Hula Hoop Car Trip

Children explore locomotor skills by driving around in cars (hoops) on 'different roads’. 

Set up

Start in a designated area. Each child starts standing in a hoop in the area.

How to play
Step 1
  • The hoop is the child's car and each child stands inside the hoop holding it up with their hands
  • Ask the children to start their engines and start driving around
Step 2
  • The educator then calls out the following instructions and demonstrates the actions: 
    • Speed limit: walk
    • On the freeway: running around fast
    • Red light: freeze
    • Bumpy road: jump around
    • Flat tyre: hop
    • Reversing: walk backwards
    • Stuck in the mud: run on the spot
    • Windy road: lean to one side as running around
Step 3
  • After children are familiar with the above instructions you can add in some new ones:
    • Road trip: follow the educator to a new destination, you can go through a playground and down a slide or use any obstacles in your environment
    • Windscreen wipers: drop the hoop and move hands in windscreen wiper action
    • Turn the radio on: drop the hoop and dance
    • Spinning a doughnut: try and spin the hula hoop around your waist
    • Round-a-bout: run around a tree or obstacle
Variations
Make it easier
  • Start with just a few simple instructions e.g. green light, red light, reversing
  • Change the instructions to match the skill you are focusing on
Make it harder
  • Use a larger area
  • Add in more complex instructions
Activity information
Age: 2-3 years, 3-5 years
Participants: 1 +
Equipment: Hoops
Duration: 10 minutes
Skill focus
Explore these skills for teaching tips
Skill teaching

This activity allows the educator and the children to use their creativity to come up with different movements. For example, educators may call "cars run out of petrol'. All children drop their hoops to the ground and jump out of car. They then try jumping into the car (hoop) and out of car. See if they can jump over their car!

While practicing jumping, remind children to start with their arms behind them like a superhero and to swing and spring. 

Jumping teaching cues:

  1. Land like you are riding a motorbike – arms forward, ankles, knees and hips bent, feet apart
  2. Start with your arms stretched behind you like a superhero
  3. Swing & Spring
  4. Reach for a star and bring it down again (for vertical jumps)
Activity summary
Physical literacy tips
  • Let children create new instructions