Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Nature
Game Description: What better way to use outdoor space than a scavenger hunt!? This hunt is a bit different from your typical hunt, because instead of a list that players need to just check off when they see the items, they must BRING THE ITEMS HOME to their collection area. You can and should create a secret treasure item that you’ve hidden somewhere outside beforehand (for example hide a Kleenex box somewhere good and players need to also retrieve a tissue from the box). Simply start by creating a home area where individuals or partners (depending how you want to do it) put their hula hoop on the ground, which is their collection area to bring the items into. Next, go over the rules with all students, and give them a list of the items (or leave a master poster at the home area so they have to use their memory). Note that they can only bring 1 item back at a time! Obviously choose items that students can find or access in your area/community. Stress the importance of respecting property and not taking things that they shouldn’t. At the end, players will return all the items that need to be returned!
Category: Gr 3
Last Man Standing
Grade level: 3-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: Just like the name says, students will try to be the ‘last man standing’ or the last one left. It’s an elimination type game, but don’t worry – the ones who are eliminated aren’t actually standing around doing nothing once they’re out – they must perform some exercises or alternate activity until the round is over. The game is played inside the basketball court area (or outside in an area marked off by cones). On the go signal, or along to music, players will move around as they wish inside the play area. When the teacher says stop, or stops the music, all players must choose one of the following actions: sit, stand, lay down, kneel down. And then the teacher will call out one of those actions (for example: STANDING) so therefore all players who are performing that action are OUT. Once out, they go outside the play area and perform exercises chosen beforehand until the round is over. Repeats like this until there’s 1 left..
Stunt Pilots
Grade level: K-3
Equipment: Variety
Game Description: Stunt Pilots is sure to be a hit – what kid doesn’t want to fly their own plane and do a whole bunch of tricks: through the mountain range, low flying, spins, backwards, bumpy riding, straight edge, and more! Either let them fly around and explore the areas on their own, or tell them all where to go at what time “ex, TO THE MOUNTAINS! UNDER THE POWERLINES! LAND IN THE WATER!” Takes just a bit of set-up before beginning, students don’t need to handle any of the equipment at anytime either, so it can be used with covid-19 measures in place. Start-up the engines and hope you enjoy this original Physedgames game!
The Spy
Grade level: 3-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: The Spy is a classic game of mystery where one player is chosen as the spy who goes around and poisons the other players. They do this by sneakily winking at them (so if you get winked at, you’re poisoned)! A poisoned player must quietly drop to the ground and lay there, or in the case of PE class they can hold a plank instead to make it more challenging. It’s important in this game that players are all making eye-contact the entire time, no dodging glances. The spy will try to poison all players to win the round. BUT in order to do this, the spy must be very sneaky – because if a different player sees that a spy has winked at someone, that player can put up their hand and say “I found the spy!” – If that player is correct, the round is over. If they were mistaken, that player is OUT!
Distance Relays
Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Cones
Game Description: This is a 2-person relay format to get players nice and sweaty. Lots of different variations can be performed (could be 100s if you’re creative enough)! So go find some room outside, or play in the gym! Partners will take turns going back and forth to the middle circle to perform whatever action or exercise you choose to get the job done – make it continuous for a certain amount of time, or race, race, RACE!
Pinball Soccer
Grade level: 3-8
Equipment: Foam Balls, Skipping Ropes, Pins
Game Description: This is a simple game to work on attacking, defending, kicking, guarding, accuracy, and as always it’s lots of fun! Players in the middle area will each defend a pin in hopes that it doesn’t get knocked over. The attackers along the sides will be constantly kicking foam balls to try to knock over the pins. Each pin down is a point for the attackers. Play up to a certain score, or for a determined amount of time. This game can be used WITH or WITHOUT covid-19 measures in place, hope you enjoy!
Treasure Chest
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: Cones, Hula Hoops, Random Objects or Toys (ex. from dollar store)
Game Description: This game is a super fun relay style collecting games, where players team up to try to collect treasures! The treasures (toys, equipment, objects) are dumped out onto the floor on one side of the gym. On the other side of the gym, relay teams set up each behind a cone. Each team also has a hula hoop as a collection area to put their treasures in. Before the game starts, the teacher chooses a few “secret treasures” from the pile and tells the teams that whoever finds the ‘secret treasures’ wins the round – and the losing teams perform an exercise like 10 jumping jacks. Or you could play where the team with the most wins. Or team that collects the most of a certain color. Lots of different ideas! Also, instead of running, players could try skipping, gallopping, backwards, etc to work on different basic transport skills. Have fun with Treasure Chest today, hope you enjoy this physedgame!
Bottle Shuttle
Grade level: 3-8
Equipment: Cones, Recycled Plastic Bottles
Game Description: This game is played using recycled plastic bottles (1 for every player in the game). First you will need to cut the bottles in half (the upper half is the shuttle and the lower half is the bottle). Then players will line up at the starting line, each holding the shuttle part in their hand while their bottle part is on the ground/floor directly in front of them. At the starting whistle, players drop the shuttle, trying to have it land in the bottle. If successful, that player would take a step forward to the next cone. And so on so forth. First to the finish line wins! Play individually against each other, or team challenges. (Thanks to Dr. Mehdi Dehghani in Iran)
Hawks & Doves
Grade level: 2-6
Equipment: Benches, cones
Game Description: The 2 opposite corners of the court are cornered off with cones – those are the nests. The doves (runners) start from one nest and attempt to get all of them to end up in the other nest. Start with just 1 or 2 Hawks in the other nest (taggers). All the other students are doves. Between the nests, somewhere in the middle of the court is a bench – that is the cage.
The doves start from one of the nest, the hawks from the other. Once the hawks leave their nest, the game starts. Once the hawks leave the nest they cannot enter either nest anymore. The nests become safe areas for the doves. The Hawks tag as many doves as possible. The caught doves stand up on the bench (the cage). The free doves have to go to free them by running to them and tag (touch them). In rare cases all doves manage to end up all together in the opposite nest. Or all are in the cage. Usually some are in the cage, others leave the finish nest to save them and get caught themselves. After some time stop the game and chose another student to be a hawk! (Thanks to Dani Uzunova)
10 Second Tag
Grade level: 1-6
Equipment: None
Game Description: This is a fast-moving tag game, where the tagger is constantly switching (every 10 seconds or sooner). The runners/flee’ers will start in a playing area (maybe within half of the gym) and the remaining players form a line waiting for their shift to tag. They don’t wait long though, as the teacher blows the whistle every 10 seconds or sooner for the next person in line to jump in to tag. Anyone who is tagged simply goes to the back of the line, and the game continues on as such. This is a great game for learning the names of new students. As the players are standing in line, the teacher can talk to them and learn their names. Try it out! To speed it up even more, try having 2 players go in to tag at a time. (Thanks Joel Sweetland for this idea)