Robin's Nest

Setting: Curricular

Season: Spring

Activity Goal

Participants practice various game strategies in this territory-type game to accumulate three eggs in their nest while engaging in physical activity in a spring environment.

For participant safety, please review the contents of the Beyond the Walls: Safety Considerations page for information on Safety Standards, Spring Safety Considerations, and Outdoor Playing Areas and Surfaces.

Equipment

• 7 hoops
• 13 objects representing eggs (e.g., golf balls, wiffle balls, small balls, bean bags, plastic eggs)

Before Play

• Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
• Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area and share them with participants.
• Arrange 6 hoops (Robin's nests) about 7-8 metres apart in a circle, with one hoop in the centre.
• Place the objects (eggs) in the centre hoop.
• Discuss with participants that spring is a time of new life and growth. Ask participants to think of things they might hear or see around them that show new life and growth (e.g., buds on trees, birds chirping, worms after a spring rain). Ask participants to identify the sounds they hear in the spring that might support this new life (birds chirping).
• Explain to participants that lots of new baby animals are born in the spring, including baby birds. Make connections to environmental stewardship by explaining that while it’s okay to visually explore the different animal habitats that we might come across in the environment, it’s important not to disturb them. While some other animals may steal robin eggs out of the nest, we should never remove eggs from a nest or disturb any animal habitat that we might encounter while exploring the outdoors.
• The objective of the activity is for teams to accumulate 3 objects (eggs) in their team’s nest.
• Divide participants into 6 teams and have them line up behind their assigned hoop.

During Play

• On a predetermined signal, the first participant on each team runs to the centre hoop to grab an object (only one per turn).
• The participant returns to their team and places the object in their hoop; then the next participant retrieves an object from the centre hoop.
• Participants continue taking objects from the centre hoop until it is empty, at which point participants can take objects from each other’s hoops.
• Participants may not defend their team’s hoop.
• The game ends when one team has 3 objects in their hoop.

After Play

Use the following prompts for participants to reflect on ways to be active in the spring and engage others in activity to build a habit of engaging in outdoor activity throughout the year.

Question prompts:

• How would the game change if we altered the number of eggs in the centre nest?
• How would the game change if we increased the number of eggs to collect?
• How would the game change if we changed the dimensions of our playing area?
• When you were playing, what did you do to keep yourself and others safe from colliding with others, given the nature of this particular game?
• What strategies did your team use to successfully gather eggs for your nest?

Adaptations

Consider these tips to maximize the challenge and the fun for participants.

• Change the method of locomotion (e.g., gallop, hop, run, skip).
• Allow participants to defend their nest by tagging opponents. Once tagged, the participant must return to their team and the next participant may go. Remind participants that a tag is a touch on the back, shoulder, or arm not a push, punch, or grab.
• Increase the number of objects in the centre or decrease the number of teams to decrease the challenge for participants.

Modifications

Consider these tips to maximize inclusion and fun for all participants.

• Consider inclusive approaches to increase or decrease the challenge to find a role for every participant and to encourage full participation.
• Invite participants to consider ways to move around the playing area at reduced speeds to ensure inclusion and success for all.