Holiday Celebrations: Elementary Physical Education Stations
Kelly Haynes(no current photo), Jonesboro Health/Wellness & Environmental Studies Magnet School & Lance G. Bryant, Arkansas State University

Given the excitement surrounding the holidays, creating stations themed around the season can prove to be a great idea in the physical education setting. There are an infinite number of ways to encourage your students’ participation in being healthy and maintaining fitness while placing a holiday theme on your lessons. Having been successful with fairly large class numbers (60+) with holiday-themed station work in our own local schools, we offer the following ideas for your use. In the past, we’ve titled our lessons “Christmas Celebrations” and “Alaskan Celebrations,” but any holiday-themed title will do. Should you have smaller class sizes, simple modifications can be made.

There are 5 stations. Number your students 1-5. If you’re fortunate enough to have paraprofessionals or adult volunteers, they can be positioned at the stations that may require assistance to ensure proper momentum and flow. If you have a small class, you may wish to participate in each station with your students. Storytelling can enhance each station as well.

Station 1: POLAR BEAR BOWLING

• Items Needed: Bowling pins, large beach balls, gator skin balls or kick balls; we’ve had art teachers (& occasionally our students) draw cartoon polar bear faces on each ball. Tape is needed for the line to bowl, and x’s of tape or poly spots where the pins are set up.
• Each student will get 2 chances to try and knock all pins down. If time allows more opportunities are provided.
  • Other Ideas-
    • Have a tournament where the top 5 bowlers compete against each other.
    • Partner bowl- each student gets one roll and top 5 partners compete in a final.
Story Example
• Imagine that you are in the North Pole looking for Santa Claus, so you can help him deliver his presents. As you are trying to find him, there is a big group of snow monsters (bowling pins) that will try and stop you. But you meet the friendly polar bears (balls with polar bear faces) that want to help you get through them! How many snow monsters can you take out at a time?
• This station can improve student hand-eye coordination.

Station 2: SLIDE DOWN THE SNOWY MOUNTAIN

• Items Needed: 2-3 scooters, small cones
• Students will be positioned in two lines. The first student in each line will be on the scooter, and the second student will push the first student on the scooter. They will travel the length of the gym. Cones should be set up where the second student stops pushing. Remind your students of, and ensure that all safety rules are explained regarding scooters before use. When the student pair reaches the other end of the gym, they switch positions.
• Story Example
  • "You and Santa are on the sleigh together. Santa's reindeer will help you take off, but you'll need to get up enough speed to help them get off the ground!"
• This station can assist with teamwork and social interaction among students.

Station 3: CROSS THE ICY OCEAN

• Items Needed: Hanging rope, cheese mat (sloped gymnastics mat), large flat mat. If you do not have these equipment items, you can modify the lesson title and call it “Leaping Across the Icy River.” You can use two jump ropes and spread them apart where students have to run, leap, and try to make it across.
• Students will be in one line. One student at a time stands on the sloped cheese mat and uses the rope to swing across the dangerous icy ocean onto the mat for safety. If you use jump ropes to make the river, place students in one line taking turns jumping the river. If they make it, they return to the end of the line to try again from a farther distance. Should they not make it, allow another attempt from a shorter distance.
• Story Example
  • " Imagine that Christmas day is almost over and you are very close to helping Santa deliver all the presents to the children of the world! But Santa's job isn't easy! To help Santa continue, you must Cross the Icy Ocean! Be very careful as you cross!"
• This station can assist students' locomotor movement of leaping, as well as students improving their upper body strength.

Station 4: CLIMB THE CHIMNEY

• Items Needed: Rock Wall, mats
• Students will climb from one end of the rock wall to the other. Students will form a line. A cone will be placed close to the wall that will alert the next student in line when it’s their turn to go. If you do not have a rock wall, you can place them into a relay type race (i.e., students run to a certain cone, do 10 mountain climbers before they come back to their line and tag the next person.
• Story Example
  • "Who knew that climbing up and down a chimney with all of those presents could be so tiresome! By helping Santa make sure that all the children get their presents, you have to climb up and down the chimney!" (Note: explain applicable directions depending on which activity you use.)
• This station can assist in improving students' upper body strength while providing cardiovascular exercise.

Station 5: CATCH THE SNOW FLAKES

• Items needed: Something to catch with (plastic buckets, card board boxes, gift boxes, (creative idea: wrap your boxes with Christmas paper), 30-60 styrofoam balls (available from a craft store) or fluff yarn balls, bean bags, or anything small that is catchable.
• This is a relay type game. Divide your class into small groups (5-6 students). Designate one student in each small group as the “snow flake catcher,” and provide the remaining students in each small group with flakes (i.e. balls). Each student will have 2-3 chances to toss “snow flakes” depending on how many flakes you have. There should be a line and cones to mark where each student that is catching must remain, and where the other students from the small group will stand to toss. One student from each small group throws at a time. As time allows, students can all have a turn “catching.” The catchers should hold the boxes or buckets on their head with both hands. Catchers are allowed to move side to side and backwards, but not forwards. The students can either toss the object and retrieve it (if balls are limited), or have a big stack and toss until they run out. Small groups can count out loud when a snowflake is caught.
• Story Example:
  • "Explain rules - "The more snow flakes your team catches, the bigger snowman you can make!"
• This station can assist in hand eye coordination, counting, throwing, and catching.

Lance G. Bryant is an Interdisciplinary Section editor for pelinks4u. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a Ph.D. in Sport Pedagogy. Currently he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Sport Sciences at Arkansas State University. His teaching responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate students adapted physical education, secondary school methods, measurement and evaluation in physical education, and beginning & intermediate swimming. His current research interests include interpreting perceptual and attitude-related data from pupils of physical education, as well as general topics related to physical education teaching and teacher education programs.

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