A Morning of Sport at Little Bunnies

A Morning of Sport at Little Bunnies with Austin Lawrence.

As an ICS Coach working across primary schools and nurseries, I’m passionate about giving children positive early experiences in sport. I also take pride in playing an active role within the local community, helping young children build confidence, coordination, and a love for being active.

Today’s session at Little Bunnies was a fantastic example of how much children can gain from structured physical activity at an early age.

Starting the Day

I arrived at 9:15 and caught up with Clare to discuss the plan for the morning and where I would be delivering the session. After running through my session structure, it was time to welcome the first group.

Before heading outside, I met the children at the door and sparked a quick conversation about their favourite Peppa Pig characters. This helped build rapport straight away and created a relaxed, positive atmosphere before we began.

Learning to “Freeze”

Once outside, I had the children sit down in front of me and introduced a simple rule: when I shout “freeze,” they must stop like a statue. This small instruction made a huge difference, as it allowed me to manage the group effectively and smoothly transition between activities.

We began by moving around the outdoor space in different ways — jumping, walking in slow motion, and running. I then added an imaginative twist by asking them to move like different animals. To encourage quick listening, the first child to freeze each time earned the chance to choose the next animal. This kept engagement high and added an element of excitement.

Developing Ball Skills

The next part of the session focused on developing fundamental ball skills. Using a tennis ball and an upside-down cone, the children aimed to throw the ball at the edge of the cone to try and flip it over. This activity encouraged accuracy, control, and coordination.

We then progressed to bouncing the ball and catching it in the cone, followed by throwing the ball into the air and catching it with the cone. These exercises are excellent for improving hand-eye coordination, and using cones makes the skill more achievable while still providing an appropriate challenge.

Finishing on a Positive Note

To help the children transition calmly back indoors, I asked them to sort their cones into piles by colour. This simple task helped settle their energy levels while reinforcing listening and teamwork skills. Before heading inside, I asked how many catches they had managed and made sure to praise their effort, attitude, and excellent listening throughout the session.

I then repeated the full session with the second group to ensure every child had the same opportunity to take part and develop their skills.

The Bigger Picture

After both sessions, I spoke with Clare about the importance of introducing structured sport at nursery age. Starting early gives children a real advantage when they move into primary school, both physically and socially. I was particularly impressed with the overall ability level — it was higher than I would typically expect for children of this age.

Mornings like this highlight just how valuable early years sport can be. Building confidence, coordination, and positive attitudes towards physical activity at this stage sets children up for success — not just in school, but beyond.