First Flights: Mini-Frisbee Camp for Young Explorers

Target Age Group: 4–6 Years Old
Format: 3 Sessions x 30 Minutes
Setting: Highly adaptable for homeschool backyard/living room, camp groups, or PE classes.

Materials Needed

• Soft-flying discs: 2 to 3 lightweight foam, fabric, or flexible silicone discs (safer and easier for small hands than hard plastic)
• Targets: 1 laundry basket, 1 hula hoop, and 5–6 plastic cups or clean plastic bottles
• Markers: Sidewalk chalk (for outdoors) or painter's tape (for indoors)
• Visual Aids: Optional printed pictures of a "pancake" and a "pizza slice"

Session 1: Catching and Disc Awareness (30 Minutes)

1. Introduction & Hook (5 Minutes)

• The Hook: Hold up the soft disc. "Is this a steering wheel? A plate for a giant pizza? A flying saucer? It's a flying disc! Today, we are going to learn how to make it fly and how to catch it safely using our hands like a giant pancake."
• Learning Objectives:
  • Learners will identify the top and bottom of a disc.
  • Learners will demonstrate the "Pancake Catch" (clapping hands together over the disc) 4 out of 5 times during close-range tosses.

2. Body: Disc Exploration & The "Pancake Catch" (20 Minutes)

Step-by-Step Skill Instruction:

• I Do (Model): Show how to hold the disc. Balance it on your head, balance it on one finger, and pretend to drive a car with it. Demonstrate the "Pancake Catch": Show how a disc is like the filling of a pancake, and your hands are the two fluffy pieces of bread that clap together on the top and bottom.
• We Do (Guided Practice):
  • Have the learner practice balancing the disc on their hand while walking in a circle.
  • Have the learner practice the "Pancake Clap" in the air without the disc: "One hand high, one hand low, clap!"
• You Do (Independent Play):
  • Activity - Soft Toss: Stand 3 feet away from the learner. Toss the disc underhand gently toward their chest. Prompt them: "Get your pancake hands ready!" Repeat 8–10 times. If they succeed easily, take one step back.
  • Game - Feed the Monster: Place a laundry basket on its side. Have the learner slide the disc across the floor/carpet like a hockey puck to "feed" the monster's mouth (the basket). This builds hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness of how the disc slides.

3. Conclusion & Reflection (5 Minutes)

• Recap: "Show me with your hands: how do we catch a disc like a pancake?" (Learner demonstrates). "Great job! What was your favorite way to play with the disc today?"
• Clean-Up: Have the learner fly their disc back into the equipment box/basket.

Session 2: The Magic Throw (30 Minutes)

1. Introduction & Hook (5 Minutes)

• The Hook: "Welcome back, pilot! Last time, we caught the flying saucer. Today, we are going to learn how to launch it into space ourselves! We are going to make our disc fly flat like a pizza."
• Learning Objectives:
  • Learners will demonstrate the correct backhand grip (thumb on top, fingers tucked underneath).
  • Learners will successfully throw the disc forward toward a target from a distance of 4 feet.

2. Body: The "Pizza Platter" Throw (20 Minutes)

Step-by-Step Skill Instruction:

• I Do (Model): Show the grip. "Put your thumb on the top smiley-face side, and your fingers underneath to tickle the bottom." Demonstrate the stance: Stand sideways like a superhero, point your shoulder at the target, pull the disc to your belly, and fling it out flat. "Don't spill the pizza toppings! Keep the disc flat."
• We Do (Guided Practice):
  • Have the learner practice the "Super Hero Stance": Stand sideways, point the shoulder at the teacher/parent, and extend their arm toward the target.
  • Practice the "Belly-to-Target" arm swing without releasing the disc.
• You Do (Independent Play):
  • Activity - Hoop Target: Hold a hula hoop vertically (or tape a square on the wall at chest height). Let the learner stand 4 feet away and try to throw the disc through the hoop.
  • Game - Cup Bowling: Stack 5 plastic cups in a pyramid on a table or the ground. The learner throws the disc to try to knock the tower down. Celebrate every knock-down!

3. Conclusion & Reflection (5 Minutes)

• Recap: "When we throw, do we stand facing our target like a mummy, or sideways like a superhero?" (Sideways!) "Show me your superhero stance!"
• Success Check: Give high-fives for effort and target accuracy.

Session 3: Camp Adventure Course (30 Minutes)

1. Introduction & Hook (5 Minutes)

• The Hook: "Today is our Grand Finale Adventure! We are going to use everything we learned—the Pancake Catch and the Superhero Throw—to complete the Great Backyard Disc Golf Course!"
• Learning Objectives:
  • Learners will combine throwing and catching skills to navigate a multi-station obstacle course.
  • Learners will show improved self-regulation by waiting for the disc to stop moving before picking it up.

2. Body: The Disc Golf Adventure (20 Minutes)

Step-by-Step Course Setup: Set up 3 simple "holes" using chalk, tape, or cones.

• Station 1: The Launch Pad. Throw the disc from a chalk circle into a laundry basket (the "space portal").
• Station 2: The Forest Run. Throw the disc past 3 "trees" (plastic cups/bottles set up in a zigzag line) without knocking them over.
• Station 3: The Catching Canyon. The learner throws to the teacher/parent, runs to a new spot, and catches the return toss using the Pancake Catch.
• How to Play:
  • I Do (Model): Show how to run through the course safely. Remind them: "When you throw, run to where the disc lands, pick it up, and throw again from that spot."
  • You Do (The Adventure): Let the learner complete the 3-station course. Play music to keep the energy high. Repeat the course 2 or 3 times, timing them or counting how many throws they need to finish (keep it light and non-competitive).

3. Conclusion & Reflection (5 Minutes)

• Camp Graduation: Gather the learner. "You have officially graduated from Disc Camp!" Present them with a high-five and their very own disc to keep practicing with.
• Final Review: Ask the learner to show their favorite move from the past three sessions.

Adaptability & Differentiation Strategies

For Struggling Learners (Scaffolding):

• Catching: If catching is too hard, use a balloon or a large, soft plush toy first to practice the "pancake" hand motion at slower speeds.
• Throwing: Shorten the distance to targets to just 2 feet, or allow them to use two hands to push-throw the disc forward.

For Advanced Learners (Extensions):

• Catching: Have them try to catch with one hand (the "Alligator Catch") instead of two.
• Throwing: Introduce the non-dominant hand throw, or add obstacles to throw over or under (e.g., throwing under a chair).

Assessment Methods

• Formative Assessment (During Sessions): Monitor and provide immediate corrective feedback. If the disc wobbles, remind them to keep it "flat like a pizza." If they drop catches, remind them to "clap the hands together."
• Summative Assessment (End of Session 3): Check off if the child can independently grip the disc correctly, throw it forward with a sideways stance, and catch a soft throw with two hands.