Inspiration for activities

Get inspired and get good ideas for your training session by exploring some of our training exercises.

Movement is for everyone – for their whole lives.

With 'MOVE For Fun' you get tools to create movement sessions for children and young people in their local communities. The exercises are simply described, and several of them have illustrations, pictures or video to explain how the exercise should be performed. Many of the activities are described so that you can develop them further according to your imagination.

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Frame for building a training session

Welcome and Startup / icebreaker

Purpose: To create common awareness of the training you have just come to.


How: Play with great entertainment value. Concentration-demanding activities – something that contains timing, tactics, competition elements, etc. Games where you get to know each other and thereby “break the barrier” (Examples).

Purpose: To develop physical, social, cognitive, creative and emotional skills and focus on how these complement and interact with another.

Emotional skills: Undertand, manage and express emotions by building self-awareness and handling impulses, as well as staying motivated and confident in the face of difficulties.
Cognitive skills: Concentration, problem solving and flexible thinking by learning to tackle complex tasks and building effective strategies to identify solutions.
Physical skills: Being physically active, understanding movement and space through practicing sensory-motor skills, developing spatial understanding and nurturing an active and healthy body.
Social skills: Collaborate, communicate and understand other people’s perspectives by sharing ideas, negotiating rules and building empathy.
Creative skills: Coming up with ideas, expressing them and transforming them into reality by creating associations, symbolising and representing ideas and providing meaningful experiences for others.

Purpose: To unleash some of the energy they have with them for the session. It prepares them for the session. For children aged 10-12 years, try a warm-up where the aim is to activate all major muscle groups and joints and get the blood circulation going. You don’t need to get too scientific or medical when explaining the exercises – the objective is to move and to move safely!

How: Games and physical challenges or relays. Play with a certain “freedom”, where you can e.g. run at your highest pace, or wherever you want.

Purpose: The main part is the part of the session where you can focus on the skills that are relevant to the activity or sport you practice. You can work with sensory stimuli, technical skills, compound movements, etc.

How: Play where you sharpen the senses. Different ball games/games that require cooperation and tactics. Games where individual elements from the main activity/sport are included.

Purpose: To finish off the session together well, so that everyone can look forward to coming back. Do something that is fun, so you leave with a good feeling and a smile on your face. It can also be a de-stressing activity where you get your heart rate down and stretch.

How: A small competition (penalty kick or throw, a fun relay, who can do… for the longest time, etc.). It can also be a singing game or stretching/relaxation to calm music. Music is generally a really good idea if it can create a calm atmosphere and make the participants think about the things they have learned during the session.

Inspiration for activities with body and movement

The activities are simple, such as running randomly in circles, and when the music stops, pairing up quickly, two and two. Or sitting in a tailor position with your hands around your ankles, then rolling to the side, over to the back and back up to a seated position.

Play and Warm up

1. Training bib relay
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What will you need for the activity? 
1 training bib for each team and a set of cones to mark up the relay track.

Description of the activity
Split the group into teams with a minimum of 5 players on each team.

When the whistle blows the first player puts on the bib and runs to the end of the track, around the cone and back to their team. The team is ready to help the player out of the bib and get the bib on the next person in line. The next person can only run when they have the bib on. The first team where all players have had a go win the round.

Its fun to see how each group forms a strategy on how they need to get the bib on and off as quickly as possible.

Fun relay with a high intensity
2.Turns
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Description of the exercise

  • Lap at the knees: both with parallel feet and in wide standing
  • Round turns: with one or both arms, both forwards and backwards
  • Sweeping swing: the spine is bent forward and rounded, so you look between the legs, you tilt your knees and get up and stand normal again
  • Twist the spine: a rotation around the spine
  • Side bends: as if to pour water out of the ear

Variation:

Work with the directions of movement of the spine (forward / backward, side, twist) while sitting on your knees or on your butt.
Then combine the movements of the spine with tilt in the legs as well as arms and round swings for, which gives a heavier feeling
You can change the foot position (parallel, wide, weight transfer)

Basic basic exercises for turns
3.Evolution game
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What will you need for the activity?
A marked-up area.

