Category: Large Group

Fitness Musical Hoops

· ALL, Fitness, Gr 2, Gr 3, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, Large Group, Warm-up

Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: Hula hoops, music
Game Description: In this fitness or warm-up game, hula hoops are placed around the basketball court perimeter. Choose a direction for players to travel: clockwise or counter clockwise staying on the outside of the basketball court line. Players cannot cross through center. Once the music starts they perform the cardio exercise of the teacher’s choice: jogging, running, skipping, cross-overs, etc. When the music stops they must get to a hoop within a few seconds. There can be as many people inside any hoop as possible, however everyone must be in a hoop. If anyone person is not standing inside a hoop, including all feet, then the entire class must do reps of a muscular exercise (push-ups for example). Once completed, a new cardio activity is given, the music begins again and the students do the next activity, however, once the music begins and the students are moving, the instructor removes one hula hoop from the game, etc, etc, until there is only one hoop left. At this point, give two jumping jacks per person for every one person that doesn’t make it into the hoop. And that’s fitness musical hoops!
(Thanks to Paul Ford for this game idea)

The Number Game

· ALL, Gr 1, Gr 2, Gr 3, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, K, Large Group, No Equipment!, Team-building, Warm-up

Grade Level: K-6
Equipment: None
Game Description: This warm-up or teambuilding game is simple, yet awesome! Students spread out in the playing area. Give maybe 20-30 seconds for them to just run around and around (or skip, hop, gallop, spin, etc). When the time is right, the teacher yells out a number (example, “SIX!”) and then the students must quickly form groups of 6 (or whatever number is called). Any players who didn’t make a group must complete 6 jumping jacks or exercise of choice. Then play again! Great to play along with music. Especially a great idea for large groups of students. Also, a good discussion about inclusion and personal/social feelings could be attached to this game.

Longball

· ALL, Baseball, Fun, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, Large Group, Soccer

Grade Level: 4-8
Equipment: 2 mats, foam soccer balls
Game Description: Longball is another kickball type activity (or baseball activity if you want to use a big oversized plastic bat and a foam ball) that gets more players moving more often. With some important modifications to regular kickball, groups will get more sweaty and active, with lots of laughs and fun. Some strategy is for sure important, but in the end it’s about having a good time as a class or a group. (Thanks to Sabine Crandall for this idea).

Pin Galore Soccer

· ALL, Gr 1, Gr 2, Gr 3, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, Large Group, Soccer

Grade Level: 1-8
Equipment: Plastic pins, foam soccer balls
Game Description: This is a great modification to the regular game of soccer that has proven to increase participation and motivation in the gym. Instead of the typical scoring into the other team’s goal, players will try to knock over the other team’s pins instead! If a player kicks the ball and it knocks down a pin from the other team, he gets to bring that pin (or pins if it’s more than 1) to his side and add them to his own team’s amount. The game goes until 1 team has all the pins or until the time runs out. Great lead-up soccer game for physical education.

Fruit Salad

· ALL, Gr 1, Gr 2, Gr 3, Gr 4, Gr 5, K, Large Group, Tag

Grade Level: K-5
Equipment: Pinnies (different colors)
Game Description: Fruit salad is a tag game for kindergarten to grade 5. Give out different color pinnies to the taggers and ask the students to name fruits that are the same colors of the pinnies. If students get tagged by a certain color then they freeze into the shape of the particular fruit that matches the color. As a class you can decide upon different ideas of how to freeze into a particular fruit. The class also determines how to unfreeze the different pieces of fruit so there are lots of different kinds of actions and they can make up a new version almost every time.

Examples: Apple – Cut, Banana – Peel, Blueberry – Wash, Watermelon – Roll, etc.

Try it out with the VEGETABLE theme as well! Move and learn at the same time with the Fruit Salad physical education game.

(Thanks to Curtis Glasgow for this game idea)

Sideline Soccer

· ALL, Gr 2, Gr 3, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, Large Group, Soccer

Grade Level: 2-8
Equipment: Foam Balls
Game Description: In sideline soccer, teams become goalies along their respective sidelines, using their best goaltending skills. Imagine the set-up as big lines of goalies stretching across the entire length of the sidelines – for each team. Meanwhile the first 5 players from each team enter the playing area from the front of their line to play some soccer (choose 2-3 balls to use all at the same time). Whenever a goal is scored on a team, just put the ball back into play and keep going – no need to stop the play for anything! After 2 minutes blow the whistle and the 5 players from each team that were on the playing area will go to the back of their teams line of goalies and 5 new players who were at the front of the line enter in as players. Great game to play to work on all the soccer (football) skills. Also a great game for large groups.

Prison Ball

· ALL, Dodgeball, Fun, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, Large Group

Grade Level: 4-8
Equipment: Foam Balls
Game Description: Prison ball is a dodgeball-type game where 2 teams face-off against each other. Along the ends of the gym, behind each team is a prison area. Whenever a player gets hit, he or she must head to prison behind the opposite team on that end. They are stuck there until they can throw a ball and successfully hit someone while they’re in prison — and then they can return home to their team, while the player they hit must then go to prison! Very interesting type of dodgeball game where players must be aware of their complete surroundings, front, back, sides. Balls flying from all over the place makes it challenging and lots of fun!

Battleball

· ALL, Dodgeball, Fun, Gr 1, Gr 2, Gr 3, Gr 4, Gr 5, Gr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, K, Large Group

Grade Level: K-8
Equipment: 4 foam balls
Game Description: This is a special type of dodgeball game with official rules, refs, and the whole show! With sportsmanship being the number 1 rule, teams will compete in an epic battle to be the last ones standing. Great game incorporating lots of skills. Popular in Australia, kids love this one and get nice and sweaty. There’s talk of some major tournament play and school-wide fun. Try it out!

Also see the official rules manual (WORD DOCUMENT DOWNLOAD) posted below:

BATTLEBALL RULES 2014

PHYSEDGAMES

…click a category above for great P.E. games!