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Written By John Drzewiecki And Janine Hradsky

Introduction

The RollerRacer is a big hit with students of all ages. It's also a great way to put students on wheels so they can keep up with others who are jogging or rollerskating. RollerRacers can be used in team challenges and may be featured in relay races, obstacle courses and various games. This guide is designed to help you and your students get the most from the RollerRacer in an adapted environment.

Ages: For elementary grades through high school.

Objectives: To increase bilateral coordination, spatial awareness, motor planning and upper body strength. It is also used to improve turn-taking skills if there are not enough RollerRacers for every student.

Safety Suggestions: Be sure students are careful getting on and off the RollerRacer because the handlebars move. Be sure they keep their fingers away from the wheels and always watch where they are going while watching out for others, too.

Activities

Bumper Cars

Set-Up Suggestions: Divide students into 4 equal teams in the 4 corners of the gym. Give each team one RollerRacer and enough scooters so each student has one. Use cones to enhance boundaries of the garages or pit stops. In the center of the gym, mark off a large circle using cones and randomly place obstacles (cones, balls, jump ropes) inside the circle. Have each of the 4 teams pick the name of a car to represent their group (Corvettes, Jaguars, Mustangs, Jeeps, etc.). Have a bin of soft balls on hand (enough for 2 per person on each team).
Lower Elementary Version: This activity is for teaching spatial awareness and safe movements with the scooters and RollerRacers. When students have proven themselves to be safe drivers, they may receive a certificate and advance on to more vigorous activities with the RollerRacers.
The Game: When the name of a car is called, members of that group get onto their scooters with 1 person taking a turn on the RollerRacer. The drivers travel around the gym (first round, no passing) and return to the garage where the team picks the next person to use the RollerRacer when their car is called again. Any student who bumps into another car or passes another car when driving around the circle must report to the center circle for "traffic school."
The teacher is the "traffic patrol" and may assign the offending drivers safe driving exercises in the center circle. When the drivers pass their test and pledge to be a safe drivers, they may return to their garages. When everyone has completed round 1 (no passing), then all may advance to round 2 - safe passing. If all students do well with this activity, they may move up to round 3 where more than 1 car name may be called at a time. If all students do well at this level, they may move to the final round where each team takes a turn in the middle and rolls soft balls at the cars that have been called to travel around the track. Rolling the balls must be done from inside the circle. Making a 5th team is recommended when using balls.
Unsafe drivers may be called over to a separate area where they are instructed to watch other's safe driving behavior. Cars that have been bumped with the ball must do an exercise assigned by the person who rolled the ball at them. The exercise is to be done when the drivers return to their pit stop.

Relay Races

Set-Up Suggestions: Spread out 6 cones for relay teams to use as starting points. Line up 6 more cones across from each of the starting point cones in your gym. Divide students into equal teams and give the first person in each line a RollerRacer. Place a scooter (face down to start) half way between the starting cone and the ending cone for each team.
The Game: On the signal to begin, the first person in each line calls out their choice: "SOLO FLIGHT" or "PILOT TO CO-PILOT!"
If a solo flight is chosen, the student boards the RollerRacer™ and travels alone to the other cone and back, carefully gives the RollerRacer to the next player and goes to the end of the line. They have the choice to either stay on the RollerRacer for the whole trip or use the scooter once the halfway mark is reached. If the student opts for the scooter, they must switch back to the RollerRacer once they are half way home.
If a player calls out "PILOT TO CO-PILOT!" the next person in line may assist the driver by safely guiding the driver to the cone and back using the RollerRacer and/or the scooter. After the 2 students make it safely back home, the person waiting in line gets to go. The driver goes to the end of the line and the co-pilot becomes first in line for the next flight. The game continues until everyone in line has had a chance to drive solo or with a co-pilot.
NOTE: Students using scooters must keep their knees, seat or stomach in contact with the scooter. Students may not run with the scooter while holding the sides.

The Obstacle Course

Set-Up Suggestions: Arrange a variety of equipment all around the gym in a large, circular pattern. Examples: Cones for weaving in and out; mats to zig zag around and to go under if stacked as tunnels or standing upright in a zig-zag formation; dome cones; jump ropes in various patterns to drive around or over, etc. In the middle of the gym, and, depending on the age and interest levels of the students, mark off a large circle using cones. Inside the circle, put items as such as carpeted or laminated hopscotch mats, jacks, yo-yos, marbles (with small boxes to tap them into), juggle scarves and tennis balls with 2 yogurt cups per tennis ball (the goal is to bounce the ball once into the standing cup held by a partner a few feet away), etc.
The Game: Put two thirds of the class in the center circle and have the rest of the students form a line behind the starting point of the obstacle course. Each student in line gets a RollerRacer or scooter. When the music begins, the students in line may begin driving the RollerRacers and scooters around the course. When the students complete the course, they may choose a player from inside the center circle and switch places. The person from the center goes to the end of the line where the others are waiting to begin the obstacle course. The teacher operates the starting gate and staggers the drivers as they start the obstacle course.

Demolition Derby

Set-Up Suggestions: Put some cones in a large circle in the center of the gym and arrange students in the circle, each with a RollerRacer (or take turns if scooters must be used). One student is in the middle, on a RollerRacer. Count off students by 4 different car names (Chevy, Ford, Honda, Buick).
The Game: When the person in the middle of the circle calls out a car name, all of the players with that name drive across the circle and find a new spot. The person in the center also drives to a new spot. The driver who is unable to get to a spot goes into the middle and becomes the next person to call out the car name. The person in the middle may call out 1 or 2 names of cars and if "demolition derby" is called, then all the cars must move to a new spot across the circle.

Sharks And Minnows

Age Use: For students in grades K through 6.
Set-Up Suggestions: Each student has a scooter and they are minnows. Two or 3 students have a RollerRacer™ and they are the sharks. Spread the students out all over the gym (ocean).
The Game: On the signal to begin, the minnows on scooters swim all over the ocean, while the sharks on the RollerRacers try to tag them (eat them). Minnows who are tagged once are just nibbled on and can be frozen until another minnow swims by and taps them on the back to release them. If tagged again, they are eaten and must turn their scooter over and wait until a new round begins.
Option: Minnows can swim again once they have solved a math problem or correctly answered a question given by the teacher or peer.

Shifty Sharks And Colorful Minnows

Set-Up Suggestions: Put students on scooters in a line on one side of the gym. Use cones to mark off the line across the gym where the minnows are trying to swim. Put 2 sharks on RollerRacers and place them in the middle of the gym.
The Game: The sharks call out certain colors worn by the minnows, which releases the minnows to try and swim across the gym.
As the minnows swim across the ocean, the sharks try to eat them. Minnows who are eaten become sweeping seaweed, must turn over their scooters and sit on the ocean floor but can try and reach out to tag other minnows that are swimming by. Seaweed players must keep their seat on the ground. After a few trips back and forth, it is time to pick new sharks.