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Physical Education

Balance and Walk

Overview

Children place a small object on their head and try to walk without it falling.

Learning Objective
Children develop balance and body control by walking with an object on their head.

Resources needed

  • Small flat objects (folded paper, flat stones, small books)

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Give each child a flat object to balance on their head.
  2. 2 Children stand still first and find their balance.
  3. 3 Walk slowly across the space.
  4. 4 Try turning around.
  5. 5 Walk faster when confident.
  6. 6 Add challenges: walk backwards, bend down and stand up.
  7. 7 Count how many steps before the object falls.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Balance on one foot instead of walking.
  • Walk along a line on the ground.
  • Work in pairs and try to walk together.
More information

Teach: balance, straight, slow, careful, fall. Model the activity clearly before children begin.

Children can hold the object against their forehead with one finger to start.

Can children walk without the object falling? Do they adjust their posture to keep balance?

Use folded paper squares, flat stones, or small pieces of bark. No specialist equipment needed.

Children often look down at the ground. Remind them to look forward — this actually helps balance.

A classic low-resource balance activity used in PE and circus arts education worldwide.

Activity details
Early Years Easy 15 minutes 5 minutes prep Whole Class, Small Group Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Balance Coordination Body Control