Sportime Co-Oper Band User manual

#1-89970
Welcome to the Co-Oper Band, the stretchy, deep pressure and elastic FUN Band.
Co-Oper Band’s strength and stretchability create an exciting new movement
experience that can either contain and hold a rowdy group or encourage risk
taking from even the most timid. Its dynamic rebound challenges individual
gravity and balance. Group movement can support individual experimentation
with trust, caution, risk-taking and release.
While Co-Oper Band is made of heavy-duty surgical elastic, it shouldn’t be
misused or abused. Do not use it to play tug-of-war, as a swing or as a grown-up
baby bouncer. Like anything with tensile properties, it can have a recoil effect, so
be careful that participants do not slingshot out of control. You can involve up to
twenty-five people (X-large), twelve people (large), four people (small) or even
two (x-small) but be discrete as to how individual weight might affect that
number.Make sure fabric is equally distributed around internal elastic before
each use. Store away from radiators, direct sunlight or other heat sources.
Note:Co-Oper Band contains Latex.
Here are some great ideas to get started using your Co-Oper Band.
Warm-Up Exercises - Stretches
For arms, back, chest, shoulders:
• Sitting or standing, participants hold Co-Oper Band above heads moving straight arms forward and backwards, side to side,
and circling over the head with as much range of motion as possible.
•Hold Co-Oper Band with two hands, arms outstretched to the front. Stretch arms to either side without moving torso.
For sides:
•Holding Co-Oper Band in right hand everyone step back to expand the circle, producing as much tension as possible. Don’t let go!
With feet parallel to the circle, lean sideways away from the center while stretching left arm over head towards the center.Change
sides.
•While sitting on the floor, hold Co-Oper Band with right hand. Move back to produce the right amount of tension. Slowly lean forward,
twisting torso towards arm holding band. Change sides.
• Participants stand or sit facing center, with Co-Oper Band held in both hands. Each participant pulls away from the center with bent
knees, producing an undercurve of back and pelvis. Instruct use of oppositional pull to change body position and find different places
in the back to stretch.
For legs:
• Participants sit holding Co-Oper Band in front of them, with legs either straight or slightly bent. Lean forward from hips and perform a
rowing action with the arms. The body returns to the vertical as arms circle up towards the ceiling.
• All lie on back with head towards center. Hold band with two hands, raise one leg, placing band under arch of foot. Use Co-Oper Band
to stretch your hamstrings by gently pulling your leg towards your head.
• While on back bring both legs open to a V shape on band, overlapping ankles with your neighbor if necessary. Allow weight of legs to
hang into the support of the band while maintaining lower back on floor. Enjoy the stretch!
• Standing, and far enough apart to create adequate tension, participants hang forward while holding on to Co-Oper Band. Encourage
use of breathing and sensing body weight in order to increase stretch and relaxation.
Co-Oper Band™Product Guide
with Activities & Games by Kimberly Dye, MS, DTR
Introduction
Activities

Warm-Up Exercises - Strength
For thighs:
Sitting, hook Co-Oper Band around instep of foot while holding on with right and left hands. Press with foot and pull with hands to lift leg
away from floor. Lower slowly and repeat until leg tires. Use texture of Co-Oper Band to massage feet, achilles tendons, and calves.
Abdomen:
Participants sit facing Co-Oper Band and holding it in two hands, execute a backwards buttock walk until band provides a moderate
resistance. Lie down on three counts, lift Co-Oper Band to the ceiling and resume sitting position, again in three counts. As a variation,
instruct one half of the circle to pull back to the floor while the other half does its sit-up. Add a twist on the way down while holding with
one hand, lie on back, heads toward center, place arches of feet on band, press legs toward floor while holding band.
Arms:
Still on back, knees bent, feet on floor, hold Co-Oper Band with hands shoulder-width apart. Arc band up towards thighs and back to floor
over head. Repeat with one arm. Repeat moving right arm diagonally towards left thigh.
Movement Exercises
The Basic Amoeba
Form a circle with 3-8 people inside the Co-Oper Band, which is stretched comfortably against the lower back. Arms rest lightly on the
Co-Oper Band while hands grasp it on either side. Take a few steps to the rear, then lean slightly backwards until a counter-tension
results between weight and support.
PinBall Blast
This exercise promotes a physical experience of rebound, while encouraging interpersonal spontaneity. Four or eight participants stand
inside Co-Oper Band. Stretch Co-Oper Band outward to light tension. Children count off and run sequentially across the circle without
delay creating a pinball effect.
Loop-The-Loop
Start inside Co-Oper Band and move out to the Amoeba position. Participants take 3 rotating steps to right, then two to left. Complete
one revolution around the Co-Oper Band in this way. Try turning on your favorite music, adding eight counts of free form between each
of your double rotating turns, and imagine dancing with your favorite partner!
Break Dancing
Group stands either outside or inside Co-Oper Band holding with two hands. One or two “break dancers” hold two-handed while on floor.
Group creates momentum for “break dancers” to spin, propel, or whip around on back, belly, or sides. A nice, smooth wood floor is
necessary.
Shape Making
Encourage groups of 4-8 children to work together to make familiar shapes to begin with. Introduce three- dimensional shape making by
adding extensions into different planes. Have them make up their own shapes. Divide group into shape makers and observers. As shape
makers complete their shape, observers can either draw shapes they see or choose one they would like to “move” as a group. Different
options for moving their shapes are expansion/contraction, twisting, rotating, changing positions while maintaining original shape, etc.
Family Games
Who’s in Control?
Alternately stand inside or outside of Co-Oper Band, holding two-handed, facing toward center. Decide who are the leaders and who are
the riders. Object is to either lead or follow while staying in balance.
Tree Rooting
All stand with feet spread wide inside Co-Oper Band, leaning slightly back. Without moving feet, participants attempt to uproot their
counterparts by using hands and arms on the Co-Oper Band and performing quick shifts that throw the other off balance.
Mountain Climb
Participants hold Co-Oper Band over their heads. One Participant at a time hangs from the Co-Oper Band. Encourage both hangers and
supporters to verbalize imagery or feelings, e.g., surrender,dependency,hanging by one’s fingernails, etc.
Traffic
Participants take the Amoeba position. Count off in 3’s. The leader calls out “one, two, three, all ones change.” All number one
participants must change their Co-Oper Band positions with another number one. Last one to find a new place is out. Leader repeats
commands changing the number each time until there are three participants left. The last one left goes in the center and gets one
minute to direct others.
2

