Pre-School Poi Pack
The songs and videos below will guide your little one(s) on a fun and whimsical poi journey that targets the development of gross motor skills, coordination, bilateral integration, motor planning, and more. Try the activities one by one, or scroll to the bottom of the page for a playlist that will cycle through all of the content from beginning to end.
Don’t have any poi? Check out our video on 3 easy ways to make poi from things found around the house.
WARM UP
Begin your poi session with a fun warm up that targets fundamental gross motors skills such as stretching, balancing, and marching.
Key skills: coordination, muscle development, postural control, gross motor skills
FREEZE GAME
The freeze game presents simple instructions to either “freeze” by holding a position, or to engage in dancing, jumping, wiggling or reaching high in the air while spinning your poi.
Key skills: following instructions, listening, static balance, gross motor skills, rhythmic movement
WHEELS ON THE BUS
Follow along to the poi movements in the video, or invent your own moves for each verse. Between the verses children are encouraged to “go wild” and improvise with their poi.
Key skills: active play, creative expression, gross motor skills, coordination
COUNT & CATCH
Count in sequence while attempting to catch your poi on each count. Encourage children to do their best – catching is one of the most challenging physical skills in this series.
Key skills: rote counting, hand-eye coordination, motor planning
SPIN YOUR POI
Develop a concrete understanding of opposites by spinning your poi high/low, fast/slow, and near/far with this bi-lingual song in English and Te Reo MÄori. Lyrics for this song are available in the description of the video on YouTube – click on the “watch on YouTube” button in the bottom corner of the video, then once on YouTube expand the video description.
Key skills: comparison/opposites, following instructions, gross motor skills, learning a second language
COOL DOWN
This calming version of Row Row Row Your Boat encourages self regulation through the repetition of midline crossing movement that stimulates physical and cognitive development.
Key skills: self regulation, bilateral integration, trunk rotation, smooth and controlled movement
Playlist for all videos
Hit play and let the videos play in order, or click the playlist icon in the upper right corner to skip to the video of your choice.