Foot tap and palm push
Ready when: Animal walks and warm-up (b1) started; the two children are about the same size.
What you are learning
Two traditional balance games. In foot tap, partners hold hands and try to tap each other's feet. In palm push, partners stand with palms together and push or pull away to unbalance each other; a step loses. Both teach feints, balance and reaction.
Words on this card Mat, Foot tap
- Mat
- The soft wrestling surface and the round area bouts are fought in.
- Foot tap
- Traditional partner games of tapping the partner's feet or knees, or pushing palms to unbalance.
Set up
A clear space of 2 m by 2 m; agree the stop word.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Shake hands. Hold both hands and circle; tap the partner's foot lightly with yours.
- Palm push: feet wide, palms together; push, or pull the hands away suddenly, to make the partner step.
- Shake hands at the end.
Your part while they practise
Count the taps; end the game on "stop".
Step by step
- Shake hands.
- Foot tap: hold hands, circle, and tap the partner's feet with your feet.
- Palm push: feet wide, palms together, push or pull the hands away to unbalance the partner.
- A step out loses.
- Shake hands.
How much: 6 rounds 8 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Foot tap
Who taps more feet in one round of 30 seconds.
Who plays: 2 of the same size; an adult counts.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Hold hands and start on "go"
- Tap the partner's feet; dodge theirs
- 30 seconds a round; 3 rounds, then 3 rounds of palm push
- Fair play
- An older child hops on one foot.
- Points
- 1 point for each foot tap; 2 points for each palm-push round won.
- Fouls
- No points for that round
- A hard stamp instead of a tap
- Letting go of the hands in foot tap
- Pulling the partner to the floor
- Winning
- More points after 6 rounds.
- 5 points for 1 star
- 10 points for 2 stars
- 15 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Walk, do not jump.
Palm push on one leg.
What you will see, and what to say
- a hard stamp
Tap, do not stomp
Light feet. - a pull to the floor
Stop, shake hands, start again
Reset.
Self-check
5 foot taps in one round; the game stops at once on "stop", 3 times.
Stop and get a coach when
A child is hurt or upset.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains balance, feints, reaction, respect.
awiseathlete.com/sports/wrestling/wrestling-b6