Preschool Relays for Sports Theme

I was expecting a very active group of 3- and 4-year olds for our Sports themed day, so there was never any question that we would be hosting our own Preschool Relays as one of the activities!

It is important to me to foster a sense of community and belonging with these kiddos, and since our group is relatively small (I had seven children), I put them all on the same team.  The effect was magical!  They cheered for each other, they waited patiently for their turn, and they clapped as each child finished every relay.  It is also excellent large motor exercise that provides loads of full-body proprioceptive sensory input!

And the good news is that setting up a team-building relay like this is easy!  Just follow the easy steps below:

1.  Find an awesome baton!  It is hard to see in the picture, but each child carried the awesome baton while they were running.  Ours was a long green stick with stars on the ends.

2.  Line the children up and explain how a relay works.  Start simple.  The first person holds the baton, runs across the yard, touches the play house, runs back, and hands the baton to the next person.  If you have a large group, make each child sit when they finish their run.  We did our relays outdoors, but if you have a big space or use more complicated instructions you can do it indoors too!

3.  Hand the baton to the first runner and begin!

4.  Create 2-3 more complicated relays.  For example, we had the children run across the yard, spin around a pot, sneak under the slide, and return to the line.  Three steps is usually plenty for preschoolers!

5.  Let your children create a relay!  They are wonderfully creative, love to move, and love to have their own instructions followed!  If you have a bigger group, you could let three children collaborate on one relay.  For example, "Jenny, what should everyone do first? Michael, what should everyone do second?  Liam, what should everyone do third?"

Have you done relays with your children?  I'd love to see pictures--feel free to share links here as comments or share pictures on our Preschool Powol Packets Facebook page!

And remember, I am sharing sports themed preschool activities all week!  Be sure to stop by and see them all!!




I may share at any of these parties!