Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Scarf, flag, or object
Game Description: Steal The Bacon is a classic game. Two teams face off with the goal of trying to earn points each round by stealing the bacon in the middle and bringing it back to their own team without getting tagged. There is room for variation in this game as you see fit; perhaps add in some math equations where the answer to the problem is the number of the players who run! Read More →
Category: Tag
Pacman
Grade level: K-5
Equipment: None
Game Description: In the Pacman physical education game, all players must stay on the lines. The Pacman will go around clapping his hands together like a giant Pacman mouth, trying to tag the other players. Once tagged, players also become a Pacman until everyone has been caught – then it’s time for a new round! Great for spatial awareness and switching directions.
Great Wall
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: This tag game is similar to a British Bulldog style game, except when players are tagged, they start forming a wall across the middle that increasingly grows bigger as more players are tagged. Players who aren’t tagged will try to dodge the tagger, but also must go under, around, or passed the wall without making contact. Try it out and form your own Great Wall in your gym! Read More →
Continuous Tag
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: Continuous tag is…well…continuous! The action doesn’t ever stop, since as players get tagged on one half of the playing area, they run to the opposite side, perform an exercise or skill, then run back and rejoin the game. It’s as simple as that!
Mat Tag
Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: 4 mats, 2 dodgeballs
Game Description: Mat tag is a quick warm-up game that can be used as a part of a baseball unit, or as a stand-alone mini-game. There are 4 mats that represent the bases. Players will continuously round the bases in one direction trying not to get tagged by the taggers who have dodgeballs. Runners are safe on the mats, but only a certain amount of players can be on a mat (base) at a time! Lots of flow, lots of motion, try it out! Read More →
Scooter Tag
Grade level: K-8
Equipment: Scooters
Game Description: Scooter tag is a tag game on scooter boards. Lots of different ways this game can be played (students on stomach, or knees, when tagged players must spin, or when tagged the players switch roles). Just an idea to switch things up once in awhile. And besides, kids love those scooter boards!
Santa Tag
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: Santa needs to round up his reindeer who are trying to run away from him! As the tagger, Santa will move around trying to tag the players who are the stray reindeer. Once tagged, the reindeer must do 2 lengths of galloping along the side before re-entering the game.
Sleep Tag
Grade Level: 1-5
Equipment: 2 ‘wands’ (foam paddles, noodles, or racquets)
Game Description: Turn one half of the lights off so that one side of the gym is night time, and the other half is day time. The actual tag game takes place in the daytime side, but when players get tagged they travel over to the nighttime side and pretend to sleep there. 2 fairies come by and tap the sleeping players with a wand so they wake up and return back to the tag game on the day side. Read More →
Puppies
Grade level: 1-4
Equipment: 4 mats, pinnies
Game Description: Round up the puppies to their homes. 4 teams each get a chance to chase after each other; the puppies flee from the catchers! Great game to play with music in the background to get things pumping. Read More →
Pizza Tag
Grade level: 2-5
Equipment: None
Game Description: There’s a chef who’s ready to cook some pizzas. And then there are 3 types of toppings who try to run across to the other side without getting tagged by the chef. When tagged, players go into the oven, but only for awhile. This game is best played when students get to choose what toppings they’d like to be. Sometimes it gets pretty creative! Either way, lots of running, and lots of fun. Read More →