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Seal Hop

Skills:

Physical: coordinated hopping, balance, upper and lower limb coordination

Cognitive: auditory processing

Social: awareness of personal space

Number of participants:

small groups

Equipment:

none

Description:

  1. children spread out throughout the playing area. The leader is the hunter; the children are the seals
  2. children perform the following actions based on the call from the leader:
  • Hop: hop on one foot
  • Seal: assume a seal-like position
  • Hunt: balance on one foot

History:

The Seal Hop is a race where competitors move from a starting to a finishing line in a seal-like position. This seal-like position is a lowered push-up with hands flat on the floor at a 45-degree angle and foot placed over the other foot. Competitors travel using only their hands and toes keeping this position throughout the race. The competitor who can keep this position and travel the distance first is the winner.

Modifications to make the activity easier:

Change the environment: Have the leader give only one command to decrease cognitive demand

Modifications to make the activity harder:

Change the environment: have a spot to which the child needs to hop when the leader calls ‘hop’ to increase physical and cognitive demand

Goal examples:

  • I will be able to hop 10 times continuously on one foot when the leader calls ‘hop’ within two-weeks
  • I can balance and hop on one leg

Video/image coming soon.