Category: Small Group

The Great Outdoor Treasure Hunt

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Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Nature
Game Description: What better way to use outdoor space than a scavenger hunt!? This hunt is a bit different from your typical hunt, because instead of a list that players need to just check off when they see the items, they must BRING THE ITEMS HOME to their collection area. You can and should create a secret treasure item that you’ve hidden somewhere outside beforehand (for example hide a Kleenex box somewhere good and players need to also retrieve a tissue from the box). Simply start by creating a home area where individuals or partners (depending how you want to do it) put their hula hoop on the ground, which is their collection area to bring the items into. Next, go over the rules with all students, and give them a list of the items (or leave a master poster at the home area so they have to use their memory). Note that they can only bring 1 item back at a time! Obviously choose items that students can find or access in your area/community. Stress the importance of respecting property and not taking things that they shouldn’t. At the end, players will return all the items that need to be returned!

Mini Basketball Relay

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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).

2v2 Mini Volleyball

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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

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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)

Partner Fitness

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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!

Frisbee Noodle

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Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: Cones, Noodles (or hula hoops), Frisbees (or footballs)
Game Description: This is a throwing accuracy game to work on frisbee tosses. First, divide the class into groups of three. Each player must stand by one of the cones that should have already been distributed on the ground in a set of 3 (this activity is best played outside for space reasons but can be played inside if needed). The player on the far left of the field will have a disc while the middle player must have ONE noodle. Noodle person must bend their noodle to form a circle/oval/loop. Person on the far right has the job of retrieving the disc and running to the throwing cone.

How it works:
1) The thrower will throw the frisbee in a attempt to get it to travel through the noodle that the player in the middle has made. The Noodle person is allowed one step to their right or left to get the disc to travel through. If the disc travels through, they get 1 point for their team. The retriever will get the disc and run as fast as they can down to the throwing cone. At this point, every player shifts up one cone so that they are now playing a different position. Each teams counts their points out loud so that everyone knows how many point that they have.
2) The first team to get to 10 points wins (This can be changed at the discretion off the teacher).
3) The object is to work on accuracy with the throws to ensure that the disc remains level and flat while being thrown (a prerequisite would be to have worked on back hand throws first).
4) The teacher can incorporate different throws into it in order to increase difficulty with the activity.

(Thanks to Brian Burn)

Rescue

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Grade level: 1-8
Equipment: 4 scooters, 4 mats, 4 ropes
Game Description: Object of this game is to “rescue” teammates off of “Danger Land” and get everyone to “Fun Land”. Explain that Danger Land is a dangerous place to live due to earthquakes, fires, flooding, dinosaurs…; while Fun Land is a safe pleasant place. Each team is allowed one boat (a floor scooter) and one rope. Players are not allowed to touch the water or else they will have to return to Danger Land. It is up to each group to figure out the best way to get their team across the ocean (without touching water). Students are allowed to stop at the island, but will want to continue their journey to Fun land, because there is no food on the island. This is not a race (although you could add that challenge for a little bit of competition) – teams just try to make it! If a group finishes first have them repeat again!
(Thanks to Mark McConnell)

Steal The Ball

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Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: Type of Ball (Soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc. The more the better), hula-hoops
Game Description: Start by placing a whole bunch of balls in the center area, equally spaced between anywhere from 4-8 teams. At each team area, place a hula hoop for the balls to be placed after they are taken from the middle area. On the go signal, players from each team go one at a time to the middle, dribble the ball back to their hoop and tags the next person to go. The object is to take as many balls until all are gone from the middle. When all the balls are gone from the middle, then take one ball from any of the other teams. After a designated time limit count to see which team has the most!
For soccer, the balls are to be dribbled along the ground.
For volleyball, the balls are to be “set” or “volleyed” to self all the way back to the hoop.
For basketball, dribbling.
For football/baseball, the balls can be thrown from the middle back to partner at hoop.
AS ALWAYS, HAVE FUN (WHILE PRACTICING SKILLS)!