Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Body Scan Express Ticket: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Body Scan Express Ticket is a free printable PE worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children take an imaginary train ride through the body. At each stop they tense a muscle for 5 seconds, relax for 5 seconds, tick the stop and write the name of the muscle. It needs only a pencil and a little floor space.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. It has notes, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea and the answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Page 1 is a ticket with a table to fill in. The columns are Stop, Station, Tense and hold, Muscle and Done. A grown up reads each stop aloud and keeps time. Children tense for 5 seconds, relax for 5 seconds, tick the stop and write the muscle name. Two questions at the end ask children to reflect on which stop was hardest to hold still and what they noticed about their breathing.
- Stop
- Station
- Tense and hold
- Muscle
- Done
- Which stop was hardest to hold still? Say why.
- What did you notice about your breathing at Head Terminus?
What the train ride builds
Muscle vocabulary
Children link the name of a muscle to a place on their own body. Doing the movement first makes the word easier to remember when they write it down.
Body control
Tensing on purpose and then letting go takes attention. Children learn to hold part of the body still while the rest stays calm.
Calm breathing
Between stops, children can notice how their breathing feels. This gives them a simple way to slow down when they feel busy or worried.
Reflection
The two written questions ask children to say what they felt and why. Explaining a body experience in words is a useful skill in PE and in everyday life.
Why tense and relax?
Tensing a muscle and then letting it go helps children notice the difference between the two feelings. Many people carry tension without realising, perhaps in the shoulders or the jaw. A body scan simply means paying attention to one part of the body at a time. Doing it in order, stop by stop, gives children a clear and easy routine to follow.
The train theme makes the routine playful. Each station is a place to pause, move and check in. Children who find it hard to sit still often enjoy a task with a short burst of movement followed by a rest. Because the same pattern repeats at every stop, children soon know what to expect and can focus on how their body feels.
Ask children to tense firmly but gently. It should never hurt. Stop if anything feels sore or uncomfortable. Remind children to keep breathing normally while they hold each muscle, rather than holding their breath.
Muscle facts for curious minds
- Your heart is a muscle. It works day and night without you thinking about it.
- Muscles are joined to bones, and that is how they help your body move.
- A muscle can pull, but it cannot push. Muscles often work in teams to move a part of the body.
- You have muscles in your face. They help you smile, frown and show how you feel.
- Muscles get tired when they work hard, and a rest helps them recover.
Skills and curriculum link
- Naming major muscles
- Body control
- Calm breathing
- Listening to instructions
- Reflecting and explaining
Ideas to help you talk about it
- Muscles and bonesMuscles are attached to bones and help them move. Feeling a muscle go firm is a good way to find where it is.
- Tense and relaxA muscle can be held firm, then let go. Children can feel the difference between the two, and this is the idea behind the sheet.
- Breathing and calmSlow, steady breathing often helps people feel calmer. Children can try it between stops.
- Names have cluesMuscle names are often linked to where they are on the body. A body picture helps children match names to places.
Key words
- MuscleA part of the body that helps you move. Muscles are joined to your bones.
- TenseTo make a muscle firm and tight.
- RelaxTo let a muscle go soft and loose again.
- HoldTo keep a muscle or a position still for a short time.
- TerminusThe last stop at the end of a railway line. On this sheet it is the name of one of the stations.
- Body scanPaying attention to each part of your body in turn, one at a time.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Find a safe space where your child can stand or sit comfortably. Have a pencil ready and a body picture nearby if you want one.
- Read each stop aloud. Time 5 seconds of tensing and 5 seconds of relaxing. Your child ticks the stop, then writes the muscle name.
- Talk about the two questions at the end. Ask which stop was hardest and why, and what your child noticed about breathing. Then check the muscle names against page 2.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Point to the matching muscle on a body picture before writing its name from the word bank. Do the movement slowly with your child, then say the muscle name together. Go through the stops one at a time, and rest between them.
To stretch confident children
Add a stop of your own. Choose another large muscle, find its name using a body picture or a book, and add it to the ticket. Then write a sentence about how it felt to tense it and to relax it.
Make it a game
Make train noises between stops. One player is the guard and calls the next station. Everyone tenses together for 5 seconds and relaxes for 5. Take turns to be the guard so everyone gets to lead.
Talk about it
- Which stop was easiest to hold, and which was hardest?
- How did your body feel when you relaxed each muscle?
- Did your breathing change as the ride went on?
- When might it help to slow down and relax your body?
- Can you feel any muscle working when you walk or climb stairs?
- Which muscle name was new to you today?
Take it off the page
Draw a body map
Draw an outline of a person. Add train stations on the body and label each one with a muscle name. Use your sheet or a book to check.
Belly breathing
Lie down with a soft toy on your tummy. Breathe in slowly and watch the toy rise. Breathe out slowly and watch it fall.
Design your own route
Make a new ticket for a different train line. Choose your own stations, write the instructions and ask someone at home to follow them.
Who it is for
Parents
Do the first go together and let your child lead after that. Keep it calm and light. Praise careful listening and honest answers to the reflection questions. It also works well as a quiet routine before bed.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a calm plenary after a lively PE lesson, an early finisher task or a supply resource. It needs no preparation beyond printing. It supports work on control and body awareness at Key Stage 2.
Home educators
Pair it with outdoor play, a book about the body or a simple stretching routine. Brothers and sisters can take turns as the guard. Print it again for revision of the muscle names a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this sheet, children will have moved in many ways in PE and begun to notice how their bodies feel during activity. Knowing a few body part names helps, but nothing else is needed in advance.
After it, children can use the same calm routine before or after exercise. They can learn more muscle names, think about how muscles help in different sports, and explore other ways to slow down and feel calm.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Body Scan Express Ticket for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) in Key Stage 2. Younger children can join in with a grown up. Older children can use the stretch idea on page 2 to make it more challenging.
- What will children practise?
They practise naming major muscles, controlling their bodies by tensing and relaxing, and noticing their breathing. The reflection questions also help them put body feelings into words.
- How do I use it?
Read each stop aloud and time 5 seconds tense and 5 seconds relax. Children tick the stop, then write the muscle name. Finish with the two questions and check the notes on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Point to the matching muscle on a body picture before writing its name from the word bank. Go through the stops slowly, and let your child rest between them or try a few at a time.
- Should children tense as hard as they can?
No. Ask them to tense firmly but gently, and never until it hurts. They should keep breathing normally and stop if anything feels uncomfortable. The aim is to notice the difference between tense and relaxed.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, a calm plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
- Is it free, and is it screen free?
Yes to both. It is free to print for home and classroom use. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.