Grade level: K-5
Equipment: Mats, polyspots, bell (or music)
Game Description: Unique tag game idea, run away from the Lava monster! (Thanks to Lori Schoessler)
Category: Gr 2
Tatanka
Grade level: K-6
Equipment: None
Game Description: Try this traditional Indigenous game for some good old fashioned fun. Get nice and sweaty.
Together Ball
Grade level: 2-6
Equipment: Giant Ball, Pool Noodles, Exercise Mats
Game Description: Work together, be friends, score goals!
Rodeo Roundup
Grade level: 1-5
Equipment: Scooters, hula hoops
Game Description: Cowboys, round up those horses! For extra fun, add some food – could use beanbags or scarves or whatever you have. Easy, fun idea (thanks to Diana Gyuras)!
Cops N Robbers
Grade level: K-6
Equipment: None
Game Description: Here’s the classic game of Cops N Robbers. First and most importantly is to find a fun area to play this game (technically it could be played anywhere but the more obstacles and hiding spots, the better). You’ll create a couple Cops whose job is to find and tag the Robbers. Once robbers are tagged they need to go to jail. Sounds simple because it is, and it’s a whole lot of fun too! (Thanks to a friend and colleague Paul Grosskopf for bringing this game back to life)
Plants vs Animals
Grade level: K-6
Equipment: Cones, pool noodles
Game Description: Simple and effective game to get kids moving! (Thanks to Anne Guillmaine for yet another great idea)
Predators & Prey
Grade level: 1-6
Equipment: None
Game Description: Here is an awesome cross-curricular idea that’s lots of fun, and teaches science concepts through play. Find a playing area indoors or outdoors. Have a quick discussion to see what students know about predators, prey, carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, etc. Ask students to give some examples. Then start setting up the game (it’s really simple actually). You’ll start by choosing a herbavore (example rabbits). Most of the players will be the rabbits. Their job is to simply run away from the taggers (the omnivores and carnivore). Then choose 2-3 players to be the omnivores (example foxes). The foxes will be chasing down the rabbits to try to tag them. But then you will also choose a carnivore, at the top of that food chain (example wolf). The wolf is able to chase after either the foxes or the rabbits and tag them. When players are tagged they need to go to the teacher at the side to perform a predetermined quick exercise to get back into the game. The teacher also has a special job… (thanks to Richard Turenne for this game idea!)
Mirror Mirror
Grade level: 1-5
Equipment: Music
Game Description: Mirror Mirror could be a stand-alone game, could be used as a warm-up, or fitness activity. Quite a bit of action in this one. Start by dividing players into 2 equal groups. One group stands outside the basketball court line, while the other group stands inside. When the music plays, the group on the outside runs in one direction, while the group on the inside runs in the opposite direction. When the music stops, the group on the outside STOPS and FREEZES into any position/pose that they want. The players from the inside must then go and stand in front (1-2 meters apart) of a frozen player and copy or mirror the pose. Then the outside group becomes the inside group, vice-versa. If there’s an odd number, assign 1 player that is allowed to join a group. For older students, challenge them with a fitness pose – like a plank, side plank, lunge, squat, etc. Give it a go, let us know what you think! (Thanks to Anne Guilmaine for this idea)
The BEST Rock Paper Scissors Battle
Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Hula Hoops
Game Description: This game is amazing. Players have a super fun RPS battle that they won’t soon forget. 2 teams faceoff across from eachother. Place a bunch of hula hoops between teams in a line. 1 player from each team hops towards the other, and when they meet, they RPS. Loser must jump out and join the end of the line while the winner keeps advancing. Meanwhile the next player in line from the losing side jumps in and hops towards the opponent. It’s a bit hard to explain through text, so watch the video to see this awesome game in action!
Coin Collectors
Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Coins (example: pennies)
Game Description: Coin collectors can be played in the gym or adapted for outside, and used for any age group. It’s a super simple idea, give it a go as it should be lots of FUN! Start by having players line up at one end of the gym facing the wall (no peeking!). The teacher hides coins scattered throughout the gym floor. The teacher says ‘Go’ and students run to find a coin. When they find one, they stand on it and stay there. Once all the coins are found, the players who did not find one have to do 10 jumping jacks, or crunches, or pushups, etc (player or teacher can choose). Players then line up again, while teacher takes out one coin and re-hides the rest. Continue to take out one coin each round until there is only one coin remaining to be hidden. To determine how many coins to use: take the class size and cut it in half, and that is how many coins to start with (if 20 people in class, hide 10 coins). One final tip to make it easier to operate: have the students stay standing on the coin until you come and get it, so you don’t have to find them all on your own after the round is over. (Thanks to Jesse Edwards)