Wacky Ways To Balance Challenge Cards

The Wacky Ways To Balance Cards includes 50 balance challenge cards to help your students explore and apply balance concepts in physical education class.

Each card presents a combination of four different elements:

#️⃣ Base of Support (Contact Points)
🔼 Body Shape (Wide, Narrow, Curly, Twisted)
📊 Level (Low, Medium, High)
🦶 Body Part (15 combinations of hands, feet, knees, elbows, head, and behind)

Also included in the download package is a link to the Wacky Ways To Balance P.E. Power Picks video! This video repeatedly provides students with a choice between two balance challenges. Students must quickly decide which challenge they want to try and then attempt to hold that balance for 10 seconds as they demonstrate it for a teacher or partner. Here is a preview of how the video is presented:

The Wacky Ways To Balance Cards includes the following items:

1. A 25-page, letter-sized PDF that contains printable versions of the challenge cards.
2. 50 PNG files (one for each challenge card) so that you can include this in your distance learning resources.
3. A link to the full (10 minute) Wacky Ways To Balance P.E. Power Picks video that can be used in your lessons (link included in README file)

This resource was designed to help your students reach the following outcomes from SHAPE America’s National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education:

– Maintains momentary stillness on different bases of support. (S1.E7.Ka)
– Maintains stillness on different bases of support with different body shapes. (S1.E7.1)
– Balances on different bases of support, combining levels and shapes. (S1.E7.2a)
– Balances on different bases of support, demonstrating muscle tension and extensions of free body parts. (S1.E7.3)
– Balances on different bases of support on apparatus, demonstrating levels and shapes. (S1.E7.4)
– Forms wide, narrow, curled, and twisted body shapes. (S1.E7.Kb)
– Balances in an inverted position with stillness and supportive base. (S1.E7.2b)
– Employs the concept of alignment in gymnastics and dance. (S2.E4.3a)
– Employs the concept of muscular tension with balance in gymnastics and dance. (S2.E4.3b)

If you’re looking for more Balance resources, check out the Balance Concept Cards!