Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Games and Fun: Hide and Seek and Tag

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage is crucial to clearly establish what is expected to be achieved with the lesson. In this context, the main objectives are aimed at helping students understand the relevance of play in their physical and social development, as well as developing specific skills in coordination and strategy. This clarity of goals helps guide both the teacher and the students during practical activities, ensuring that all efforts are aligned with the educational purposes of the lesson.

Main Objectives:

1. Teach students the importance of games like Hide and Seek and Tag in motor and cognitive development.

2. Develop coordination, speed, and strategy skills through the practice of these games.

3. Encourage social interaction and the importance of teamwork during play.

Side Objectives:

1. Stimulate students' creativity and imagination by adapting the rules of games to different scenarios and contexts.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students with the content they studied previously at home, using problem situations that make them think critically about the knowledge acquired. Furthermore, the contextualization aims to relate Hide and Seek and Tag games to the real world, highlighting the importance of these playful activities for the physical, emotional, and social development of the students. This approach aims to prepare students for the practical and theoretical activities they will perform during the lesson.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine a child who has never played Hide and Seek or Tag arrives at school and wants to join. How could you, who already knows the rules, teach them in a clear and fair way?

2. There is a major tournament of Hide and Seek and Tag among all the classes in the school. Each class has its own slightly different rules. How can you ensure that all participants are on equal footing and that the games are fair?

Contextualization

The games of Hide and Seek and Tag are not just fun; they have serious benefits for children's physical and social development. For example, Hide and Seek helps develop dodging and strategy skills, while Tag improves speed and coordination. Additionally, these games are played worldwide, each culture having its own variations, which shows how universal and important they are for human interaction.

Development

Duration: (70 - 80 minutes)

The development stage is designed to allow students to practically and playfully apply the knowledge acquired about the games of Hide and Seek and Tag. Through carefully planned activities, students will have the opportunity to explore and enhance their motor, cognitive, and social skills, promoting interaction and active learning. Each activity is designed to be fun and educational, ensuring that students can experience the benefits of engaging and interactive physical education.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - The Perfect Hiding Spot Challenge

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop dodging, strategy, and teamwork skills.

- Description: In this activity, students will have to find the best place to hide in a designated area in the school yard. The teacher will choose a student as the 'hunter', who will count to 50 while the other students hide. After counting, the 'hunter' will try to find the hidden classmates, and each one found will help the 'hunter' in the next round.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Choose a 'hunter' for the first round.

• Allow the other students one minute to find the best hiding spot.

• The 'hunter' counts to 50 while the others hide.

• At the end of the count, the 'hunter' begins searching for the classmates.

• Each student found helps the 'hunter' in the search.

• The activity continues until everyone has been found or until time runs out.

Activity 2 - The Tag Race

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Improve students' coordination and speed, as well as reinforce the importance of moving strategically during the game.

- Description: In this game, students will participate in a fast-paced version of Tag, where the 'tagger' cannot leave the base. Students must run around a designated area, trying to tag each other. Each time a student is tagged, they join the 'tagger' at the base, forming a chain of taggers.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into two groups: those who will be taggers and those who will be runners.

• Mark a large area in the yard as the 'base' for the taggers.

• When the game starts, the taggers must stay at the base.

• The runners must try to pass by the base as many times as possible without being tagged.

• Each tagged runner joins the taggers at the base.

• The game continues until all runners have been tagged or until time runs out.

Activity 3 - Recess Detectives

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Stimulate problem-solving and teamwork, as well as promote attention to detail and respect for collective space.

- Description: Students, in groups, will have to find out who 'stole' the teacher's snack. The game begins with the distribution of hidden clues in different locations in the yard. Students will have to run, dodge, and use their skills to collect the clues and put together the pieces of the mystery.

- Instructions:

• Prepare the clues in advance and hide them in the yard.

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Give each group the first clue.

• Groups must follow the clues to find the pieces of the mystery.

• The first team to successfully assemble the puzzle with the correct clues wins.

• Discuss with the class the importance of paying attention to details and working as a team to solve problems.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 20 minutes)

The purpose of this stage is to consolidate students' practical learning, allowing them to reflect on the skills developed and share insights with their peers. The group discussion helps reinforce the importance of teamwork, strategy, and adaptation, while also providing an opportunity for students to articulate their experiences and thoughts, promoting a deeper and more critical understanding of the concepts addressed.

Group Discussion

Start the group discussion by gathering all students in a circle. Begin by asking each group about their experiences during the activities. Encourage them to share what they enjoyed most, what they found challenging, and if there was any strategy that worked well for them. Use directed questions to explore how they applied teamwork and which individual skills were most useful during the games.

Key Questions

1. What strategies did you use to hide or tag classmates in the games of Hide and Seek and Tag?

2. How did teamwork help or could have helped during the activities?

3. Was there any moment when you had to think quickly to solve a problem in the game? How did you do that?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The conclusion stage serves to consolidate learning, ensuring that students have a clear and integrated understanding of the concepts discussed and the activities carried out. By summarizing the key points, the importance of games and play is reaffirmed not just as fun but as essential learning tools. This recap helps cement the content and prepares students for future applications and reflections on the subject.

Summary

To conclude, let's recap the main points covered today. We discussed the importance of games like Hide and Seek and Tag in the motor and social development of children. We also explored how these games promote skills such as coordination, speed, strategy, and teamwork.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was structured to effectively link theory and practice. We started with an introduction that connected students' prior knowledge to real and problematic situations. Then, through practical activities, students were able to apply and deepen their theoretical understanding, experiencing firsthand what they had studied at home.

Closing

Understanding the relevance of play and games in childhood is not just academic; it extends to the holistic development of children. These activities not only improve physical skills but also strengthen social bonds and develop essential competencies such as resilience and empathy, which are fundamental throughout life.