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Mileage Program
Dear Carol,I wrote a couple of months ago about our mileage program "Oak Hills on the Move". Since I contacted you last, a contractor donated labor and materials so that we cold build a 1/4 mile path around our soccer field. The path is necessary on Oregon for a year round mileage program because the rains soak our fields. The running through lunch recess has built healthier hearts and helped ease the congestion on our playfield, especially since the children are confined to the black top. Each recess at least 1/3 of the students are running leaving the rest of the children to play without lines or conflict.
The children are still enthusiastic, especially at the younger grades. My challenge is creating a program simple enough for the volunteers and interesting enough to keep the interest of the children. Because we are confined to a path all the tag games are out. Do you know of a resource were I can find interesting lap games?
Jennifer Oordt
Here are 10 ideas which you can use with your kids running laps.
1. Offer toe-tokens or other incentives for running so many laps.
2. Have them enter our log-a-mile program. See Blue Ribbon Program Running 2 laps = 1 footprint.
3. Play a "getting to know you game". Run with a buddy. Ask each other questions about favorites. Later write a description or draw a picture of your new friend including as many "favorites" as you can remember.
4. Another buddy game. Do a walk/run game. Take turns. For the first half of the lap one child says, "Walk," and the buddies walk, then that child calls, "Run," and they both run. On the second half of the lap let the other child be the leader.
5. One more buddy game. Play follow the leader. For one lap let one buddy be the leader. Alternate between running, jogging, skipping, walking, leaping, butt kicks, big arms, etc. Let other buddy be the leader on the second lap.
6. Have kids enter our Run the Seasons program. While running a lap have them notice changes in nature and have them record observations after Green Ribbon Program while working for our green ribbon.
7. Teach them to do intervals where they alternate walking, running and fast sprinting for part of the laps.
8. (Buddy game). Have a "stop watch" day. Let one buddy control the stop watch. Run for 2 minutes, walk for 2 minutes. Alternate.
9. Enter our Red Ribbon Run to Read and Write program. Have them write in their journals after they run, or at home and work for a red ribbon at the same time. Red Ribbon Program
10. Have a parent's at running club day. Have parents run laps with kids.
Carol
