Megan Reynolds

Megan Reynolds

I am a teacher & designer. Connecting with students & seeing them enjoy learning is my favorite feeling on earth! I hope you enjoy this article!

7th Grade Exercise Choice Board Tutorial for Teachers

Build your own Exercise Choice Board for 7th Grade in minutes! Keep kids engaged & learning using these tactics & templates
To use a choice board in your 7th Grade Classroom during Exercise you will need to create the Exercisechoices (there are lots of examples), organize the classroom, and have a goal;

Time-saving, differentiation, and dynamic classroom management are my favorite reasons to use a choice board!

Integrating choices every day you will need to hone in on the best way to apply 7th Grade Exercise choice boards to your classroom style!

Here are a few ideas and instructions on choices, classroom management and getting buy-in from your7th Graders

Ideas & Examples of Great 7th Grade Exercise Choices

Create a Dance Routine
Craft a fun dance! Start with 8 counts of claps, add 4 side steps, spin, then jump twice. Repeat to music you love. Keep it simple, groove, and make it your own!
"Create a Dance Routine" "Yoga Flow Sequence"
“Create a Dance Routine”: Pick your favorite song, design 5-6 moves that match the beat, repeat them, and add flair! “Yoga Flow Sequence”: Start with Mountain Pose, then do a Forward Fold, Plank, Cobra, Downward Dog, and end with Child’s Pose. Breathe deeply in each pose.
Bodyweight Circuit Challenge
Do a circuit: 10 push-ups, 15 squats, 20 sit-ups, 5 burpees. Repeat 3x. Rest 1 min between rounds. Push-ups work arms/chest, squats for legs, sit-ups for belly, burpees boost heart rate.
Parkour Basics Tutorial
Parkour is like ninja moves! Learn to jump, land, and roll safely. Start with low walls, practice balance, and always bend knees when landing. Be safe, have fun!
Nature Walk Exploration
Explore nature on a walk! Observe trees, plants, and wildlife. Use your senses to listen for birds, smell flowers, and feel bark textures. Note colors and shapes. Stay safe and enjoy!
Jump Rope Skills Progression
Start with basic jumps. Then, try one-foot hops, alternating feet. Next, learn the boxer step, shifting weight side to side. Finally, master double-unders, spinning the rope twice per jump. Practice each step!
Shadow Boxing Basics
Shadow boxing is like pretend fighting. Stand with feet apart, fists up by your face. Punch the air, move around, and practice dodging. Keep your body loose and have fun!
Ultimate Frisbee Fundamentals
Throw Frisbee flat & spin it. Catch with “pancake” grip—hands clap onto disc. Run, but don’t run with it. Pass to teammates, score by catching in end zone.
Stretch & Sketch: Draw Poses
Stretch & Sketch: Grab a pencil & paper, find a comfy spot. Do some easy stretches like touching toes & arm circles. Then, draw the poses you just did. Fun & chill!

Using a Choice Board to Differentiate Exercise in a 7th Grade Classroom

Keep It Simple

Everyone “teacher & student” should know exactly what they are doing. If you don’t make it even easier! 

Differential Instruction vs Saving time?

There is nothing more irritating than “Saving Time” with a Choice Board & ending up with “More work!”.  Are you using this to hit standards or save time or both? 

"Self Guided" or "instruction-based"?

If you giving out work, should they do it on their own or are these more instructions for each choice?

General rule, if the grade is > 3 there is more work per choice.

FREE Blank Fillable & Custom Choice Board

All ages, all grades where you need 9 grid choice board. Start loving learning again! 

How To Manage Your 7th Grade Classroom During Exercise (With a Choice Board)

I find its easiest to use a big board at the front of the classroom where all students can see the choices  then decide what they want to do

This often will be coming in from a break or transition between subjects. 

If you can get all students to know whats expected during a choice activity it becomes one-hundred times easier to manage the class & have everyone know what choices they have!  

There are three core steps you have to hit when using a Choice Board; 

1) The Set Up
2) 
The Instruction 
3) The Q+A 

1) The Set Up

Select your choices, decide on how you are going to use this time in your classroom. Build the choice board

1) The Instruction

Tell the students what they are going to be doing (this becomes easier over time) Simply start with 3 options & move from there. 

1) The Q & A

Does anyone have questions? This will help you or the next time. Remember the goal is to make this easier each time! 

Why Use A Choice Board?

So, let’s chat about choiceboards and why they’re like the coolest thing ever in your classroom. 

Picture this: kiddos bouncing into the room, eyes lighting up because they get to pick their own adventure in learning new words.

 It’s like a mini vocab party, and everyone’s invited!

We all have our own jam, right? Some of us are little artists, others are born performers, and some love to get lost in stories. Choice boards are like a buffet of fun learning snacks, so every munchkin finds something tasty that helps the vocab stick!

And here’s the kicker – when the little ones get to steer the ship, they turn into these mini captains of learning. They’re making the calls, and with every choice, they puff up a bit more with confidence. It’s a win-win – they’re learning and feeling like the boss at the same time.

Plus, for us teachers, it’s like having a secret helper in the room. We get to sprinkle in all sorts of activities that match our students’ levels and what makes their hearts tick. It’s like custom-making a learning playlist that gets every kid grooving to the vocab beat. How cool is that?