ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young ChildrenHajer Khamis Al.Badi 82935

Learning Task: Bean Bags

Description:

The child is going to play with the

bean bag in the gym room or in the

playground that is available in the

school. The teacher role is to guide the

child how to hold the bean bag and the

possible ways that he/she can play

with. Some ways are: putting it on the

hand/'s back, feet, shoulder, head, or

arm and walk without falling off. Other

ways are to throw the bean bag up in

the air and catch it with both hands or

throwing it to a peer to catch it.

Children might suggest other ways,

just ask them to think out of new ways.

Learning Task Adapted from:

Sultan Qaboos University, Child Care

Center, Gym Room.

Age Group:

4 to 6 years old

Subject Area:

Personal and Social Development

Subject Strand:

Physical Activity

Background Information:

Children play with different materials

that enhance their muscles or motor

movement and controlling abilities and

balance. They play with bicycles, balls,

hoops, etc and they would play with

bean bags. Playing with bean bags

develops child's large muscles (motor

skills) and her body balance. Also, it

helps in recognizing shapes (square,

circle, rectangle, triangle) and colors

(red, blue, yellow, green, black, purple,

etc).

Student Learning Outcome:

Developing large muscle skills and

body balance (putting the bean bag

on the head, shoulder, feet, or hand

and walking).

Developing the ability in throwing

and catching the bean bag (leads to

developing the ability of throwing

and catching things).

Recognizing the basic shapes and

colors for those children who do not

recognize the shapes and colors

such as 'black' or 'circle'.

May 1, 2011

ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young ChildrenHajer Khamis Al.Badi 82935

Prerequisite Concepts, Skills &

Values:

Following gym room routines in

selecting, using, and returning

materials.

Large/gross motor control skill to

hold the bean bag without falling

down.

Recognizing and naming the names

of basic shapes and colors.

Body balance while walking.

Learning Theory & Instructional

Strategies:

This learning task is following the

constructivist theory of learning.

Child has to explore many ways of

playing with the bean bag. It also

encourages them to think out of new

different ways to play with the bean

bag. Children are engaged in the

following instructional strategies:

Decision making: child will

decide whom will play with,

the way will play with the bean

bag.

Description: child may describe

the bean bag shape and color

that she/he has.

It also following the social theory

by Vygotsky where the teacher has

to help the child to approach a new

skill level.

The teacher demonstrates the ways

of playing with the bean bag then

the children plays alone or with

partners.

The teacher has to provide verbal

explanation in playing with the ben

bag.

Student Characteristics

Accommodated:

Accommodating the bodily kinetic

and spatial intelligence as children

has to hold the bean bag in many

positions and walk around.

Children are engaged in this activity

when they are ready to balance their

bodies to hold the bean bag and

walk around at the same time.

Introduction of the Learning Task:

In the gym;

Show the children samples of the

bean bag different shapes and colors.

Name the 'bean bag' for the children

and ask them to name it because they

may have not seen before.

Show them one way of using the

bean bags (or may show them some

of the possible ways/or encourage

them to think out of new possible

ways but notify that you will do at the

beginning one way). For example;

May 1, 2011

ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young ChildrenHajer Khamis Al.Badi 82935

putting the bean bag on the back of

the hand and walking around.

Explain the rules of playing with the

bean bag: not allowed to do, and how

to stop playing.

Give each child one bean bag and

avoid problems that might be raised

when the children choose their

favorite color or shape (save the play

time away of problems)

When the time of play is up ask

children to hold the bean bag between

their hand and stop in their places.

Then ask them to return the bean

bags to you according to a specific

color or a shape.

Tools and Equipment Needed:

Pattern of

the bean

bag.

Fabric

Needle &

thread

Scissors

Filling beans like popcorn beans

Preparation:

You can give it to a tailor to

design/sew and fill off with the

popcorn or follow these steps:

For the square:

Cut out t2 squares of fabric using a

pattern of CD cover as an

example.

With

right sides together and starting at

least 1/2 cm before one of the

corners, sew three sides only. (or

you can sew all sides but leave a

gab to be as a filling hole).

Turn your bean bag right-side out.

You can use a pen or a pencil to

push out the corners gently.

Fill your bean bag with the

popcorn beans.

Close

the

bean

bag

by

sewing the last side of it.

May 1, 2011

ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young ChildrenHajer Khamis Al.Badi 82935

Extension Activities:

Ask two children to play together

(throwing and catching the bean

bag).

Enrichment Activities:

To develop the large muscles

(throwing, and catching/ holding):

use balls with different sizes and

colors.

To develop the body balance ability:

use a balance board.

Assessment Techniques:

Observe the children while playing

(holding, throwing, walking with

the bean bag)

Play with the child; asking her to

throw the bean bag to you and

catching it when you throw it

toward her).

Record with videos or photo

pictures while playing in a group.

Feedback Suggestions:

o How can you play with the bean

bag differently?

o How can you walk with the bean

bag on your shoulder without

falling off?

o What is the shape/color of the

bean bag that you have got?

Evaluation Rubrics:

1. Dose not try to play with the bean

bag.

2. Holds the bean bag on her hand;

uses one way to play with the bean

bag. Does not have the balance

ability while walking and holding

the bean bag on the hand.

3. Uses 2 to 4 ways of playing with

the bean bag. Has the balance

ability when walking while

playing with it.

4. Uses more than 4 ways to play

with the bean bags; explores more

and different ways to play with.

Has the balance ability when

walking while playing with it.

Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:

o Ask the children to think out of new

ways of playing with the bean bag.

o Be careful when sewing the bean

bag with the needle.

o It is highly recommended when

playing with the bean bag that

children do not throw the bean bags

strongly to others or toward the

roof, so it will not hurt the other

children in the room.

o Keep the bean bags in a bag so you

keep them away of the dust.

o You can add other shapes with

different colors in your collection.

May 1, 2011

ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young ChildrenHajer Khamis Al.Badi 82935

References:

Child Care Center, Sultan Qaboos

University, Gym Room.

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/

easysewin1/ss/beanbags.htm

Vocabulary:

Bean bag, circle, square, black, blue,

color, shape

Key Words:

Bean bag, color, shape, fabric, needle

& thread, balance, large muscles,

throwing, holding, walking

May 1, 2011