EQUIPMENT: giant chessboard – name cards and holders – soft toy on a pedestal (Boletus the Gnome)- plasticized (15x15 cm) coloured cards with points written on one side (treasure chests) – small pieces of paper (2.5 x 2.5 cm) with directions written on them - cloth bag – 4 moderately large soft sponge rubber balls (about the size of a football) - prize caps (plastic soft-drink bottle caps), safes.
THE FAIRY TALE
“The king was a wise and generous monarch who enjoyed testing his subjects and rewarding those who could do his difficult challenges with little specially prepared treasure chests. One day, the king’s wizard gave him an enchanted bag that magically produced formulas on how to reach the small treasure chests hidden in the different rooms of the castle. The king was delighted with the bag and immediately proposed a game for his subjects ...”
The class is divided into 4-5 teams. At the same time, a member of each team goes to a square of their choosing on the chessboard, from which they must move as per the instructions on the small cards extracted by the teacher from the cloth bag (e.g. 3 vertical, 6 horizontal, 4 diagonal etc.).
The children receive indications taken from the magic bag and then choose the square they wish to leave from.
On the chessboard there are coloured cardboard squares (small treasure chests), with the point numbers marked on the side facing down (ranging from 1 to 5 points as in Lesson 6).
If a team member passes over a square in which there is a small treasure chest, they earn the equivalent number of prize caps to the points that are marked on the treasure chest.
If there are other treasure chests on the path, the various points from each chest are totalled.
The team that has the most prize caps in their safe at the end of the activity wins.
The treasure chest cards are laid face up (points visible), stimulating the team to find the richest path (strategy).
Points are not gained for any treasure chests that are on the path taken, but only for the one on the destination square (put lots of treasure chest cards on the chessboard).
JUGGLER OF THE YEAR (by Laura Novellini).
THE FAIRY TALE
“Every year the king and the queen invited some of the best jugglers to compete at the castle for the Juggler of the Year Award. For the occasion special performance rooms were used, with the king deciding the challenges the jugglers had to do. To get to the right performance rooms, the jugglers had to knock on the front door of the castle and wait for instructions from the king. At the end of the performance, the jugglers would give a bow to the applauding audience and leave the performance room and then the castle.”
Put the 4 sponge-rubber balls on different squares.
4 volunteers become the jugglers and are instructed on how to reach the squares with the balls.
Using the Castle Step, they leave from a start square of their choosing, but on the side opposite the king (the teacher).
The children must follow the path given by the king (e.g. 4 steps forward vertical and then 2 steps right horizontal).
Once the children have reached the performance rooms, they are given a challenge (e.g. “Today’s challenge for the jugglers is to throw the ball high into the air and catch it several times – don’t drop the ball or tread on the invisible theatre walls”).
The children get a round of applause after the challenge is completed.
Before leaving the chessboard, they bow to the audience.
CHALLENGE VARIATIONS:
Holding a ball on their heads with both hands, the children go along a path of differently coloured squares without treading on the invisible walls.
The ball is rolled several times around the waist, transferring it from hand to hand.
The children hop along a path of differently coloured squares with the ball held between their ankles without letting it fall.
While moving along a path of differently coloured squares, the children pass the ball behind their knees with one hand and then take it in the other, alternating between the right and left leg.
On all fours (hands and feet on the ground, but with tummy in the air), the children rest the ball on their tummy and move along a vertical or horizontal path without letting the ball fall.
The ball is thrown to a classmate standing in a hoop off the chessboard.
The ball is thrown to a classmate standing in a hoop off the chessboard who throws it back.
NOTE
If the class is small, the activity can be done by one child at a time, with only one ball placed on the chessboard. This requires more individual involvement as the child has to deal with doing the exercise in front of the whole class. If you note that a child is reluctant to do the activity alone, another classmate can join them, ideally a friend.
CLOSING CHANT: “Flying balls far and near; who will be the Juggler of the Year? 1, 2, 3, Yeaaaaaah!