Nursery Rhyme Olympics

 

Lesson 243 • By Pleasantville Preschool Staff (Expanded Version)
Grade Levels: Preschool–Kindergarten

Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Reinforce nursery rhyme knowledge through active, themed games.
  • Build gross motor skills: hopping, jumping, balancing, carrying, and running.
  • Practice teamwork, turn-taking, cheering for others, and good sportsmanship.
  • Learn simple concepts about the Olympic Games (events, medals, teamwork, relay races).
  • Make real-world connections between stories, physical play, and movement.

Materials

  • Small plastic cones
  • Burlap sacks or pillowcases
  • 2 small pails per team
  • 2 large water containers or tubs
  • Pie plates (metal or foil)
  • Awards (paper medals, ribbons, stickers, certificates)
  • Optional:
    • A Mother Goose banner
    • Music for transitions
    • Clipboards for scoring or observation
    • Digital camera for documenting the event

Event Preparation

1. Nursery Rhyme Unit Review

Spend the two weeks prior reading and acting out:

  • Rub-a-Dub-Dub
  • Jack Be Nimble
  • Baa Baa Black Sheep
  • Jack and Jill
  • Little Jack Horner
  • Any other favorites (Humpty Dumpty, Hey Diddle Diddle, etc.)

2. Set Up Your “Olympic Village”

Choose a park, playground, gym, or classroom area.
Create stations for each event, spaced safely apart.

3. Discuss What the Olympics Are

Make it preschool-friendly:

“The Olympics are big games where people do their best, try new things, and cheer for each other!”

Introduce:

  • Medals
  • Torches (real or paper)
  • Team spirit
  • Trying your best

Nursery Rhyme Olympic Events

Event 1: Jack Be Nimble Relay (Jumping & Agility)

Based on: Jack Be Nimble
Set up two rows of cones 4 feet apart.

Directions:

  1. Divide into two teams.
  2. Child #1 jumps over each “candlestick” cone down the course and back.
  3. Tags the next runner.
  4. Team finishes when everyone has jumped the course.

Literacy Tie-In:
Repeat the rhyme together before the race:

“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick!”

Event 2: Baa Baa Black Sheep Sack Relay (Balance & Coordination)

Based on: Baa Baa Black Sheep

Directions:

  1. Place students inside burlap sacks.
  2. Hop down the track and back.
  3. Switch with the next teammate.

Variation:
Let children pretend they are “woolly sheep” hopping through a field.

Literacy Tie-In:
Ask: “How many bags of wool does the black sheep give?”

Event 3: Jack and Jill Water Relay (Careful Carrying & Control)

Based on: Jack and Jill

Directions:

  1. Children dip a small pail into a large tub of water.
  2. Carry the water carefully to another tub without spilling.
  3. Dump the water and run back.
  4. At the end, measure which team collected the most.

Safety Note:
Water makes surfaces slippery—use grass or outdoor pavement whenever possible.

Literacy Tie-In:
“Who went up the hill?”
“What happened when they fell?”

Event 4: Little Jack Horner Pie Plate Run (Speed & Balance)

Based on: Little Jack Horner

Directions:

  1. Children carry a pie plate over their head down the course.
  2. Run back and hand off to the next runner.
  3. First complete team wins.

Variation:
Add “pretend plums” (pom-poms) inside the plate that must not fall out!

Literacy Tie-In:
Discuss: “What did Jack pull out of the pie?”

Ending Ceremony

Awards

Every child receives:

  • A Mother Goose Gold Medal
  • A ribbon or certificate
  • Optional: photo booth with nursery rhyme props

Closing Circle

Discuss:

  • Which event was the hardest?
  • Which was the silliest?
  • What did you learn about the Olympics?
  • What nursery rhyme was your favorite today?

Encourage children to applaud each other for great effort and teamwork.

✨ Optional Add-On Events

1. Humpty Dumpty Egg Balance

Balance plastic eggs on spoons and walk a short course.

2. Hey Diddle Diddle Moon Toss

Throw beanbags into large moon targets.

3. Old Mother Hubbard Dog Bone Run

Carry foam “bones” to fill a doghouse box.

Skill Connections

  • Gross motor: jumping, hopping, balancing, running
  • Fine motor: carrying pails, steady hands
  • Cognitive: sequence, rules, rhyme recall
  • Language: rhyme repetition, vocabulary, storytelling
  • Social: taking turns, cheering, cooperating
  • STEM: measuring water, comparing results, predicting outcomes

Assessment

Observe whether students:

  • Recall nursery rhymes
  • Follow multi-step directions
  • Participate safely
  • Work cooperatively with teammates
  • Demonstrate improved gross motor skills

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