Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: Streets & Alleys is a great small space game – perfect for a classroom when the gym is unavailable. A large group of players work together to form rows and columns (streets and alleys) that give pathways for the cat and mouse to travel through. The cat tries to chase the mouse to catch him, but the group (which consists of something like a 5 x 5 group of players) keeps switching who they’re holding hands with, depending on when the caller/teacher calls “Streets” or “Alleys”. Players in the large group must be close enough that they can easily switch who they’re holding hands with to form the streets and alleys. The cat and mouse are NOT allowed to run – they must POWERWALK. Also, the cat and mouse cannot go under or over or through the people holding hands. Give a time limit, or go until the mouse gets caught and then give other players a chance to be the cat and mouse! (Thanks to Eric for this game idea)
Category: Tag
Secret Agent Tag
Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: The ‘Bad guys’ are the taggers. The ‘Secret Agents’ are the freers. The rest of the players (the runners) are the ‘Citizens’. Before the game starts, ALL players sit down, close their eyes, and put their heads down so they can’t see anything. Then the teacher goes around and taps 2-3 players ONCE on the head – those players will be the Bad guys. The teacher also goes around and taps 2-3 players TWICE on the head – those players will be the Secret Agents. After that, give all players 5 seconds to find a spot anywhere in the playing area and blow the whistle to start the game! When a player is tagged by a Bad guy he must sit down. He’s stuck down until a freer (Secret Agent) taps him on the shoulder, then he can get back up and continue playing. Careful though, because the Secret Agents can also be tagged! If the Secret Agents all end up being tagged and are sitting, then the round is over. Choose new roles and play again! (Thanks to Jeff Harrison for the idea)
Snowflakes
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: In this tag game, players who are tagged turn into a snowflake by standing in the shape of a star. The sun will go around melting the snowflakes so they can get back into the game.
Dice Tiggy
Grade Level: 1-6
Equipment: Hula Hoops (4 different colors), pool noodles, dice
Game Description: Dice Tiggy is a unique game idea in which the teacher rolls a dice, and the outcome of the roll directly affects what is to happen next. First start with hula hoops – 4 different colors – spread out on the floor around the playing area (enough so there’s 1 for each player). Every player must start in a hoop. The roll of the dice matters in the following way: if a “1” is rolled, then the players in the BLUE hoops are it and will grab a pool noodle from the pile and go around tagging all the other players who had to exit their hoop once the roll was made. When players are tagged, they need to jump back into any hoop until everyone has been caught and are back into a hoop. If a “2” is rolled, then the players in the RED hoops are taggers. If “3” then GREEN. If “4” then YELLOW… If a “5” is rolled, then everyone does 5 quick jumping jacks or other exercise of choice. If a “6” is rolled, then the TEACHER is it! Play many rounds of this game for some good exercise and fun for all (Thanks to Brett Sinnett @commandokiddz for this game idea)
Fruit Salad
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)
Pass & Score Tag
Grade Level: 2-6
Equipment: 2 Pool Noodles, 2 Foam balls
Game Description: Play tag, while throwing and catching, and scoring points, and switching roles – great mixture of ideas into a single game! The taggers tag with the pool noodles. The freers (who hold the foam balls) aren’t allowed to move with the ball, but aim to throw the ball to those who have been tagged. If caught, a point is earned for both players. The one who caught the ball is now a freer. Sound like a fun idea? Give it a go and see how it goes! Thanks John Pass for this game idea.
Flag Tag
Grade Level: 3-8
Equipment: Flags, 2 boxes, pinnies
Game Description: This is a type of steal the flag game where teams face off and try to be the first team to snag all of the flags off of their opponents. Good lead-up game for flag football or an action-packed stand-alone game to try out. Thanks to @MrRosenberg_PE for this game idea!
Freeze & Melt
Grade Level: K-3
Equipment: Pool noodles or dodgeballs (red & blue)
Game Description: This is a simple tag game idea: The tagger (carrying the blue noodle) goes around freezing the players into ice statues. The freer (carrying the red noodle) goes around melting the ice statues back into the game. Try it out as a quick warmup game! Thanks to @commandokiddz on Twitter.
Spin The Bottle
Grade Level: 1-6
Equipment: Cones, empty drink bottle, rubber chickens
Game Description: Spin The Bottle until it lands on players who become taggers. Then it’s a spree until everyone’s tagged and back around the circle. Spin again and go again! And again and again..
Helicopters
Grade Level: K-6
Equipment: 16 cones, pool noodles
Game Description: The students are Helicopters, flying from Helipad to Helipad trying to avoid the taggers who tag with pool noodles. Pretty simple idea, but lots of fun so try it out and enjoy!