Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: Basketballs, hoops
Game Description: A simple relay idea to practice basketball skills: dribbling, shooting, rebounding. Players are sure to have a fun time playing off against each other to try to be the first team to score 10 baskets (or most baskets made in a certain time)! Best to use small groups/teams of 2-3 players per team on half courts, but could also be done on full court. Each player has their own ball. Each team faces their own hoop. On the go signal, the first player from each line dribbles the ball towards their hoop and takes a shot where they feel comfortable. Players continue to shoot until one of them scores a basket. At that time, the team who scored must yell out their score (for example, “THREE”!) and then the players must retrieve their ball and return to their teams line. As soon as they return, the next player in line can go. Game continues on and on like this! One rule you can add is that the students waiting in line can practice their dribbling skills so that they’re not just standing there (although they shouldn’t be standing for too long anyways). Should be LOTS OF FUN! (Thanks Zane Gardner for inspiring this game idea).
Category: ALL
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!
2v2 Mini Volleyball
Grade level: 4-6
Equipment: Volleyballs, Skipping Ropes, Cones
Game Description: Another fun volleyball idea to get players hitting more reps and more contact with the ball in small sided games. It’s really so simple: make groups of 3 players, middle player holds skipping rope over head as net, use cones at the end for out of bounds. There are some simple rules like no spiking of course, as well switch the net holder every 3 points. That’s about it (thanks to Angelo Gasparro)!
Beat The Card
Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: Volleyballs, Deck of Cards
Game Description: This is a great volleyball skill-working game to practice PASSING. Students need to be in groups between 3-7 people. They get into a bump circle.
A student from each group will pick up a playing card from the deck in the middle and bring it back to their group. Whatever the card is, they have to beat the card. If its a face card they have to get 11, 12, or 13 passes in a row before ball hits the ground (corresponding with Jack, Queen, King). If they pull a 5 they have to get 5 passes in a row.
If they beat the card, they keep it. If they don’t, the card goes back into the deck. For every card they beat, they get that amount of points. They are competing to see which group can collect the most points. Variations: give them 2-3 opportunities to beat the card depending on the age level. Can also have them do an exercise if they do not beat the card. (Thanks Angelo Gasparro)
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)