Simple Key Component PE Activities Perfect for Lockdown

Physical ability can be broken down into six key components that link together in sports and physical activity. By isolating each component you can develop each one more easily at home. Children can work on their basic skills by practicing the skill components of fitness. These help you to perform successfully in various sports. But what are the key components and how do children work on each skill when they are stuck at home?

Agility

The ability to change direction quickly and control the movement.
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Examples of this include placing objects around a room to  create an obstacle course. Ask the children to run around the course as many times as they can in 1 minute.

Balance

The ability to maintain the body’s centre of mass above the base of support.
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Children can stand in the stork position and time how long they can hold the position for before placing their foot on the ground.

This is a great one to link with time in Mathematics too!

Coordination

The ability to use two or more body parts together.
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Use a hard back book, a pan, anything that has a solid, flat surface and a paper screwed up into a ball. See how many times children can keep the paper ball in the air. If you have a tennis racket and ball you can use that.

A good game of Twister develops this too!

Power

The ability to perform strength activities quickly.

​Children can stand next to a clear wall, with their shoulder facing towards it. Ask your children to bend their knees and as they extend them swing their arms up and touch the wall as high up as they can.

If they do this with a piece of chalk in their hand, they can measure their jump height and try to beat it next time.

Reaction Time

The time taken to respond to a stimulus.
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Using a ruler or anything that is long and will not break when dropped, get a family member to hold it up. Children can then place their fingers and thumb on either side of the object. Without telling the child, the family member lets go of the object and the child attempts to grab it as quickly as possible.

Speed

The ability to put body parts in to motion quickly.
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This one is easy! Time one minute and run on the spot as fast as possible.

To mix it up, try intervals. A child can run for 30 seconds and then jog for 10.

Alternatively, to develop endurance, try talking the children through gears. Gear one is a slow pace, right through to gear five which is a full sprint. Children can respond to which gear is said and attempt to judge their own pace.

Hannah Cooper

PE TEACHER

Hannah works as a specialist Secondary PE Teacher in Manchester, UK.