AfL playbook: 3 – 5 year olds
-
Day 1:
-
Day 2:
Mirror Mirror
Skill: Agility, Balance, Hop, Jump, Run, Skip
10 minutes
This activity develops coordination and balance as kids try to imitate the movements of their parent or play partner.
Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Skill: Lift and lower object
10 minutes
This activity develops coordination of legs, arms and torso, plus dynamic balance. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve dynamic balance and coordination for lifting and lowering objects (e.g., weightlifting as a sport, and all daily lifting activities in general, plus combative sports such as wrestling and judo).
-
Day 3:
Underhand Catch
Skill: Catch
15 minutes
This activity develops hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, and the ability to track moving objects in the air. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve flying objects (e.g., balls, shuttlecocks, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons).
-
Day 4:
Toddler Ball Rolling
Skill: Catch
10 minutes
This activity develops hand-eye coordination, gross motor control, and the ability to track moving objects. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve moving objects (e.g., balls, pucks, shuttlecocks, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons).
Bowling Milk Cartons
Skill: Throw
30 minutes
This activity develops coordination of arms and torso, fine motor control, and the ability to “read” distances. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve throwing an object accurately over a perceived distance (e.g., balls, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons).
-
Day 5:
Balloon Batting
Skill: Strike
10 minutes
This activity develops hand-eye coordination and timing while using a simple bat (i.e., striking tool). These skills also transfer to striking with a racquet or stick.
-
Day 6:
Bounce and Catch
Skill: Catch
15 minutes
This activity develops hand-eye coordination, as well as fine motor control of the hands and fingers.
-
Day 7:
Toddler Jumping
Skill: Jump
10 minutes
This activity develops dynamic balance and coordination required for any and all sports and activities that involve jumping and landing (e.g., basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, track and field, gymnastics).
-
Day 8:
Target Throwing
Skill: Throw
30 minutes
This activity develops coordination of arms and torso, fine motor control, and the ability to “read” distances. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve throwing an object accurately over a perceived distance (e.g., balls, frisbees, javelins, darts, ribbons, sticks, batons).
-
Day 9:
Follow the Leader
Skill: Agility
15 minutes
This activity develops leg coordination, dynamic balance, and speed. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve dynamic balance and speed (e.g., soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, racquet sports, martial arts, dance).
-
Jump Rope Simplified
Skill: Jump
10 minutes
This activity develops rhythm, timing, and spatial perception.
-
Day 11:
Kick Side Foot
Skill: Kick
15 minutes
This activity develops leg coordination, strength and fine motor control in the lower body. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve kicking an object (e.g., soccer, football, martial arts).
-
Day 12:
Ball Hockey for Toddlers
Skill: Strike
20 minutes
This activity develops hand-eye coordination and timing while using a hockey stick (i.e., striking tool). These skills also transfer to striking with a bat or racquet.