Description of the activity

Stages of the evolution: 1: Egg, 2: Chicken, 3: Dinosaur, 4: Superman

All the players move around in the marked-up area. They all start in the first stage of the evolution, in this case as Eggs. To get to the next stage of the evolution the players need to challenge each other in rock-paper-scissor. The winner develops into the next stage while the other player stays the same. You can only challenge someone who’s in the same stage of the evolution as yourself.

Once you develop into a Superman you’ve finished the game.

TIP: Go through each stage of the evolution before you start the game, to ensure they recognize it when you start playing.

The players will go through different stages of the evolution

4. Six-day racing
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What will you need for this activity?

A circle shaped track.

Description of the activity

Each player should find a partner.

Player 1 starts in the center of the circle while player 2 runs around the track 1 time as fast as possible. While player 2 is running around the track, player 1 will be doing different exercises. This can be sit-ups, star jumps, push-ups etc. Once player 2 has done a lap, they find their partner, gives them a high five and the roles changes. Now player 1 has to run around the track while player 2 is doing the exercises inside the circle.

Repeat until the music is finished or until the players have done as many rounds as you have decided.

Circuit training

Main part: Movement activities

1. Resistance exercise
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Description of the exercise

  1. Stand side by side facing the same way. Press thighs and hips against each other.
  2. Stand side by side facing the same way. Press your shoulders against each other.
  3. Stand with your back to each other. Press your backs against each other.
  4. Stand with your back to each other. Rub and scrub your backs against each other.
  5. Put your palms against each other. Try to push the other person backwards.
  6. Stand facing each other. Take your right hand and hold your partners right hand. Do the same with your left hand. Lean backwards and find your balance. Start moving in one direction. In this exercise it is important that you give the right amount of resistance and find the balance. Change directions.
  7. Stand facing each other. Person number 1 put their hands on the partners shoulders. The person being held on the shoulders leans forward and walks forward with heavy steps. Person number 1 should provide resistance but not more than the partner can still move forward. Remember to change roles.
  8. Person 1 stands behind their partner and put their hands on the partners shoulders. The person in front leans back while being pushed forward by their partner. The person in front walks forward while completely leaned back.
    Remember to change roles.

Everyone should pair up for this exercise, where it’s all about providing physical resistance to your partner.

2. Pieces of gold
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What will you need for the activity?
For this activity you will need a gym hall or an area split in two equal half’s and pieces of ‘gold’ (these can be bean bags, paper balls or similar).

Description of the activity
Form two teams. One team in each end.

The pieces of gold are spread out in both ends.

Each team needs to run to the other team’s base and take a piece of gold and bring it back to their own base. You can only take one piece of gold at a time.

When a player is on the opposing team’s half, the other team can catch the player at take it to the prison area. There is a prison area on each side of the halfway line.

You can free a player from your own team by taking their hand and run to your own half of the area.

The aim is to have as many pieces of gold as possible when the game is over.

Variation: The players who are waiting in the prison are can be doing different exercises such as star jumps, bicycle kicks, high knees etc.

A fun game with a high activity level

3. The golden leather
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What will you need for the activity?
For this exercise you will need ‘the golden leather’ (this can be a training bib) and a marked-up area.

Description of the activity
Form two teams and place them in two rows facing each other. There needs to be approx. 15 meters between the teams. The golden leather is placed in the middle between the two teams.

One player from each team runs towards the golden leather when the whistle blows.

If a player manages to get the leather and get back to their team, they have won the round and the other player who ran at the same time changes teams. HOWEVER – if the player that gets the leather, gets caught by their opponent before they get back to their own team, they have lost and they have to change teams.

It means that it’s not always a good idea to run out and take the leather straight away. Sometimes it might be a good idea to wait for your opponent to take the leather and then catch the person instead.

Once a round is finished the two players gets back in line and two new players run out.

Get your hands on the golden leather
4. The cat, the mouse and the fence
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What will you need for the activity?
A marked-up area. This can be outside or indoor.

