Jumping with Obstacles - Lesson Plan

In Year 1 athletics, Lesson Four focuses on 'Jumping with Obstacles', where children are taught to replicate basic hurdle-jumping techniques and discover the most efficient ways to navigate a series of obstacles quickly. The key objective is to understand the importance of staying low to achieve success. Resources for the lesson include cones of two different sizes, hoops, and resource cards that cover stretches and jumping techniques. The success criteria for the lesson are clearly defined: students should be able to jump to a target successfully, jump over a series of obstacles, and control their landing to maintain speed between obstacles.

The lesson begins with a warm-up called 'Rabbit Hopping', lasting 5 minutes, where pupils move around a defined area using two-footed hops, progressing to single-leg hopping and eventually team hopping. This warm-up helps pupils understand the motion of jumping and the role of arm swings in gaining height. The main activity, which lasts 25 minutes, involves three stations where students face different jumping challenges: zigzagging through hoops, bunny hopping along a bench, and navigating a mini-hurdle course. The lesson concludes with a 5-minute cool down consisting of paired stretches and teacher-led leg stretches, emphasising the importance of maintaining each stretch for 10-15 seconds to encourage stillness and promote muscle recovery.