Make the Stick Jump

Skill: Throw
Time Required: 30
Activity Type: Creative Art, Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs
Play area: Classroom (small indoor space), Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Ensure that the groups are spaced far enough apart from one another.
Remind participants to not go and retrieve their rock until all participants have thrown and the leader tells them to go get their rock.
Ensure that there are no participants standing beyond the throwing line when participants are throwing.
Equipment: 1 stick that is 6-8 inches long for each participant (or could use a pencil or craft stick)
Rocks (or can use another object to throw, like tennis balls)
Ropes or pylons
Pen and paper to keep score (optional)
Craft materials:
Feathers
Beads
Glue
And other materials you wish to provide.
Objective:
Activity from "Recreational Tool Kit for Rural, Northern & Remote Aboriginal Communities", which was published by Northern Links.
Participants decorate a stick and then practice their throwing and aiming abilities by throwing rocks at these sticks, which will be placed in the ground in a designated area.
Other Skills:
Coordination
Set up:
Have participants decorate their stick using the materials provided. They can glue feathers and beads to their stick, along with other materials.
Once all the sticks are decorated, the activity will continue outdoors on a field.
Step by Step:
1. Divide participants into groups of 6 (or so).
2. Place a rope or pylon as the starting line/spot for each group parallel to one another.
3. Next have participants place their sticks into the ground (so they stand up) in a line going away from the throwing line.
4. All groups will have their sticks the same distance away from one another.
5. The stick that is closest to the throwing line will be worth one point, the next stick will be worth two points and so on.
6. Participants line up behind the throwing line (or pylon).
7. Each participant will have a rock (or another object to throw).
8. When the leader yells "Make that Stick Jump" or "Throw" or "Go", the first participant in line for each group will throw their rock at their sticks.
9. If a participant hits a stick directly, it will make that stick jump, and they are awarded the points for that stick. For example, if they hit the stick that is closest to them, they would score 1 point.
10. The leader can keep track of the points for each team.
11. When all the participants that were first have thrown, they all go and retrieve their rocks and go to the back of their line.
12. The next participant in each line goes to the throwing line and waits for the leader to tell them to throw.
13. Continue until a team reaches a certain score, or for a set amount of time.
Variations:
Use more or less sticks for each group.
Have them play this individually, and against participants in their group.
If indoors, can use pylons and tennis balls.

Adaptations (General):
Encourage everybody to participate and provide assistance with decorating the sticks to the extent that it is needed.

Adaptations (Blindness/Visual Impairment):
Have a teammate of a participant who is blind or visually impaired stand by the target stick in order to help orient them.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.