Moving around obstacles

• I can go around a cone
• I can step over a rope and through a hoop
• I can keep my eyes up

• Physical Development: develop overall body strength, coordination, balance and agility
• Physical Development: combine different movements with ease and fluency
• Gross Motor Skills ELG: negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others

1. Walk around the area, stepping around imaginary puddles.
2. On the drum, freeze beside the nearest obstacle.

We are mice exploring a busy kitchen. Mice go around the chair legs (cones), over the spaghetti (ropes), through the holes (hoops) and across the rug (mats) without being seen.

Organisation: 7 mins. Use the 15m x 15m area with at least 2m between items: 8 cones, 6 flat hoops, 6 flat ropes and 6 mats. Children explore individually, with no more than 3 at an obstacle; if it is busy, they choose another. Teacher stands where the whole area is visible; any additional adult supports the busiest crossing.

1. Teacher says, 'We are tiny kitchen mice,' and demonstrates going around a cone, stepping over a flat rope and travelling through the middle of a flat hoop.
2. Teacher invites children to walk into separate spaces. Children explore the obstacles, stepping onto and off mats as quiet mouse islands.
3. Teacher calls, 'Cat’s coming!' Children finish any crossing, then freeze beside an obstacle without blocking its entrance.
4. Teacher calls, 'Find a rope!' or another obstacle type. Children choose a nearby example with space and travel to it rather than all following one mouse.
5. Teacher repeats the game with different obstacle calls. Children who are ready try a gentle jog in clear spaces, returning to walking at obstacles.

Organisation: 7 mins. Make 6 home patches around the area, each with 1 hoop, 2 cone cheeses, 1 flat rope and 1 mat. Use the remaining 8 cones as obstacles between patches. Divide the class into 6 small families; all children travel, with at most 2 collecting at a patch at once and others exploring beside home. Teacher stands centrally; any additional adult supports safe carrying and home arrivals.

1. Teacher explains, 'Our spare cones are cheese today,' and demonstrates picking up one cone beside an obstacle and carrying it low with two hands.
2. Teacher assigns each small mouse family a home hoop and nearby cheese patch. Children find their home and check the route.
3. Teacher says, 'Fetch one cheese!' Each child travels around an obstacle to collect one cone, then returns by a clear route and places it gently inside the home hoop.
4. Children without cheese to collect keep exploring a short obstacle route beside their home. Teacher says, 'Restock the kitchen!' and children take one cone back to the cheese patch.
5. Teacher repeats the collecting and restocking rounds, moving cheese behind a rope or mat for children ready to cross an obstacle before collecting.

Organisation: 8 mins. Make 3 separate six-obstacle loops, each using 2 cones, 1 rope, 1 mat and 2 flat hoops, with at least 2m between obstacles. Divide children evenly between loops and spread starting points to avoid queues longer than 3. Teacher stands between loops with clear sightlines. Upright-hoop practice is offered only if an additional adult can hold a hoop and supervise while the teacher oversees the loops.

1. Teacher shows a six-obstacle kitchen loop: around a cone, over a rope, through a flat hoop, across a mat, around another cone and through a second flat hoop.
2. Teacher places children at different starting points around each loop and indicates one travel direction. Children leave at least two big steps behind the mouse ahead.
3. Children follow their loop continuously at walking pace. Teacher reminds them to pause in a clear space if the next obstacle is occupied.
4. After each circuit, teacher stops everyone in clear spaces and changes the order by moving two obstacles while children make tiny mouse steps on the spot.
5. Children try the new order. Where ready, they add a small two-foot jump over the rope or crawl through an adult-held hoop in a separate, directly supervised practice area.

1. Tiptoe home to the mouse hole.
2. Curl up small and breathe slowly 5 times.

• Only low, soft obstacles
• Hoops held still or laid flat — never rolled
• Walk the area first, then jog
• In Cheese collectors, cones used as cheese are carried below chest height, never worn or thrown; children place them inside home hoops without stepping onto the collected cones.
• Before Mouse trail starts, check that mats do not slide or curl and ropes have no loops that could catch a foot; stop the nearby loop to reset displaced equipment.
• For upright-hoop crawling, the adult holds the hoop with its lower edge resting on the floor, keeps the exit clear and admits only one child at a time; do not use unsupported upright hoops.