NoiseBreaker
Facing towards center, expand circle as large as it will go. On leader’s signal all children run towards center while making a sound.
Gradually increase or decrease sound level. Agree on specific kind of sound. It could range from a hearty scream to a robust musical
phrase.
Potpourri
Give the oldies-but-goodies a new twist. Co-Oper Band can greatly increase the fun of such tried and true activities as mirror games,
Simon Says, The Hokey Pokey, Follow the Leader, Red Rover, etc.
Other Games
Dragon Tag
Start with 1-3 bands with two children in each band. Set a large circle or square boundary. The children in the bands try to touch the
children outside the bands. When a child is tagged he/she must join the circle inside the band. Play until all children are tagged and
inside the band. Variation: Child tagged is replaced by tagger. Suggestion: Group says name of child to be tagged so group works together.
Identify group leader to make sure the group works together.
DodgeBall
Stand inside band in Amoeba starting position. Pick two players to be in the center.Players on the circle must continuously move around
circle and maintain pressured contact with band while trying to hit person in the middle with a soft foam or SloMo Ball. If person
opposite circle or player in the middle catches the ball, the thrower must replace middle player. Larger size bands work best. Variation:
Players in the middle are the throwers.
Balloon Toss
Use several small bands with 5-6 children inside. Each team must keep a balloon in the air longer than the other teams. Variation:
Switch places while keeping balloons in the air. Two teams volley the balloons back and forth while maintaining pressured waist contact
with the band.
Cat and Mouse
Mice run in and out while being chased by the cat. Cat(s) must always be in contact with the band. Children try to prevent cat from
getting mice by lifting side up and down, ricocheting cat off path, or pulling circle away from mice.
Numbered Ducks
Count off in 4’s. All hold outside band with left hand, pull out to firm tension, and continue to circle around to left maintaining tension.
As child’snumber is called they turn and run two times clockwise around to their original position. Call can instruct runners to skip, hop,
leap, slither, etc. as variations.
Twister
Lead the group in floor patterns that begin to overlap each other by climbing under, over, or around each other until they reach a twisted
spatial design. Now get untwisted without letting go of the band.
X-Small Co-Oper Band Activities
Two-Way Balance
Incorporates balance, grounding, trust, adaptation and strength.
Two people hold the band pulling apart enough to where there is
an equal counter tensional pull. Slowly twist the torso away from
the other while pulling back on the band, feet spread wide apart.
Variation: Once an equilibrium is established you can begin to
challenge each other by making quick, strong, weight changes
without moving the feet in order to knock the other off balance.
Assisted Sit-up
Incorporates body center strength, proper mechanics and trust
building.
An adult stands inside band with it around the waist. The child
can either sit opposite holding the band or with the band around
upper back, under arms and holding it with hands. The adult
provides resistance so child can slowly sit back to floor and back
up again.
Arm Curl
Incorporates upper body tonicity and arm strength. One person stands on doubled band
and holds opposite ends. Bend elbows and pull up band to create arm resistance.
3
Two-Way Balance
Assisted Sit-up
Arm
Curl

Leg Press
Incorporates lower body strength, coordination, tonicity and flexibility.
Two people lay down head to head, with their legs in air. Hook the band over the arches
of their feet and press it away from each other to create an equalized tension. For
alternate pressure, one person presses down while the other holds still, or both press
down at the same time. Another option is to just hang out opening the legs more into a
straddle stretch.
Pull and Drag
Incorporates trust, adaptation and coordination. You will need a smooth wood or tile
floor. An adult stands holding band while a child holds the band with two hands and lies
on their stomach. With lively music playing, the adult pulls the child around in straight
lines and curves while instructing child to try moving in different ways... a tight ball, a
flopping fish, an acrobat in the circus or a flying squirrel. Make it fun!
Co-Oper Band’s natural resistance properties are
ideal for working with children with neurological
and/or sensory integration issues.
Used in a group, Co-Oper Band provides gentle
proprioceptive input into the big muscle groups and
giving deep pressure sensory input. Use Warm Up and
Movement Exercises listed below or make up your own
Co-Oper Band Activities.
Co-Oper Band is wonderful for improving range of
motion, motor planning and social skills. It also
makes a great tool for transitions! Just have the
teacher or caregiver be the anchor for one end of the
Co-Oper Band while the students walk at the other end.
Co-Oper Band is a blast for scooter board activities. Have the child lay prone (on tummy) or
sitting up and hold an X-Small Co-Oper Band. You can use the Co-Oper Band to pull the child on
the scooter board. Pull turn and spin for extra movement input.
Co-Oper Band is machine washable, cold water,gentle cycle. Hang to dry.Use with adult supervision and note precautions in
introductory section.
Special Needs Modifications
Care&Safety
Good luck, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h s - t - r - e - t - c - h your activities to the limit!
Co-Oper Band is machine washable, cold water, gentle cycle. Hang to dry.
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Customer Service 1-800-444-5700 or 1-770-449-5700
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See more, fun activity guides for other great Sportime products at www.sportime.com.
Leg Press