Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: Basketball
Game Description: 21 is perhaps the most popular shooting game for basketball. The idea is simple: be the first to reach 21 points. Normally played in pairs or threes, players take turns shooting for 1 or 2 points – unless you’re really good, you could make it to 21 without your opponent even having a chance to shoot! Great game for practicing free throws (foul shots).
Category: ALL
4-Goal Soccer
Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: Soccer balls, 4 goals
Game Description: 4 Goal Soccer is another popular soccer PE game, especially with larger groups. 4 nets are set-up on each side. 4 teams go at it with whatever soccer rules the teacher wants to implement. Teams can score in any net except their own – that’s obvious. Definitely worth taking a look at; lots of movement, exercise, and skill development potential in this game.
Beachball Kickers
Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: 2 beachballs, mats
Game Description: Beachball Kickers is a unique soccer-volleyball, Sepak Takraw type game. Players pass and kick the beachballs up in the air, attempting to score into the target area. There are two (or more) teams who work together to move the beachballs around, but no hands allowed.
Here Come The Bears
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: Here Come The Bears is a chasing and fleeing tag game where the bears try to run to the opposite side without getting tagged by the catchers. The trick is that the catchers can only run left and right along lines in the gym. When tagged, the bears join the catchers on the line.
- Players line up along one edge of the gym. They are the bears.
- Two catchers start on width-wise lines as the catchers who will try and tag the bears as they run across.
- The catchers yell ‘Here Come The Bears’ and the runners run.
- The catchers can only move left and right along their line.
- Any bears who are caught then become catchers and join them on the line.
- Play until all have been caught!
Doctor Dodgeball
Grade level: 1-8
Equipment: 4 scooters, dodgeballs, mats (optional)
Game Description: Good old Dr. Dodgeball… when players are hit, they must sit down. The doctors will come by with their scooter ambulances and pick them up, bring them to the hospital, then the player is good to go back into the game. Careful that the doctor doesn’t get hit!
Fitness Relays
Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Various
Game Description: In Fitness Relays, players will divide into teams. These teams will each stand in a line across from a mat. Choose a fitness activity, for example jumping jacks, and let the relays begin! Switch up the exercises and reps and let players get a good workout!
Hop, Skip, Gallop
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: What are some ways to move from one end of the gym to the other? Walking, running, jogging, hopping, skipping, galloping, jumping, lunging, knees-up, etc, etc. Practice basic transportation skills in this simple physical education game idea.
Get Your Trash Off My Yard!
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: Bean bags, dodgeballs, volleyball net
Game Description: Get your trash off my yard! Split the gym into 2 halves (best idea is to use the volleyball court to divide the playing area). The 2 halves represent 2 yards. Players on both sides will keep throwing, rolling, or sliding pieces of trash (dodgeballs, beanbags, etc) back and forth. Basically, the idea is that teams are throwing the neighbors trash off their yard. This can go on and on and on. Or end the round and see which yard is a bigger mess! Perhaps a lesson of social and community responsibilities can come up for discussion at some point in this game. Read More →
Jet Ball
Grade level: 3-8
Equipment: 2 dodgeballs
Game Description: Jetball is a personal favorite. This is a warm-up or mini-game that really gets players sweating. Two throwers work together to contact the runners as they try to make it from end to end each round without getting hit. Once players have been hit, they must sit on the ground where they can tag others as they run by. Read More →
Blob Tag
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: Blob Tag is a tag game – chasing and fleeing – that has players join together to form blobs once they’re tagged. When blobs get too big, they break off to form smaller blobs. The game continues until all players have been caught and have formed blobs.