Physical education is an essential part of student education. The physical education games and activities that I describe in this article are not only loads of fun that will have your students begging for more but they are also useful in developing co-operation and sportsmanship.
These games can be used as part of your gym class warm up and cool down or you can play a number of these games for the whole period.
1. Squeeze-O
Students form a single line standing shoulder to shoulder with hands behind their backs. One student chosen to be "It" stands in front of the line facing it. A goal line is set up about 40 to 50 feet away.
The line of students moves toward the "It" student as he walks backwards. The student at the left end of the lne squeezes the hand of the person beside him. The squeeze is transferred all the way down to the last person in the line. The last person then yells "O".
As soon as he does, everyone runs towards the goal line. The "It" student chases them trying to tag them. As each student is tagged, they tag any others.
The first person tagged becomes "It" for the next game.
2. Frog In The Middle
This activity can be played in the playground, gym, auditorium or classroom.
Students form a circle around one student sitting cross-legged in the middle, who is the frog.
Students in the circle walk forward and backward from the frog chanting "Frog in the middle (sea), can't catch me".
The frog stays seated and tries to tag one of the students who is teasing him. The student who is tagged becomes the frog. Students need to be quite daring.
3. Bounce Change
Have students form two lines (the red team and the blue team) behind two leaders about 15 feet apart. Each student in each line gets a number from 1 to the end.
Place a hula hoop at opposite ends of each team's line. Place a blue ball in one hoop and a red ball in the other hoop.
When the teacher calls out a number, the two students with that number must run to a hoop, get their team's colour ball and bounce it to the other team's hoop.
in the meantime, the leader of each team, has their team form and sit in a circle. Once the student place the ball in the other team's hoop, he returns and sits in his team's circle. The first team all sitting gets a point.
The game continues with the teacher calling out a different number.
4. The Mouse Trap
Half of the class join hands and form a large circle.
The other half of the class are mice and run in and out of the circle.
On a signal from the teacher, the trap closes (students drop arms and squat).
All mice caught in the trap are out. Repeat until all the mice are caught and then switch the mice and the students forming the trap.
5. Pass and Change
Arrange all the students in the class except one in a circle of about 40 feet in diameter. The student who is "it" stands in the center of the circle with a large (soft) ball.
To start, "it" calls the names of two students in the circle and at the same time throws the ball to a third student. The two students whose names were called, run to exchange places in the circle. The third student, upon catching the ball, throws it back to "it". "It" then throws the ball at one of the two students, trying to hit one before they manage to change places.
If "it" succeeds in hitting one, the student who was hit becomes "it". The game starts again with the new student being "it".
6. Club Snatch
Students are divided into two teams and numbered. The teams face each other with a club or similar object placed in the center between the two teams.
The teacher calls a number and that numbered student on each team tries to grab the club and get back to their postion without getting tagged. If the student succeeds, he/she earns a point for their team. The team with the most points wins.
Note: You can give 2 points for getting back safely and 1 point for tagging the player with the object.
These are only a few of the elementary physical education activities and games that my kids participated in during their gym periods. You'll find many more by visiting my website.
I hope you enjoy teaching these games because your students will love them.
Honey Krumholz has taught elementary school for 33 years. She is presently a college supervisor and mentor to student teachers. She presents seminars on her teaching strategies at York University in Toronto. Visit her website and get her
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