Grade by Grade
B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active, Fit and Skilful

Travelling, Jumping and Stopping Safely

C1 A1.1 A1.3About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can travel in different directions, at different speeds and along different pathways.
  • I can jump, hop and leap, taking off from one foot or two feet.
  • I can land softly and in control.
  • I can stop quickly and safely when I hear a signal.

Words to know

locomotor movement
A way of travelling from one place to another, like running, skipping, galloping or hopping.
direction
The way you are moving: forward, backward, sideways or diagonally.
pathway
The shape your travel makes on the floor: straight, curved or zigzag.
leap
Taking off from one foot and landing on the other foot, like stepping over a puddle.
ready position
Feet apart, knees bent, body low and balanced, ready to move or stop.
personal space
The space all around you that you can reach without touching anyone else.

Freeze!

Ask a grown-up to play some music. When the music plays, gallop around the room. When it stops, freeze!

Were you able to stop without falling or bumping into anything? Stopping well is a skill. Today you will learn how.

Remember from Grade 1

You learned the locomotor movements: walk, run, hop, jump, gallop, slide and skip. You travelled along straight, curved and zigzag pathways.

This year you will add more directions, change speed, use equipment, practise one-foot and two-foot take-offs, and learn to stop safely.

youforwardbackwardsidewayssidewaysdiagonal
Directions: forward, backward, sideways (left or right) and diagonally (on a slant).

Jump, hop and leap

There are five ways to take off and land:

MoveTake offLand
Jump (two to two)Two feetTwo feet
HopOne footThe same foot
LeapOne footThe other foot
One to twoOne footTwo feet (like a long jump run-up)
Two to oneTwo feetOne foot
Try each one! The one-to-two take-off is used in long jump.
Take offLandJumpLRLRboth feetHopRRsame footLeapRLother footOne to twoRLRboth feetTwo to oneLRRone foot
Filled feet touch the ground; dashed feet are in the air. A hop lands on the same foot, and a leap lands on the other foot.

Landing softly

When you land:

  1. Land on the balls of your feet (the front part), then let your heels come down.
  2. Bend your knees, like a spring.
  3. Keep your arms out in front for balance.
  4. Be quiet! A quiet landing is a soft, safe landing.

Stopping safely

To stop quickly when you are running:

  1. Take small, quick steps to slow down.
  2. Get low: bend your knees.
  3. Put your feet apart, one a little in front of the other.
  4. Lean back a little and hold your stop, in the ready position.

Calm body, quick feet

Before a big jump or a race, you might feel excited or nervous. That's normal! Take one slow breath, look where you are going, then go. A calm mind helps your body move with control.

Just for fun

Kangaroos "hop" by pushing off with both back feet and landing on both. By our gym rules, that is really a jump! A true hop uses one foot.

Worked example

Let's travel a pattern

Grandpa calls out a travel card: "Skip forward on a curved pathway, fast. Then slide sideways on a straight pathway, slowly." How do you do it?

  1. Part 1: Skip (step-hop, step-hop) forward, making a big curve like a rainbow on the floor. Go fast but in control.
  2. Stop safely at the end: small steps, knees bent, feet apart.
  3. Part 2: Turn your side to where you want to go. Slide (step-together, step-together) sideways in a straight line. Go slowly.
  4. Watch your space the whole time so you don't bump into furniture or people.

Fast curved skip forward → safe stop → slow straight slide sideways. You changed movement, direction, pathway and speed.

Worked example

Let's check a landing

Lily jumps off a low step and lands with straight legs. CLUNK! She says her knees feel jarred. How can she land better?

  1. Notice: straight legs + loud landing = a hard landing.
  2. Fix 1: Land on the balls of her feet first.
  3. Fix 2: Bend her knees to soak up the landing like a spring.
  4. Fix 3: Arms out in front for balance.
  5. Try again: Jump forward from two feet on flat ground and land quietly.

Land on the balls of the feet, bend the knees, arms out, and be quiet. A soft, quiet landing is safe and controlled.

Hands-on activity

Backyard travel cards

You need: paper, scissors (with a grown-up), a pencil, and a safe space like a backyard or a park.

  1. Make 3 piles of cards. Moves: run, skip, gallop, slide, hop, leap, jump. Directions: forward, backward, sideways, diagonal. Pathways and speeds: straight-fast, curved-slow, zigzag-medium.
  2. Pick one card from each pile and do it. (Backward moves: go slowly and use walking or sliding only.)
  3. A grown-up shouts "Stop!" at any time. Freeze in the ready position.
  4. Jump station: make a "river" with two skipping ropes. Try to cross it with a jump, a hop and a leap. Land quietly each time.
  5. Keep score of how many safe stops you make in a row.

Your turn

1

Name four directions you can travel.

2

What is the difference between a hop and a leap?

3

Name two things you do to land softly.

4

How do you stop safely from a run?

5

Do it and check: Jump forward from two feet and land on two feet.

6

Do it and check: Gallop forward, then gallop backward slowly.

7

Why should you take a slow breath before a big jump if you feel nervous?

More practice: warm-up

1

A jump takes off from how many feet?

2

Is a zigzag a pathway or a direction?

3

Should a good landing be loud or quiet?

4

True or false: Moving backward should be done slowly and carefully.

5

Do it and check: Hop on your left foot 5 times, then your right foot 5 times.

More practice: on your own

1

Ari leaps over a skipping rope. He takes off from his right foot. Which foot does he land on?

2

Why do we take small, quick steps to stop?

3

What is your personal space and why does it matter when travelling?

4

Describe a jump that takes off on one foot and lands on two.

5

Do it and check: Slide sideways 5 steps to the right, then 5 steps to the left on a straight pathway.

Challenge

1

Plan a travel pattern that uses 3 different locomotor movements, 2 directions and 2 pathways. Then do it.

2

Lay two skipping ropes on the grass, about one big step apart, to make a "river". Cross it with a jump, then a hop, then a leap. Which was hardest? Why?

3

You are playing tag in a crowded backyard. Explain two ways to travel safely.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which takes off on one foot and lands on the other foot?

2.

Which is a direction?

3.

How should you land from a jump?

4.

What is the first thing to do to stop safely from a run?

5.

Which movement is a hop?

6.

Which move should you do slowly and carefully?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students perform locomotor movements in different directions, speeds and pathways, with and without equipment, and practise jumping, hopping and leaping with one-foot and two-foot take-offs and safe, controlled landings and stops.

How to help at home:

  • Play "music freeze" and "red light, green light" to practise stopping.
  • Use the travel cards outdoors where there is space and soft ground.
  • Praise quiet landings: "I couldn't even hear you land!"

Common difficulties:

  • Hop vs. leap confusion. Hop = same foot. Leap = other foot.
  • Skipping. Many 7-year-olds are still learning it. Practise "step-hop" slowly, saying it out loud.
  • Stiff landings. Remind: "Springy knees!"
  • Keep backward travel slow, in a clear space.

Social-emotional link (strand A): calming nervous excitement with a breath before moving (managing emotions, A1.1) and sticking with tricky skills like skipping and hopping (perseverance, A1.3).