CONTENTSOn this page
This page is based on the draft Year 3 content for Health and Physical Education. For more information, see the draft curriculum.
In Year 3, your child will learn about growing bodies, nutrition, self-care, relationships with self and others, as well as boundaries and staying safe. They will explore movement as they develop movement sequences, play games, learn to swim, and take part in outdoor activities.
Health education#
Bodies | Minds#
With your child, you could:
- talk about the different ways people’s bodies change as they grow and how everyone is different, look at a collection of family photos taken over many years and discuss the way people have grown and changed
- discuss fast food advertising, and ask your child questions like:
- “Do you notice the fast-food advertising?” “Why do you think that is?”
- “Do you think the advertised food will help you grow and stay healthy?”
- “Why do you think advertising makes people want to eat the food?”
- “What are some tasty alternatives to fast food?”
- ask open-ended questions to help your child say what some of their strengths are, for example:
- “What do you think you are good at?”
- “What do you like about yourself?”
- “What do you think other people notice and like about you?”
- read the Junior Journal article, “Home” and discuss how you and your child would describe what “home” means to you.
What the teacher will focus on
The teacher will focus on developing your child’s understanding of what helps them to stay healthy. For example, by the end of the year, your child may be able to:
- discuss how bodies change over time and how this is affected by the food people eat, their participation in physical activity, and features they inherit from their family, like height and body type
- discuss how movement, nutrition, rest and good hygiene are needed to care for the body and meet its changing needs
- think critically about the effects of advertising and packaging on people’s food choices
- recognise the way everyday habits, like meal and sleep times, work together to affect a person’s physical and emotional development
- reflect upon people’s strengths that help them develop a positive self-image.
Relationships#
With your child, you could:
- read them the School Journal item 'Sparks', a story about taking turns, and discuss ways to handle a situation like the one in the story, encourage your child to use ‘I’ and not ‘you’ statements when explaining why they feel upset or angry
- present a situation that poses a dilemma, like being invited to a friend’s party when they’re expected to attend a family event at the same time and discuss the steps to resolve the problem and reach a solution that will support the wellbeing of everyone involved.
What the teacher will focus on
The teacher will focus on what your child needs to understand and do to maintain healthy relationships and stay safe. For example, by the end of the year, your child may be able to:
- start using strategies to cope with setbacks and difficulties in relationships, for example, deep breathing, active listening, problem-solving strategies, and getting help from a support network
- take part in roleplays where they practise using clear and respectful communication to create safe environments
- recognise situations where consent is needed and practise asking for and giving permission clearly and respectfully
- use roleplays to practise shared decision-making, setting and respecting boundaries, and interacting with others in safe, fair, and respectful ways.
Physical education#
Movement skills#
With your child, you could:
- play hand-clapping games with songs and chants
- play string games, like cat’s cradle
- play games to develop strategy, skill, and communication, such as 4 square
- create movement sequences for your child to copy when you’re out and about, for example, walk heel to toe along a line, walk forwards, backwards and sideways, skip, hop and jump, then encourage them to create their own sequences for you to copy. You can also do this in the pool, for example, blow bubbles, kick your legs 5 times, and make a star shape
- play catch and clap, this game tests how many times you can clap after throwing a ball in the air and before catching it, or it falls to the ground
- encourage your child to play at ‘lifeguard’ in the pool or near water and set safety rules for the family to follow.
What the teacher will focus on
The teacher will focus on what your child needs to understand and do to create choreographed movement (for example, te ao kori), take part in invasion games (for example, netball, Kiwi Ferns), striking and fielding games (for example, T-ball), and swim.
For example, by the end of the year, your child may be able to:
- travel, jump, turn, and hold still in response to cues (for example, hand signals) or music (for example, changing speed with the music)
- move in different ways along different pathways (for example, zigzag and diagonal)
- carry out a sequence of varied movements, transitioning smoothly between them
- work with a partner to create a movement sequence in response to music
- apply some of the techniques of the game they are playing, for example, using the appropriate pass, tracking the trajectory of a ball and moving to stop and retrieve it
- apply some of the tactics of the game they are playing, for example, communicating when free to catch the ball
- perform basic swimming and water safety skills.
Outdoor education#
With your child, you could:
- let them take the lead when you are on familiar journeys, like on the way to the park or shops, and encourage them to think about which way to go, notice landmarks, and look out for safety signs and possible hazards
- when going somewhere new, involve them in planning the route on paper or using online maps, and follow it together, looking out for signs, landmarks and hazards.
What the teacher will focus on
The teacher will focus on what your child needs to understand and do to enjoy outdoor activities safely.
For example, by the end of the year, your child may be able to:
- use maps and signs to work out their location and plan a safe route.
