stretch activities and
should go for at least 5 minutes but no more than 10 minutes. Ideas: Star
Jumps, Running on the spot, high knees, stretches.
BEAN BAGS
Skill
Throwing
Bean Bags Activity Box
Equipment: 4 Cones
4 Hoops (Different Colours)
Aim:
For each team member to
practice getting bean bags into
the hoops
Setup:
Teaching Points:
Underarm Throw
As per Activity One:
Over Arm Throw
Activity One:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Split Team into 4 groups
Line up in teams behind cones/Markers
Give each team member 3 bean bags
1st person steps up to the marker with a bean
bag and underarm throws into the hoop. Repeat
2 times:
Variation: Parent helpers hold hoop in the vertical
position at different heights to allow bean bags to go
through the hoop: Encourage children to use the
overarm and technique.
Activity Two:
Set up activity as per diagram with space setting suitable
to age group and abilities:
Follow the same principle as above all team members
will throw into the hoops from the markers.
Coach will call out a colour and all 4 team members at
the markers will aim for the correct coloured hoop.
Safety Tips:
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Do not allow children to collect beanbags until all team members at the markers have
completed.
Do not allow other team members to start until the previous children have collected their
bean bags and returned to the back of their team line.
QUOITS
Skill:
Aim:
Quoits Activity Box
Equipment: 2 Game Boards
4 Cones/Markers
Throwing
To get Quoits (Rubber Rings)
onto the pegs of the game board
from different distances
Teaching Point:
Setup:
As per Activity One:
Underarm Throw
Activity One:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Split Team into 2 groups
Line up in teams behind cones/Markers
Give each team member 1 Rubber Ring
1st person steps up to the marker with a ring, using
underarm technique attempts to get the ring
securely over a peg on the game board.
Variation: Stand, Sit, Kneel
Activity Two:
1. Line all children along an imaginary line between
the cones
2. Line parents up along the opposite side
3. Children and parents will roll the rubber ring to each
other using underarm bowling technique.
Note: Ensure that throwing distances are appropriate to the age group. Change distances to
provide a variation.
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Safety Tips:
Ensure that equipment is spaced apart appropriately to ensure that no harm is caused to
other children or bystanders.
Encourage children to collect their rings from the game board and walk around the outside
of the track to join the back of their line.
Jump - Hurdles
9 Hurdles
Equipment: 6 Lily Pads
3 Cones 3 Triangle Objects
Activity:
Jumping
Aim:
To encourage children to jump
and land balanced on two feet
Teaching Point:
Take Off
Setup:
See Layout 1 below
Landing
Activity One:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Split Team into 3 groups (or two depending on numbers)
Line up in teams behind cones/Markers
1st person steps up to the marker and walks to 1st lily pad.
In take-off position child jumps over the triangle object and lands on
2nd lily pad with 2 feet balanced.
5. Walk over the remaining hurdles and then return to the back of the
line
Variation:
1. Walk over hurdles teaching children to put their right leg first, encourage height in their
stride by getting them to lift their knees to their waist and touching their knees at waist
height.
2. Run through again this time adding a light Jog.
Not working? CHANGE IT
1.
2.
3.
4.
Change position of lily pads and hurdles to make it more challenging or less difficult
Set up a 2 team relay
Remove equipment and play Leap Frog.
Walk over hurdles teaching children to put their right leg first, encourage height on
Safety Tip:
1. Ensure that space and distance is appropriate
2. Encourage children to walk around the outside of the activity area.
SACKS
Skill:
Jumping
Aim:
To encourage children to jump
and land balanced on two feet
continuously
Teaching Point:
Equipment: Jumping Sack Activity Box
8 Markers/Cones
Setup:
Take Off
See Layout 1 below
Landing
Activity One
1. Line all children along an imaginary line between
the cones
2. Set an appropriate distance
3. Issue the Jumping Sacks
4. Line parents up on opposite side to encourage
children to jump to them
NB: If more than 10 children split into 2 teams and
line them up behind each other
Variation:
1. Increase or decrease distance accordingly to change the challenge level
2. Introduce Team Relays - Line up children on opposite sides and encourage team mate
tags.
Safety:
1. Ensure that space and distance is appropriate
2. Encourage children to stand tall and eyes focused forward to keep them jumping in
a straight line.
TRACK
Activity:
Running
To teach children the basic
techniques of running.
Aim:
Equipment: Distance markers/Cones
Clappers
Setup:
As per below
Teaching Points:
» Eyes focused forward throughout the run
» Legs and feet move in a straight line
» Shoulders and hips are square.
Activity One: Ready, Set, GO
To start a race, children must have their foot up
to the line (ensure that there foot does not cross
the start line)
Teaching Point – Clappers
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One short loud sound from the clapper
means go
Two short and quick sounds of the
clapper means stop return to the line
Parent Help:
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1 parent on clappers
1 parent on start line to ensure children are set
1 parent organising children to sit in the grid squares in preparing for stepping up to the line
2 parents at the finish line (Stand half a metre back to allow children to run through the line)
Remaining parents spaced out along the outside track to encourage children to walk back to
start in an orderly manner
Activity Two: Straight Lines
Use walking races to teach children that they must walk/run in straight lines and keep within their
lanes.
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Line children up (one child per lane)
Use – Ready Set Go and clappers each time
Walk/run over varying distances:
Safety Tip:
Children must be taught to exit the track and walk back to the start on the “outside of the track”
RUNNING CONTINUED
Note: 3 & 4 year olds will run 30, 50, 60, 75 for club champs in Feb/March.
It is important that they know how to line up in an orderly manner, start by listening for ready,
set, go and a single clap, listening for a false start (double clap).
Variations
Running Slow & Fast – run in slow motion, run as fast as you can.
Run at different speeds creating slow fast slow zones with cones
Explore Space & Direction – Run forwards, backwards and sideways
Contrast Light & Heavy Movements – Run lightly on toes, and stomp like an elephant
Run with short arms - Teach athletes that running with short arms makes them run faster.
Run with long arms
Short Arm Activities:
run with short arms
*Practise running with short arms on the spot
*Run with short ups between cones
Shuttle Runs – Set out cones to mark distances (vary distances each time)
First runner steps up to the line and runs to the marker and back to tag team mate
Slalom Set up a course using marker cones to create a zig zag run track and run like a
shuttle run.
Batton Relay - Using Battons set up a relay and get children to practice changing battons
(technique is not important at this age it’s just for fun)
GAME
Skill:
Run, Jump
5 hoops
Equipment: Small bouncy balls
4 markers
Aim:
To encourage children to
improve their running agility
incorporating Jump.
Setup:
As per Activity One
Teaching Points:
Improve agility by running and picking up objects
Activity One:
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Children line up in teams at X.
First run lines up at marker
Runner runs to centre hoop and collects a ball
Runner runs back to cone & throws ball
(underarm) into the team nest (hoop)
Repeat until all members have been
The team with the most balls in the hoop wins
To return the balls into the mothers nest (centre hoop)
get all team members to collect balls put them in there T-shirts and carry them back to the centre.
Variations:
Instead of running children can hop, skip or jump to the centre nest
Safety Tips:
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Make sure the game area is free of hazards
Keep children lined up in an orderly manner to the side of the hoop.