It can be fun to have a countdown to the summer or the spring party and see how it’s getting closer. Or to a disco, to a parent-meeting, or whatever you make up.
Gives some math practice in counting down, then on the day’s note you can have something else you want to bring up. The example below has one movement challenge per day
From @mitt_digiloga_classroom (Instagram)

If you want to do it digitally, there is a free app ”Pixmas Countdown” where you can make calendars on your own with a photo and text for each day. You can also choose which day you want it to open for, whether you want it Monday-Friday, or just one day a week…

Jump and measure how far you jump on different surfaces using
different jumping methods.

What you need

• Data sheet
• Pencil
• Tape measure or other measuring tool
• Partner

What to do

1. Find an open surface to do your jumping. (Use surfaces like cement, dirt
   and wood.)
2. Make a starting line.
3. Estimate how far you think you can jump.
4. Jump as far as you can from the starting line.
5. Measure the length of this jump and record it on the data chart.
6. Continue to jump, but use different jumping styles (standing, from a squat and on one foot) on the different surfaces.
7. Measure the length of each jump using different jumping styles and record on the data chart.

What to ask

• How far do you think you can jump?
• Which jumping style do you think will work the best? Why?
• How did your estimates compare with your actual results?

Datasheet is included here: Jump Like a Frog (PDF, 416 kB)

Thanks to the Children’s Museum of Houston for the idea.

Purpose:
Designing your own game takes a lot of creative problem solving to make it work and provides a fun way to use everyday materials to create something original. Children will design a tabletop maze using materials from the household recycling bin. The maze will be grounds for a ping pong ball race. The movement of the ping pong balls will be powered by air blown through straws.

Getting Started:

Supplies needed:

• Drinking straws (enough for each participant to have one)
• Two ping pong balls
• Large base for your maze to be built on (i.e., a large flat piece of cardboard or foam)
• Materials to repurpose such as coffee sleeves, cardboard, cereal boxes, or paper tubes
• Paper-backed tape such as masking tape or painter’s tape
• Scissors or x-acto knife
• Optional: aluminum foil or pipe cleaners

Players: can be done individually, with a partner, or with a small team Time needed: 15+ minutes

Instructions:

1. It’s time to start planning the maze. Will you sketch it out in advance or dive right in and start adding materials to your base? That’s up to you and your design team.

• Make sure you choose a start and a finish. The start and finish must be on the base of your maze.
• Use as many different materials as you can to create as many twists, turns, and obstacles as you can in your ping pong ball maze.
• Be sure to make your paths wide enough for a ping pong ball to travel through.
• There is no height limit for the paths in your maze.

2. Test the maze. Push your ball along by blowing air through a straw to make the ball move.
3. Blow your ball from start to finish.

Time yourself or one another as you race against the clock to move your ball from start to finish.

1. Cut a 15 x 60 cm piece of cardboard.
2. Cut four 15 x 15 cm pieces of different patterned paper, and glue these four pieces to the larger piece of cardboard.
3. Make a picture of the sun, a picture of a cloud, a picture of a raindrop and a picture of a snowflake.
4. Glue these four images onto four different pieces of patterned paper.
5. Cut an arrow out of white cardboard and glue it to the clothespin.
6. Put an arrow to show what the weather is like outside.

Combine shapes to draw a self-portrait. Start with the circle for the head. Add rectangles of different sizes for the neck, body, arms and legs.

Then add small shapes for your facial features.

Put labels next to each shape.

The idea is taken from iPads’ tips documentation.