Strategies Table of Contents
Holicraze Days: Implementing Unique Holiday Activities in Elementary Physical Activity Settings
Tammy Schilling, YuChun Chen, and Jeanie Rowland
Physical education programs delivered by certified physical education teachers and aligned with the SHAPE America National Standards for K–12 Physical Education (SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators, 2014) show the most promise for providing developmentally appropriate content, effective instruction, and equitable learning experiences for all students. Even the most qualified teachers, however, may struggle with consistently keeping content fresh and students engaged year after year. PE Central (www.pecentral.org) is one source for novel content, including lessons focused on traditional holidays such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas. These lessons not only create a festive environment in the gym but also address the National Standards, particularly Standard 5 which focuses on valuing physical activity for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.
Although not as widely publicized, there are also resources for activities that can be used in physical activity settings to celebrate unique, nontraditional holidays. The purpose of this article is to organize and provide ideas from a variety of sources for teachers to use in physical activity settings during the months of January to May. Two activities or stations per holiday are presented.
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