True Sport

Rise to the challenge – always strive for excellence. Discover how good you can be.

Activity Description:

Keep a large ball from crossing a boundary.

Equipment:

• Boundary line marker (e.g., rolled up towel or sheet to divide a room, hallway or backyard)
• 1 oversized ball (e.g., exercise ball, beach ball)

Activity Instructions:

• Set up in an open space in your home or backyard.
• Depending on how many people are with you at home, each team can be made up of one or more people. The fewer people on a team, the more physically challenging the game.
• The object of the game is to move the oversized ball across the boundary line onto the other team’s side, without physically crossing the line.
• Each time the large ball enters one team’s side, the other team is awarded a point.
• Each round, the ball can be kicked or thrown, but not both.
• Modify skills depending on the size of the space (e.g., underhand throw vs. overhand throw).

Activity Reflection

What does the True Sport Principle “Go For It” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Direct efforts purposefully towards general and specific goals.

• Problem solve.
• Take responsibility for actions related to effort and doing your best.

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Engage in fundamental movement skills: overhand throw, underhand throw, kick, overhand catch, underhand catch, and agility, balance, coordination & speed.

Let’s Talk:

• How did you feel when you almost had the ball to the other side but it came back to you? Did you want to give up? What made you keep going? Think about when you demonstrated good and/or poor effort. Share why you think you chose that level of effort.
• What physical skills helped you the most in this activity? In what other activities are these skills helpful?

Play honestly – obey both the letter and spirit of the rules. Winning is only meaningful when competition is fair.

Activity Description:

One team places objects upright while the other team tries to knock them down.

Equipment:

• Small objects to knock over – at least one per participant (e.g., plastic cups, water bottles)

Activity Instructions:

• Set up in an open space in your home or backyard.
• Divide your family into two teams. One team is called Builders and the other team is called Wreckers.
• On the count of three, the builders place their objects upright and the wreckers try to knock them over.
• The aim of the game is to have all the objects standing up (if Builders) and all the objects knocked over (if Wreckers).
• Practice using different locomotor movements (e.g., run, skip, gallop or hop). Challenge yourselves to use only one skill per round.
• Take a tally at the end of the two-minute round: if more objects are left standing, the builders are awarded a point and if more objects are knocked over, the wreckers are awarded a point.

Activity Reflection

What does the True Sport Principle “Play Fair” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Understand that even when it is tempting to ignore the rules, it feels best to know that the game was played fairly and everyone followed the rules.
• Consider individual values related to fair play.

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Understand that agility is something that will help in a variety of sports and games.
• Engage in fundamental movement skills: agility, balance, coordination and speed, run, skip, gallop and hop.

Let’s Talk:

• Why is it important to always play by the rules, even when it would be easy not to? How might you feel if you make decisions that result in you not playing fair?
• Did you ever want to resort to running when you were asked to move a different way in this activity? Why do you think we would rather do what we are good at when we are challenged?

Show respect for everyone involved in creating your sporting experience, both on and off the field of play. Win with dignity and lose with grace.

Activity Description:

A group activity that involves effective communication, agility and coordination.

Equipment:

• Shoes (one pair per person)
• Timer (e.g., stopwatch, cell phone, second hand on a clock)

Activity Instructions:

• Set up in an open space in your home or backyard.
• Each member of your family removes one shoe and places it in a pile.
• Start the stopwatch.
• Each of you picks up someone else’s shoe and, while holding the shoe (any way you choose), join hands to form a circle.
• Locate the owner of the shoe you are each holding and then work to exchange the shoes without breaking your joined hands.
• If the link is broken, the game starts over.
• Once all shoes have been returned to their owners, start the activity again, trying to beat your time.

Activity Reflection

What does the True Sport Principle “Respect Others” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Understand how respecting one another can help you experience success in physical activity experiences and in life.
• Demonstrate teamwork and cooperation through the practice of skills and activity.
• Consistently respect yourself and others during the activity. 

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Understand how to apply agility, balance, coordination and speed in a game setting.
• Engage in fundamental movement skills: agility, balance, coordination and speed.

Let’s Talk:

• Did you listen to each other during this activity? Do you think listening made it easier to work together? Who showed you respect in this activity and how did it make you feel? How did you show respect to others in this activity?
• During this activity, you had to use balance, problem solving and coordination in order to be successful. Was this difficult? Why or why not?

Find the joy of sport. Keep a positive attitude both on and off the field of play.

Activity Description:

An obstacle course activity.