Description of the activity
Choose a cat (1 person), a mouse (1 person) and a fence (two or more players). The players who start out as the fence need to hold hands and they have to prevent the mouse from being caught by the cat.

Remember to change roles.

A fun activity with focus on cooperation, tempo and change of directions.

Cool down

1. Cool down with a gymnastics ball
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What will you need for the activity?
Gymnastics balls if you have these available. The exercise can also be done using your hands instead.

Description
Pair up and find a space on the floor. One person lay down on their stomach while the other person roll/press a ball or their hands on the back, legs and arms of the player on the floor. This should be done in a slow and calm way.

How to do it
The teacher illustrates and the kids imitate the steps.

A good way to make the kids relax after high intensity activities.
2. Relax on the floor
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Description of the activity
All the kids lay on their back with their eyes closed and without any talking. The teachers walk around the room and pull in the kids’ arms and legs and move them around. In the end the kids should be laying with arms and legs mixed over and under each other. One kid can have their legs over another kid’s stomach. One kid can have his arms over another kid’s legs.

Remember to keep your eyes closed and try not to laugh.

Variation: The teacher shakes the kids arms and legs instead of pulling them around the room.

A good way to make the kids relax after high intensity activities.

3. Stretching
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Variations
Stretch your hamstring (back thigh)

Extend one leg out and place the heel in the ground. Keep the spine straight, bend at the hip to bring the chest toward the thigh.

The other leg that is not being stretched will also bend slightly at the knee.

Change leg

Stretch your quads (front thigh)

Hold your right foot with your right hand and lift the foot up toward your rear end, keeping your thighs and knees together. You should feel a gentle to moderate stretch in the front of the thigh. It can be difficult to find your balance so stand close to a wall or a partner when you do this.

Change leg.

Stretch your inner thighs

To stretch your inner thigh, you should stand with a very wide stance. Bend your right knee as you shift your entire body right until you feel a stretch in your left inner thigh.

Do this to both sides.

Stretch your glutes

Begin seated with your legs extended straight out in front of you.

Bend your right knee and place your right heel as close to your left sit-bone as you can.

Place your left hand or elbow on your right knee or thigh, and gently pull your knee to the left until you feel the stretch in your glutes. Remember to change legs.

Stretch your calves

Stand near a wall with one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent.

Keep your back knee straight, your heel on the ground, and lean toward the wall.

Feel the stretch all along the calf of your back leg.

Stretch your neck

Keep your head squarely over your shoulders and your back straight.

Slowly turn your head to the right until you feel a stretch in the side of your neck and shoulder.

Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, and then slowly turn your head forward again.

Repeat on your left side.

Stretch your back

On your hands and knees, slowly alternate between arching and rounding your back. Do this slowly and gently, and don’t force it.

It’s a good idea to do some stretches after each session.

4. Feel the difference between a tense and relaxed body
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Description of the activity
Step 1: Tense

Focus on one muscle group first. This could be your abs, thighs, shoulders etc. Next, take a slow, deep breath and squeeze those muscles until you feel warmth and some pressure for about 5–7 seconds. It can sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable but it is really important that you feel the tension in the muscles.

Step 2: Release

After tensing your muscles for about 5–7 seconds, let all the tightness flow out of the tensed muscles. Exhale as you do this step. It can help to imagine that your muscles are like cooked spaghetti noodles and let them be as loose as possible.

Try your best to isolate the various muscle groups while practicing (don’t tense your shoulders if you are trying to squeeze your hands, for example). Tense only one muscle group at a time. You will get better at this with practice.

Switch between tense and relaxed body

Inspiration
Fun relay with a high intensity
What will you need for the activity?  1 training bib for each team and a set of cones to mark up the relay track. Description of the activity Split the group into teams with a minimum of 5 players on each team. When the whistle blows the first player puts on the bib and runs to the end of the track, around the cone and back to their team. The team is ready to help the player out of the bib and get the bib on the next person in line. The next person can only run when they have the bib on. The first team where all players have had a go win the round. Its fun to see how each group forms a strategy on how they need to get the bib on and off as quickly as possible.