Create the Letters and Numbers

Skill: Jump, Run

Time Required: 15

Activity Type: Physical, Transition

Group Size: Large Group, Medium 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.
Ensure the object the leader is using to stand on is secure and safe to stand on.

Equipment: Chair, bench, or another platform for a leader to safely stand on.
Deck of cards and paper with a letter written on each piece (optional).

Objective:

Groups create the letter or number that the leader calls out using each participant in their group.

Set up:

Divide participants into groups of 10-15.
Optional to have a deck of cards and/or letters written on pieces of paper prepared.

Step by Step:

1. The goal for each group is to create the letter or number that the leader calls out.
2. The leader will be standing on a chair, bench or a tall platform so that they have a bird's eye view of the participants.
3. Participants can choose to stand, sit, crouch, lie down, in order to create the letter or number.
4. Having participants sit, crouch, or lie down is ideal if the platform isn't too high.
5. Have participants run, walk, jump, crab walk or another movement around the area.
6. The leader can pull a card from a deck of cards and participants have to create that number or letter (A for ace, K for king, Q for queen, J for jack), or pull a letter from a bowl.
7. The leader can blow their whistle, and then call out the letter or number.
8. Participants have to find their group and get together and create the letter or number as fast as possible.
9. When the group has created the letter or number, they call out "Lember" or another pre-determined word, such as "Done".
10. The leader will look at the team from a bird's eye view to see if they created the number or letter correctly.
11. If so, then they are safe, or get a point.
12. The last team to create the correct number or letter has to do a set exercise, such as: run a lap, do 20 jumping jacks, do 5 push ups and so on.
13. Or the first team gets a point, and the other teams do not.
14. Participants will begin moving around the area in the way that the leader says; until the leader calls out the next number or letter.

Variations:

Participants are allowed objects to help them create the letter or number. This will be helpful if there are not a lot of participants in each group.
Have participants create different shapes or objects. Examples of shapes and objects could be: stop sign, a tree, a cloud, a moon (participants can choose which phase of the moon), a house, a spoon, lightning, a flower, and so on.

Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.