Equipment:

• A variety of household items to build an obstacle course (e.g., pillows and couch cushions to jump on, chairs to climb over, stacks of books to jump over, tables to crawl under)

Activity Instructions:

• Set up in an open space in your home.
• Divide your family into two teams.
• Assign each team household items and a space to design an obstacle course that solicits certain fundamental movement skills (e.g., run, land, hop, jump).
• Each team approves the other team’s course.
• Once the courses have been approved, each team moves through their own course, and then moves through the other team’s course.
• Provide feedback on how to make the courses more fun, modify the course and then move through them again.

Activity Reflection

What does the True Sport Principle “Keep It Fun” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Demonstrate a focus on learning and having fun.
• Understand the importance of having fun.
• Demonstrate positive attitudes during the activity.

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Demonstrate competency in fundamental movement skills: run, land, hop and jump.

Let’s Talk:

• Did helping to design the obstacle course make it more fun? Why or why not? How can the choices you make designing this obstacle course make it more or less fun?
• Did the feedback you received make the activity less fun or did it help you get better and therefore make it more fun?

Place physical and mental health above all other considerations – avoid unsafe activities. Respect your body and keep in shape.

Activity Description:

An activity that allows families to be creative and demonstrate what they know about safe physical activities.

Equipment:

• Dependent on the skills performed, likely to include a ball.

Activity Instructions:

• Set up in an open space in your home or backyard.
• Divide into two teams.
• Each team designs a fitness routine that they will perform in front of the other team (or your child(ren) can perform for you).
• Each team should be instructed to include the same required skills in their routine and chose from the following fundamental movement skills: run, hop, skip, gallop, overhand throw, catch above the waist, dribble with hands and dribble with feet.

Activity Reflection

What does the True Sport Principle “Stay Healthy” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Develop physical skills through a combination of structured and unstructured play in safe and challenging environments.   
• Make reasoned decisions about which option(s) for a safe, health and active routine align with your values.

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Demonstrate competency in fundamental movement skills: run, hop, skip, gallop, overhand throw, catch above the waist, dribble with hands and dribble with feet.

Let’s Talk:

• Do you think about safe behaviours more than you did before we did this activity? If so, how? Why did you choose the options you did for your safe, active routine?
• Which skills did you find the most difficult? How could you practice these more in your spare time in an attempt to decrease their difficulty?

Share sport with others. Ensure everyone has a place to play.

Activity Description:

A volleyball-related activity that requires collaboration and dedication to the task.

Equipment:

• Ball (e.g., beach ball, balloon, volleyball, soccer ball)

Activity Instructions:

• Set up in an open space in your home or backyard. Consider using a balloon if limited to indoor space.
• Play as a whole family and assign everyone a number (e.g., 1-4).
• Try to keep the ball in the air by hitting (e.g., volleying) it up, in the order of your numbers.
• Play begins with number 1 underhand tossing the object to the center of the circle then number 2 is to hit/volley the object to number 3, and so on.
• Try not to catch the ball.
• Award yourself a point each time you keep the ball in the air following your number sequence.

Activity Reflection:

What does the True Sport Principle “Include Everyone” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Understand how including everyone in physical activities can increase enjoyment of physical activity.
• Participate in a modified fashion according to ability.
• Encourage each other to try various positions, techniques, and skills and help create opportunities to do so.

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Demonstrate competency in fundamental movement skills: underhand toss, volley, and agility, balance, coordination and speed.

Let’s Talk:

• Name examples of when you saw someone helping someone else. Did we all have the same skills? Or did you need each other’s help in order to be successful? What do you think would happen if not everyone had to touch the ball each round?
• How could we change this game to help further develop our skills?

Find ways to show your appreciation for the community that supports your sport and helps make it possible.

Activity Description:

This activity focuses on acknowledging community members who contribute meaningfully to a family’s life.

Equipment:

• No equipment needed.

Activity Instructions:

• Set up for a jog on the spot in your home or backyard.
• In pairs (e.g., you and your child), jog at a moderate, talking pace for five minutes. Verbalize how you plan to thank a community member, parent, or leader (e.g., teacher or coach).
• Have a “moving meeting” and turn a normally inactive activity into an active one. Take turns sharing a few sentences in your pairs.
• Upon completion of the five minutes, stretch as a family and share your plans for thanking your community (e.g., display a sign in your window or write a message in chalk on your driveway).

Activity Reflection

What does the True Sport Principle “Give Back” look like, sound like and feel like? Ask your child(ren) to express what this principle means to them.

Ethical Literacy Objectives:

• Express thanks to members of your community.
• Act consistently with values related to the Give Back principle.   

Physical Literacy Objectives:

• Demonstrate competence in the fundamental movement skill of running.
• Demonstrate competence in maintaining a moderate intensity pace.

Let’s Talk:

• Why is it importance to say “thanks” as soon as you think of it? Other than saying “thanks,” how else could you recognize others who are helpful to you?
• Why do you think I wanted us to move our bodies while we discussed ways we could show our appreciation?