ElastaBlast
Activity
Guides
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ElastaBlast
Activity Guide
Written by
Kimberly Dye, MS, ADTR, dance/movement
therapist
What
It Does & Doesn’t
Do
ElastaBlast’s strength and stretchability create
an exciting new movement experience that can either contain
and hold a rowdy group or encourage risk taking from
even the most timid. Its dynamic rebound challenges individual
gravity and balance. Group movement can support individual
experimentation with trust, caution, risk-taking and
release.
 While ElastaBlast is made of
heavy-duty surgical elastic,
it shouldn’t be misused
or abused. Do not use it to
play tug-of-war, as a swing
or as a grown-up baby bouncer.
Like anything with tensile
properties, it can have a recoil
effect, so be careful that
participants do not slingshot
out of control. You can involve
up to twenty-five people (X-
large), twelve people (large),
or four people (small), but
be discrete as to how individual
weight might affect that number.
Make sure fabric is equally
distributed around internal
elastic before each use. Store
away from radiators, direct
sunlight or other heat sources.
Warm-
Up Exercises Stretch
For
arms, back, chest, shoulders: Sitting
or standing, participants
hold ElastaBlast above heads
moving straight arms forward
and backwards, side to side,
and circling over the head
with as much range of motion
as possible. Hold CoOper
Band with two hands, arms
outstretched to the front.
Stretch arms to either side
without moving torso.
For
sides: Holding ElastaBlast
in right hand everyone step
back to expand the circle,
producing as much tension
as possible. Don’t let
go! With feet parallel to
the circle, lean sideways
away from the center while
stretching left arm over
head towards the center.
Change sides. While sitting
on the floor, hold CoOper
Band with right hand. Move
back to produce the right
amount of tension. Slowly
lean forward, twisting torso
towards arm holding band.
Change sides. Participants
stand or sit facing center,
with CoOper Band held in
both hands. Each participant
pulls away from the center
with bent knees, producing
an undercurve of back and
pelvis. Instruct use of oppositional
pull to change body position
and find different places
in the back to stretch.
For
legs: Participants sit
holding ElastaBlast in front
of them, with legs either
straight or slightly bent.
Lean forward from hips and
perform a rowing action with
the arms. The body returns
to the vertical as arms circle
up towards the ceiling. All
lie on back with head towards
center. Hold band with two
hands, raise one leg, placing
band under arch of foot.
Use CoOper Band to stretch
your hamstrings by gently
pulling your leg towards
your head. While on back
bring both legs open to a
V shape on band, overlapping
ankles with your neighbor
if necessary. Allow weight
of legs to hang into the
support of the band while
maintaining lower back on
floor. Enjoy the stretch!
Standing, and far enough
apart to create adequate
tension, participants hang
forward while holding on
to ElastaBlast. Encourage
use of breathing and sensing
body weight in order to increase
stretch and relaxation.
Special
Needs: ElastaBlast’s
natural resistance properties
are ideal for working with
neurologically involved individuals.
With a group, the ElastaBlast
provides gentle proprioceptive
input into various muscle
groups, thus stimulating
sensory input. ElastaBlast
is wonderful for improving
range of motion, motor planning
and social skills. ElastaBlast
also requires coordination
and encourages cause and
effect responses.
Strength
For
thighs: Sitting,
hook CoOper Band around instep
of foot while holding on
with right and left hands.
Press with foot and pull
with hands to lift leg away
from floor. Lower slowly
and repeat until leg tires.
Use texture of ElastaBlast
to massage feet, achilles
tendons, and calves.
Abdomen: Participants
sit facing ElastaBlast and
holding it in two hands, execute
a backwards buttock walk until
band provides a moderate resistance.
Lie down on three counts, lift
ElastaBlast to the ceiling
and resume sitting position,
again in three counts. As a
variation, instruct one half
of the circle to pull back
to the floor while the other
half does its sit- up. Add
a twist on the way down while
holding with one hand, lie
on back, heads toward center,
place arches of feet on band,
press legs toward floor while
holding band.
Arms: Still
on back, knees bent, feet on
floor, hold CoOper Band with
hands shoulder width apart.
Arc band up towards thighs
and back to floor over head.
Repeat with one arm. Repeat
moving right arm diagonally
towards left thigh.
Movement
Exercises
The
Basic Amoeba: Form a
circle with 3-8 people inside
the CoOper Band, which is
stretched comfortably against
the lower back. Arms rest
lightly on the ElastaBlast
while hands grasp it on either
side. Take a few steps to
the rear, then lean slightly
backwards until a counter-tension
results between weight and
support.
PinBall
Blast: This exercise
promotes a physical experience
of rebound, while encouraging
interpersonal spontaneity.
