Wipe Out Warm-Up

"Wipe Out" is a simple, yet effective warm-up for your elementary kids. All you'll need is a tennis ball for every student and means of playing music. This warm-up is called "Wipe-Out" because it involves playing the song "Wipe-Out" by the Surfaris.

To begin, each student will need a tennis ball, and to spread out along the perimeter of the gym. When the song plays, the students will bounce and catch the tennis ball from right hand to left hand during the drumming portion. We teach them to scoop the ball up to catch, rather than trying to slap down at the ball to catch. During the guitar portion, the students will jog along the perimeter of the gym. Repeat until the end of the song. My 4th grade group does a great job demonstrating below. ⬇

` I like this warm-up because it basically runs itself. Students are not only improving their cardiovascular endurance, but their hand-eye coordination as well. Because students are bouncing the ball from left to right, they are crossing their mid-line and tracking left to right. This is a proven method of enhancing reading comprehension!