Swinging and Twisting as Body Exercises and How to Perform Them for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4

Term: Second Term

Week: 7

Age: 5 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Subject: Physical and Health Education

Curriculum Theme: Physical and Health Education

Previous Lesson: Simple body movements like walking, running, and jumping.

Topic: BODY EXERCISE: SWINGING AND TWISTING

Subject Matter: Swinging and twisting as body exercises and how to perform them.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify swinging as a body exercise.
• Identify twisting as a body exercise.
• State one importance of swinging or twisting.

Affective Domain

• Show enthusiasm for physical activities.
• Listen carefully to the teacher’s instructions.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate swinging movements with their arms.
• Demonstrate twisting movements with their upper body.

Social Domain

• Participate actively in group movement activities.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum resources
• Relevant Physical and Health Education activity books for early years

Instructional Materials

• Charts with pictures of children swinging and twisting
• Open, clear space for movement
• Light scarves or ribbons (optional, for visual aid during swinging)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson introduces pupils to swinging and twisting as fundamental body exercises, which are crucial for developing gross motor skills, coordination, flexibility, and muscle strength at this age. Engaging in these movements helps children understand how their bodies move and promotes a healthy, active lifestyle from an early age.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can already perform simple body movements like stretching, bending, walking, and clapping. They are familiar with following basic instructions for physical activities.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

BODY EXERCISE: SWINGING AND TWISTING

Our bodies need to move to stay strong and healthy! Moving our bodies is called exercise.

Swinging

• Swinging means moving a part of your body back and forth, like a pendulum.
• We can swing our arms, like when we walk.
• We can also gently swing our legs.

How to perform swinging:

1. Stand tall with your feet slightly apart.
2. Let your arms hang loosely by your sides.
3. Move your arms forward and backward gently, like a swing.
4. You can also try gently swinging one leg forward and backward while holding onto something for balance.

Twisting

• Twisting means turning your body or a part of your body from side to side.
• We can twist our upper body (our chest and shoulders).

How to perform twisting:

1. Stand with your feet slightly apart, hands on your hips.
2. Keep your hips still and gently turn your upper body from left to right, then right to left.
3. Look over your shoulder as you twist.

Importance of Swinging and Twisting as Body Exercises

• They make our muscles strong.
• They help our bodies become flexible (able to bend and move easily).
• They improve our coordination (how our body parts work together).
• They are fun ways to move and play!

Key Words

• Swing – move back and forth.
• Twist – turn from side to side.
• Exercise – moving our body to stay healthy.
• Body – all of us!
• Strong – having power.
• Flexible – able to bend easily.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display charts showing children swinging their arms and twisting their bodies.
• Demonstrate correct and safe swinging of arms and gentle twisting of the upper body.

Movement Rhyme: Swing and Twist

Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Swing, swing, swing your arms,
Forward and back, no alarms.
Swing, swing, swing your arms,
Keeping strong, away from harms.

Twist, twist, twist your body,
Side to side, so lively.
Twist, twist, twist your body,
Making muscles strong and free!

Actions:

• For “Swing, swing, swing your arms”: Pupils swing their arms forward and backward gently.
• For “Twist, twist, twist your body”: Pupils gently twist their upper body from side to side.

How to use the rhyme: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the rhyme while performing the corresponding swinging and twisting actions. Repeat several times to reinforce the movements and make it fun.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Demonstration
• Guided Practice
• Play-based Learning
• Imitation
• Songs and Rhymes
• Practical Activity
• Question and Answer

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them what they do to keep their bodies strong. The teacher introduces the topic: “Today, we will learn about two fun body exercises: swinging and twisting!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the lesson topic.

Step 2: Explanation of Swinging

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what “swinging” means, using simple language. The teacher demonstrates how to safely swing arms forward and backward, and gently swing legs (while holding on to a support if needed). The teacher shows pictures of children swinging.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration and look at the pictures.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of swinging.

Step 3: Guided Practice – Swinging

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Correction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to stand in an open space and practise swinging their arms. The teacher encourages gentle, controlled movements and provides individual feedback. The teacher may also guide them to gently swing one leg at a time.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils imitate the teacher and practise swinging their arms and legs.

Learning Point: Pupils develop the ability to perform swinging movements.

Step 4: Explanation of Twisting

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what “twisting” means. The teacher demonstrates how to gently twist the upper body from side to side, keeping the hips relatively still. The teacher shows pictures of children twisting.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration and look at the pictures.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of twisting.

Step 5: Guided Practice – Twisting

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Correction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to stand and practise gentle upper body twists from side to side. The teacher reminds them to keep their movements controlled and provides encouragement.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils imitate the teacher and practise twisting their upper bodies.

Learning Point: Pupils develop the ability to perform twisting movements.

Step 6: Rhyme and Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Swing and Twist” rhyme, encouraging them to perform the actions. The teacher briefly discusses the importance of these exercises for strong and flexible bodies.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme and perform the swinging and twisting actions. They listen to the benefits.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding and enjoyment of swinging and twisting.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. “Show me how you swing your arms.”
2. “Show me how you twist your body.”
3. “Why is it good to swing and twist?” (Accept answers like “makes me strong,” “makes me flexible,” “it’s fun”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to keep moving their bodies every day to stay strong and healthy. The teacher leads a final cheer for exercise.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and participate in the cheer.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are encouraged to continue exercising.

Lesson Keywords

• Swing – to move back and forth or side to side.
• Twist – to turn a part of the body from one side to the other.
• Exercise – physical activity that keeps the body healthy and strong.
• Body – the whole physical structure of a person.
• Strong – having great physical power.
• Flexible – able to bend easily without breaking.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who find the movements challenging, the teacher can provide slower, exaggerated demonstrations, use hand-over-hand guidance for gentle movements, or allow them to perform smaller, less complex versions of the movements. More repetition and individual attention should be given.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly master the movements, the teacher can encourage them to perform larger swings, faster twists (while maintaining control), or suggest combining a swing with a twist (e.g., swing arms while gently twisting the upper body). They can also be asked to name more benefits of exercise.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure the classroom or designated play area is clear of obstacles to prevent accidents during movement activities. Emphasize safety and gentle movements, especially for twisting, to avoid strain. Demonstrate each movement clearly and slowly before asking pupils to imitate. Observe pupils closely during practice to correct any unsafe or incorrect forms. Encourage all pupils to participate, celebrating effort as much as perfect execution. The goal is to make physical activity fun and to help children understand the basic concepts of these movements and their benefits for a healthy body. Repeat the rhyme and movements frequently throughout the week to reinforce learning.