Four or eight participants
stand inside ElastaBlast.
Stretch ElastaBlast outward
to light tension. Children
count off and run sequentially
across the circle without
delay creating a pinball
effect.
Loop-The-Loop: Start
inside CoOper Band and move
out to the Amoeba position.
Participants take 3 rotating
steps to right, then two to
left. Complete one revolution
around the ElastaBlast in this
way. Try turning on your favorite
music, adding eight counts
of free form between each of
your double rotating turns,
and imagine dancing with your
favorite partner!
Break
Dancing: Group stands
either outside or inside
CoOper Band holding with
two hands. One or two “break
dancers” hold two-handed
while on floor. Group creates
momentum for “break
dancers” to spin, propel,
or whip around on back, belly,
or sides. A nice, smooth
wood floor is necessary.
Shape
Making: Encourage groups
of 4-8 children to work together
to make familiar shapes to
begin with. Introduce three
dimensional shape making
by adding extensions into
different planes. Have them
make up their own shapes.
Divide group into shape makers
and observers. As shape makers
complete their shape, observers
can either draw shapes they
see or choose one they would
like to “move” as
a group. Different options
for moving their shapes are
expansion/ contraction, twisting,
rotating, changing positions
while maintaining original
shape, etc.
Family
Games
Who’s
in Control? Alternately
stand inside or outside of
CoOper Band, holding two-
handed, facing toward center.
Decide who are the leaders
and who are the riders. Object
is to either lead or follow
while staying in balance.
Tree
Rooting: All stand with
feet spread wide inside CoOper
Band, leaning slightly back.
Without moving feet, participants
attempt to uproot their counterparts
by using hands and arms on
the CoOper Band and performing
quick shifts that throw the
other off balance.
Mountain
Climb: Participants hold
ElastaBlast over their heads.
One Participant at a time
hangs from the ElastaBlast.
Encourage both hangers and
supporters to verbalize imagery
or feelings, e. g., surrender,
dependency, hanging by one’s
fingernails, etc.
Traffic:
Participants take the Amoeba
position. Count off in 3’s.
The leader calls out “one,
two, three, all ones change.” All
number one participants must
change their ElastaBlast positions
with another number one. Last
one to find a new place is
out. Leader repeats commands
changing the number each time
until there are three participants
left. The last one left goes
in the center and gets one
minute to direct others.
NoiseBreaker:
Facing towards center, expand
circle as large as it will
go. On leader’s signal
all children run towards center
while making a sound. Gradually
increase or decrease sound
level. Agree on specific kind
of sound. It could range from
a hearty scream to a robust
musical phrase.
Potpourri: Give
the oldies-but-goodies a new
twist. CoOper Band can greatly
increase the fun of such tried
and true activities as mirror
games, Simon Says, The Hokey
Pokey, Follow the Leader, Red
Rover, etc.
Games
Dragon
Tag: Start with 1- 3
bands with two children in
each band. Set a large circle
or square boundary. The children
in the bands try to touch
the children outside the
bands. When a child is tagged
he/ she must join the circle
inside the band. Play until
all children are tagged and
inside the band. Variation:
Child tagged is replaced
by tagger. Suggestion: Group
says name of child to be
tagged so group works together.
Identify group leader to
make sure the group works
together.
DodgeBall: Stand
inside band in Amoeba starting
position. Pick two players
to be in the center. Players
on the circle must continuously
move around circle and maintain
pressured contact with band
while trying to hit person
in the middle with a soft foam
or SloMo Ball. If person opposite
circle or player in the middle
catches the ball, the thrower
must replace middle player.
Larger size bands work best.
Variation: Players in the middle
are the throwers.
Balloon
Toss: Use several small
bands with 5- 6 children
inside. Each team must keep
a balloon in the air longer
than the other teams. Variation:
Switch places while keeping
balloons in the air. Two
teams volley the balloons
back and forth while maintaining
pressured waist contact with
the band.
Cat
and Mouse: Mice run in
and out while being chased
by the cat. Cat( s) must
always be in contact with
the band. Children try to
prevent cat from getting
mice by lifting side up and
down, ricocheting cat off
path, or pulling circle away
from mice.
Numbered
Ducks: Count off in 4’s.
All hold outside band with
left hand, pull out to firm
tension, and continue to
circle around to left maintaining
tension. As child’s
number is called they turn
and run two times clockwise
around to their original
position. Call can instruct
runners to skip, hop, leap,
slither, etc. as variations.
Twister Lead the group in
floor patterns that begin
to overlap each other by
climbing under, over, or
around each other until they
reach a twisted spatial design.
Now get untwisted without
letting go of the band. |
