Hoop to Hoop Balancing – Flexibility and Learning Game

by Kelly Pfeiffer

Place hula hoops on the ground and promote flexibility and balance with this fitness activity that has preschoolers stretching and balancing with different body parts.

Preschoolers will practice body part recognition and counting skills as they listen and follow directions to this movement exploration game. Add more learning to this game with symbol, color and letter recognition using the ideas in the “Adaptations for Hoop Balancing” section at the bottom of this page.

What You Need

2 Hula Hoops per preschooler

or

Hoop to Hoop Balancing Preparation

Lay 2 hoops down on the floor side by side for each preschooler.

Hoop to Hoop Balancing Game – How to Play

Call out directions one at a time and allow children time to complete each task. Use the directions below and add your own.

1. Stand up with one foot in each hoop.

2. Balance with one foot in one hoop and one hand in the other hoop. (only those body parts can be inside of the hoop. The other body parts can be either off of the floor or on the floor outside of the hoops.)

3. Put two hands in one hoop and two feet in the other hoop.

4. Put only one hand in one hoop and two feet in the other hoop.

5. Put only your bottom in one hoop and one hand in the other hoop. (Feet must be held off of the floor or outside of the hoops.)

6. Put one hand and one foot in one hoop and one foot in the other hoop. (The other hand must be off of the floor or placed outside of the hoops.)

7. Put one knee in one hoop and one knee in the other hoop.

8. Put one knee in one hoop and two hands in the other hoop.

9. Put one knee in one hoop and one hand in the other hoop. (All other body parts must be held off of the floor or outside of the hoops.)

10. Put two knees in one hoop and two elbows in the other hoop.

11. Put two elbows in one hoops and one knee in the other hoop.

12. Put your bottom in one hoop and one elbow in the other hoop.

13. Put two heels in one hoop and two hands in the other hoop. (Preschoolers will probably have to have their tummies facing the ceiling for this one and it may be challenging for preschoolers to decide how to do this task.)

14. Put one hand and one knee in one hoop and one hand and one knee in the other hoop.

15. Put one elbow and one knee in one hoop and one elbow and one knee in the other hoop.

Adaptations for Hoop to Hoop Balancing

After preschoolers know how to play, add in more learning in one or more of these ways.

Add Visual Cues to the Activity – Use masking tape to tape two hoops to the wall. Use pictures or drawings of the body parts (hands, feet, bottom, knee, elbow) and tape the body parts in the hoops on the wall. You can give preschoolers both the spoken directions and the visual directions. When preschoolers have learned to follow the spoken directions along with the visual directions, then use only the visual directions (by taping the body parts inside the hoops on the wall) and help preschoolers develop a new skill, following directions visually.

Make Index Cards To Give Directions - Write or draw different combinations of body parts on index cards. Turn the index cards face down. Choose two cards at a time to decide what body parts go in the hoops.

Use Three Hoops - After preschoolers have mastered this game with two hoops, try using three hoops for more problem solving and flexibility benefits.

Use Specific Colored Hoops - Give preschoolers one hoop (all the same color) and another hoop that is a different color (all the same color). So for example, each preschooler would have one red hoop and one blue hoop. Give instructions by naming the color of the hoop. Example: Put one foot in the blue hoop and two hands in the red hoop.”

Letter or Word Recognition - After placing hoops on the floor, write two different numbers or letters on index cards and tape the cards inside of the hoops. For example, you might write the letters O and Q on two index cards. (These letters are similar and preschoolers often need practice telling the difference between them.) Tape the "O" index card in one hoop and the "Q" index card in the other hoop. Give instructions by naming the letter inside the hoop. Example: "Put one heel in the "O" hoop and two hands in the "Q" hoop.