Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: Variety
Game Description: Inspired by the Dude Perfect trick shots, this game gets students practicing their own myriad of skills and trickshots for a fun physical education class. Choose a bunch of tricks to try out, using whatever equipment and area that you have, break off in groups, and get going! Have groups invent their own tricks, and even do video recordings of their amazing shots.
Category: Gr 5
Ultimate Warriors
Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Foam balls, cones
Game Description: Ultimate Warriors is another awesome game that gets students moving, having fun, and working on a variety of skills! Split the gym into 3 sections with cones and lines. Tell the players that there will be 3 games of dodgeball going on at the same time (each 3rd correlates with a group: farmers -> knights -> warriors). If a player is hit with a ball, the player moves down and the thrower moves up. The goal is to get to the top league (the warriors). If you’re in the top league (the warriors) and you hit someone you don’t move up and if you’re in the bottom league (the farmers) you don’t move down. Set a time limit to the game. The winners are the players who finish in the top league at the end of the round. Use your own dodgeball rules and as always HAVE FUN!!! (Thanks to Joe Defreitas)
Camouflage
Grade level: K-6
Equipment: 5 large objects
Game Description: Camouflage is a unique game idea (thanks to Joe Defreitas for ANOTHER great idea) that can be played with a handful of players, or an entire large group! It’s an ‘enhanced’ game of hide-and-seek where players will hide behind one of 5 large objects (example crash mats or exercise equipment) and hope to not be found by the caller. The caller will probably be the teacher for the first round at least. The caller will sit in a position where he/she cannot see the players hiding behind the objects. The caller will count down from 10 to 1 while the players hide. At the end of the countdown, the caller will say a name (or names) as well as a number from 1 to 5 which correlates with the objects that were hidden behind. If the player is found, he/she is OUT (can still continue to play). Last one remaining after all the rounds is the winner.
Pace Setter
Grade level: 3-6
Equipment: Cones
Game Description: Another great game idea thanks to Joe Defreitas. This one is to help students practice pacing themselves (slow, mid, fast – walking, jogging, running) and for long distance. Set-up cones to form a large oval, enough cones 1 for each player, in a large area. Cones should be in a color sequence/pattern (example: red, green, yellow, blue, repeat). Every player must sit behind their own cone and remember which cone is theirs. The teacher or coach will have a stopwatch and tell the players they need to do 1 lap (up to you how many laps) in exactly 40 seconds. The winner is the player who got back around to their cone in the specified time that you said. So in order to be successful they will have to either walk, jog, or run.
Slappers!
Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: 4 nets, 4 bouncy balls (ex racquetball ball)
Game Description: Try out this amazing game called SLAPPERS. It’s a game that mainly uses the striking skill (or swatting, smacking, slapping – however you want to call it). 4 teams, 4 nets in the corners, 1 for each team. Throw a few balls in and players will go around SLAPPING the balls to try to score goals. Players can of course move around and strategize, position themselves, work on offense or defense, etc. They just can’t pick up the ball, or run with ball in hand, or throw/catch. Just slapping the ball around for some good old fun as well as developing many skills!
Snow Pizza
Grade level: K-6
Equipment: Snow (or sand or concrete pad & chalk)
Game Description: Here’s a fun game to play in the fresh snow (thanks to a friend of mine Richard Turenne)! If you don’t have snow, try using sand or a cement pad and sidwalk chalk! First, players need to follow the leader (the teacher) who makes a pizza shape in the fresh snow by trailblazing a path. Throughout the process, stop and ask math questions related to fractions as you create a pizza shape (full, halves, quarters, etc). Once it’s created, time to PLAY! One player starts as a tagger in the middle of the pizza. The rest of the players start along the pizza crust. The tagger, known as the big bad pizza man or woman, will go and try to tag someone. EVERYONE MUST STAY ON THE LINES/PATHWAY. When someone gets caught, that player becomes the new tagger. Vary the size of your pizza circle depending on your numbers. ENJOY!
Mini Gym Riot
Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: None or Various
Game Description: Here’s a game idea perfect for anytime – give it a try and have a pile of fun! Teams will face-off in a series of challenges to try to earn points (like they would in a real gym riot, however with smaller groups and maybe different challenges). Create 4 teams, and have a list of challenges ready – with or without equipment or a combination. For every challenge, each team will send one member to complete the challenge against the other teams, MAKING SURE PLAYERS TAKE EVEN TURNS THROUGH EACH CHALLENGE. You could arrange ‘surprise’ challenges where students are surprised with which challenge they are going to have to complete, OR show them the list and let them choose who from their team will complete which challenge. Use the examples given in the video, or come up with some of your own creative ideas! Teams earn points whenever their member wins a challenge. See which team comes out on top at the end, and reward them if you’d like. I like to reward the winning team with 20 burpees ;p
5 Soccer Circle Ideas
Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: Soccerballs, cones
Game Description: Here are 5 soccer circle ideas you can use to work on passing (and dribbling) as well as more skills! They range from simple to moderately advanced and there’s really not much more to say about them – just find some space, bring a whole bunch of soccerballs, and have fun. Turn them into 5 different stations that groups rotate through, or have everyone doing the same one at the same time then switch to the next, or whatever works for your situation!
Act It Out
Grade level: 3-8
Equipment: None (exercise mats if desired)
Game Description: Simple and fun creative movement activity that can be played throughout most grade levels. PE plus a bit of drama (not your typical grade 7 drama that gives teachers a headache, but the other kind of drama). So simple: make some groups, find some space, and give each group a theme or an idea that they will have to act out using the best of their physical movements capabilities! Keep it informal and have a blast, or make it more formal and specific, create rubrics and things to include, etc – groups present to the class once finished! That’s the basic idea, please watch the video for a few more details!
Mini Skills Triathlon
Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: Beanbags, Hula hoops
Game Description: A great ‘mini’ triathlon using THREE different important skills. This idea could be a great introduction to talking about an official triathlon (endurance race – swimming, cycling, running). Get students practicing their underhand toss, balance, and kicking skills, while also getting sweaty in a fun competition. Not much equipment is required, just some patience and good work ethic to get the job done! Each student will need a beanbag and a hula hoop. Give the instructions, explaining the three different parts to this triathlon, and GO!!! Race is on! Or if you don’t want it to be a race, simply have them complete it in their fastest time possible. Control is key, explain how finding the balance between control and speed is super important!