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!
Category: Gr 6
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!
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)
Partner Fitness
Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: None or variety
Game Description: In this fitness activity, players will have fun and get sweaty through a variety of exercises. Players must first choose a partner. 1 partner goes to an exercise to start while the other starts and the end line. On the “go” signal, half the players will be exercising for 45 seconds (or whatever time is chosen) while the other half is running back and forth from end line to end line. After 45 seconds yell “switch” and the partners switch roles. They will then cycle through the same format every 45 seconds until completing all 6 or 8 exercises. Take a break, get a drink of water, and go again!
4-Way Capture The Flag
Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: Flags (beanbags or other), cones
Game Description: 4 teams will face-off in this version of capture the flag, each starting in their own quadrant in the gym or playing area. There needs to be a safe zone in each quadrant marked off with cones – this is also the place for the flags to be collected into. The goal is to be the first team to collect all 6 of your teams color flags. Before the game begins, 2 flags of each of the other teams colors are placed into your teams safe zone area (just not your own teams flags). So each team starts with the other teams flags. Teams are safe only in their own quadrant or the safe zones. If a player is in a different teams quadrant, he or she can get tagged. When tagged, that player must sit where they got caught and hope for a teammate to come save them (tag them) – then they both take a free walk back to their area. If tagged with a flag in their hand, that flag needs to be returned first, and then sit down where tagged. Try it out as a fun variation of Capture the Flag! (Thanks to Lauren Venera)
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)