Mystery Exercises

Skill: Balance, Hop, Jump, Run
Time Required: 20
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs, 13+ yrs
Play area: Gymnasium (large indoor space), Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the play area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up when doing their set exercise.
Equipment: 6-10 hoops
Exercises written down and put in hoops, or taped to beanbags and placed in hoops (examples of exercises are listed in the step-by-step section)
A piece of paper per participant and pen for them to write their names
Any equipment required for an exercise
Objective:
Participants place a crumpled piece of paper with another participant's name written on it in a hoop, and each hoop represents an exercise.
Other Skills:
Coordination
Set up:
Have each participant write their name on a piece of paper, and then crumple the piece of paper.
Set up the hoops anywhere on one end of the activity. Place the pieces of paper with the exercises on them in each hoop. These exercises can be covered up so the participants can't see them, or not.
Step by Step:
1. Each participant will start with a crumpled paper with their name written on it.
2. Have participants do a set movement or exercise around the activity space. Participants could have to skip, jog, do big steps, tip toe and so on.
3. When the leader blows their whistle, or says "mingle", participants are going to find another participant. This gives participants a chance to get to know one another. Have a set question for participants to ask, such as "What's your favourite animal?", "What's your favourite subject in school?", "What's your favourite movie?" and so on.
4. After they each answer the question, they will switch crumpled pieces of paper with each other.
5. Participants will begin doing another exercise around the activity area.
6. When the leader blows their whistle again, participants will find a different participant to mingle with, and they will switch pieces of paper.
7. Do this around 3-5 times.
8. Participants are not allowed to open the paper to see what name is written inside, that will not make it a mystery.
9. The exercises inside the hoops can be covered or not, that is up the leader and/or participants. A list of example exercises are listed at the end of this section.
10. The leader will say a criterion, and any participant that falls under that criterion will get to place the piece of paper in their hand in one of the hoops. Depending on the number of hoops and participants, there can only be a maximum of 3 pieces of paper in each hoop.
11. If the leader says "Your birthday is in a month that starts with a 'J'", then all participants with birthdays in January, June and July will run and place the piece of paper on a hoop. They will then stand behind the hoops. The leader may then say "Your first name has an even number of letters in it", then all those participants will go put their pieces of paper in a hoop, and so on.
12. After all participants have placed the piece of paper they had in a hoop, the exercising begins.
13. The leader will go to the first hoop, read the exercise and then the name(s) on the pieces of paper in the hoop. When a participant hears their name, they go stand behind that hoop. When all the names are read, all the participants do their assigned exercise.
14. Continue until all participants have done their designated exercise.
15. List of example exercises:
- Crab walk around the hoops
- Do 20 jumping jacks
- Do 8 burpees
- Skip around the activity area twice
- Hop on one foot 20 times, then the other foot 20 times
- Jump as far as you can 5 times
- Dribble a soccer ball/basketball around the activity area twice
- Do 10 push ups
- Sit down and try to stand up using no hands, 5 times
- Do the YMCA dance, while jumping, 5 times
- Dance around the activity area once
- Do 4 jumping spins
- Run and give 10 participants a high five
- Be a cheerleader for a participant
- Do 3 jumping jacks, 3 burpees, 3 push ups, 3 hops on each foot, and give 3 participants a high five.
Variations:
Instead of having two participants mingle, the leader will say a number, and participants have to get in groups of that many participants. They will all switch pieces of paper with each other, and then all put their hands in the middle and throw them up and say "Mingle", or "Banana", or "We Rock!", or anything they come up with.
Participants will throw a beanbag towards the hoops. Whichever hoop their beanbag lands in is the one they will stand behind. Participants are allowed 10 seconds to look at the exercise in each hoop, to know which one they want to throw their beanbag into.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.