I found 2 boxes of rhythm sticks in my closet and decided to try them out with my 1st and 2nd graders. It turned out to be a good activity for hand-eye coordination. I organized the class into a large circle with one stick per person. Then I went through the following sequence giving them time to practice each one before moving on:
1. spin stick in a circle on the floor with one hand
2. try spinning with your other hand, try reversing direction
3. toss stick from hand to hand
4. hold stick at eye level, let go and catch with the same hand before it hits the ground
5. flip stick and catch in the opposite hand
6. balance stick on 4 fingers, 3 fingers, 2 fingers, 1 finger, wrist, shoulder, knee
After the sequence I assigned all the children a partner and had them sit on the floor with legs extended in a “v”, feet touching. I gave each partnership a tennis ball and had them use the stick to pass the ball back and forth to each other.
Something new, challenging, lots of things you could try . . .