Grade level: K-2
Equipment: None
Game Description: The classic game of What Time Is It Mr. Wolf…the big bad wolf stands opposite from the group who keeps asking him what time it is. If it’s 10:00, the students take 10 steps closer. 5:00 and it’s 5 steps closer. Soon it will be LUNCH TIME and the wolf is hungry! The first player he chases and catches becomes the new wolf.
Category: Tag
Bean-Bag Tag
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: Bean bags
Game Description: Slide beanbags along the floor to tag other players in the foot. All players can run around and jump to dodge, but once there’s a beanbag in a player’s hand, they can no longer move around. When hit, players sit until a beanbag slides within reach. Read More →
British Bulldog
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: The dog catcher calls out ‘British Bulldog’ from the middle, and the bulldogs attempt to run from one end to the other without getting caught. When caught, the players become taggers as the rounds continue, making it harder for the remaining bulldogs to get from end to end. This is one of the most common tag games out there, a must play!
Leap-frog Tag
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: When a player is tagged in this game, he crouches down into a lump and is stuck there until a player who isn’t tagged can leap-frog over him. Simple idea, yet very effective. A good next step in the progression of leap-frogging!
Here Come The Bears
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: Here Come The Bears is a chasing and fleeing tag game where the bears try to run to the opposite side without getting tagged by the catchers. The trick is that the catchers can only run left and right along lines in the gym. When tagged, the bears join the catchers on the line.
- Players line up along one edge of the gym. They are the bears.
- Two catchers start on width-wise lines as the catchers who will try and tag the bears as they run across.
- The catchers yell ‘Here Come The Bears’ and the runners run.
- The catchers can only move left and right along their line.
- Any bears who are caught then become catchers and join them on the line.
- Play until all have been caught!
Blob Tag
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: Blob Tag is a tag game – chasing and fleeing – that has players join together to form blobs once they’re tagged. When blobs get too big, they break off to form smaller blobs. The game continues until all players have been caught and have formed blobs.
Line Tag
Grade level: K-6
Equipment: Pinnies
Game Description: The premise is simple: stay on the lines and try not to get tagged. If tagged, sit down and become a road block until the freer comes around and frees you. Great directional PE game, very popular.
Ollie-Ollie-Octopus
Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: An all-time classic. Ollie Ollie Octopus gets students saying a rhyming chant, and then running across to the other side without getting tagged by the Octopus. Players who are tagged sit down where tagged and become ‘Seaweed’ – they wave their arms and can try to tag other players as they run by. Perhaps one of the most popular early year level games.