Stories, music and imaginative adventures can give young children a meaningful reason to move. Six free sample activity cards offer a practical way for nurseries and Reception classes to discover the Physical Activity Adventure Pack, known as PAAP, before exploring the complete programme.
Bishop Sports & Leisure has worked with Music + Movement to develop six supporting equipment packs. Together, the free cards and carefully selected resources help Early Years educators turn movement ideas into activities that are playful, purposeful and straightforward to organise.
Begin a Physical Activity Adventure
Choose one of six themed sample cards, read the activity through, gather suitable equipment and invite children into a movement-rich story.
Explore the Free Resources
What Makes PAAP Different?
PAAP is an evidence-informed, progressive Early Years scheme of work created by Helen Battelley MA and Brianne Pearson BA (Hons) of Music + Movement. It provides a full year of developmentally appropriate lesson plans for children aged approximately three to six, depending on each child’s stage of development.
The full PAAP programme includes six units with six themed cards in each unit. The six cards featured below are free samples, each providing a window into a different area of the programme.
Try Six Free PAAP Activity Cards
Each sample card contains an introduction, main activity and closing activity, together with teaching points, vocabulary, equipment requirements and connections to wider learning. Read the complete card before delivery, then adjust the space, pace and resources to suit the children taking part.
Down in the Garden
Agility, balance and coordinationEnter an imaginative garden and explore coordinated movement while travelling around, between and over obstacles. Children can investigate different pathways, body positions and ways of maintaining control.
A Dog’s Life
Hand-eye and foot-eye coordinationA ball becomes a pet dog that children guide through the activity. Keeping the ball close, stopping it and changing direction introduces object control through a playful context children can understand.
The Castle
Locomotor skills and navigating spaceTravel towards a castle by galloping, jumping, tiptoeing and exploring movements at different levels. The adventure encourages children to notice space, direction and the people moving around them.
The Seasons
Movement and danceUse wind, weather and seasonal change as starting points for expressive movement. Children can create, combine and repeat actions while practising controlled jumps and gentle landings.
We Are Going on a Bear Hunt
GymnasticsFollow a familiar adventure through travelling, balancing and crawling. Children explore how their bodies move in different ways while developing agility and confidence.
Firefighters
AthleticsTake on a firefighter adventure while exploring how to move at speed with control. Running, jumping and throwing can become purposeful parts of the rescue story.
How to Use a Sample Card in Your Setting
Movement, Music and Imagination
Open-ended resources such as scarves, ribbon wands and the Rainbow Wave can help children explore weather, rhythm, direction and changing levels. The equipment provides a visual prompt, while each child decides how the movement develops.
Physical Development Through Imaginative Play
PAAP connects movement to ideas that matter within the activity. In A Dog’s Life, keeping a ball close has a purpose because the ball represents a pet. In The Seasons, weather becomes a starting point for inventing and combining actions.
Supporting PAAP with Bishop Sports Equipment Packs
The six Bishop Sports packs simplify the process of finding supporting equipment for each programme area. A free sample PAAP activity card accompanies each pack. The packs complement PAAP rather than containing the complete scheme of work, and some activities may also use resources already available in your setting.
Agility, Balance and Coordination
- Foam stepping stones
- Bean bags and scarves
- Lightweight footballs
Build pathways, explore balance and practise body control through garden-themed movement.
Explore the Equipment PackHand-Eye and Foot-Eye Coordination
- Lightweight footballs
- Textured, inflatable and foam balls
- Movement scarves
Support tracking, catching, throwing, stopping and kicking through playful object control.
Explore the Equipment PackLocomotor Skills and Navigating Space
- Space markers
- Playground chalk and team bands
- Parachute
Create routes, shared spaces and imaginative ways to travel towards the castle.
Explore the Equipment PackMovement and Dance
- Scarves and ribbon wands
- Bean bag animals
- Tambourine
Provide colourful starting points for rhythm, expression and seasonal movement.
Explore the Equipment PackGymnastics
- Foam stepping stones
- Stepping path logs
- Skipping ropes and parachute
Support playful exploration of travelling, balancing, crawling and coordinated movement.
Explore the Equipment PackAthletics
- Folding hurdles and cones
- Foam javelins and sponge balls
- Bean bag animals
Explore running, jumping and throwing through a lively firefighter adventure.
Explore the Equipment Pack
The People Behind PAAP
PAAP was created by two specialists who combine Early Years movement expertise with practical teaching experience. The programme received Highly Commended recognition in the Happy & Healthy category at the Teach Early Years Awards 2024.
Helen Battelley MA
Early Years physical development consultant, trainer, author and speaker, with a focus on physical activity and movement play.
Brianne Pearson BA (Hons)
Teacher and specialist in Early Years and Primary Physical Education and Physical Activity.
Explore the Complete Programme and Training
The free cards provide an introduction. Music + Movement’s complete PAAP scheme supplies the wider sequence, six units and progressive learning across the year. Digital access and professional development are also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the six activity cards the complete PAAP programme?
No. They are six free samples, one from each of the programme’s six units. The complete scheme contains six themed cards within every unit and provides progression across the year.
What age is PAAP designed for?
The complete PAAP programme is designed for children aged approximately three to six years, depending on their stage of development.
Do I need a Bishop Sports equipment pack to try a free card?
No. Educators can try the sample activities using suitable equipment already available in the setting. The Bishop Sports packs offer a convenient selection of supporting resources for each programme area.
Can PAAP be used indoors and outdoors?
Yes. Activities can be adapted to indoor and outdoor spaces, with consideration given to the environment, available equipment and children taking part.
Choose Your First PAAP Adventure
Download a free sample card, gather suitable resources and give children time to explore the story through movement. When you are ready to go further, explore the corresponding Bishop Sports equipment pack or discover the complete PAAP programme from Music + Movement.
Download the Free Activity Cards Explore PAAP Equipment Packs
