This article describes some very fun physical education activities , that are great not only to play as part of your gym class but also for warming up and cooling down, at the start and end of the gym period.
These fun physical education games will enhance your students motor skills, provide them with good exercise, and hopefully develop their co-operation and sportsmanship skills. It will also have your students asking for more.
1. The Sheep And The Wolf
Formation: Two lines are drawn 20 to 30 feet apart. One student is the wolf and the rest are sheep. The sheep stand behind one line and the wolf stands in the center.
Aim: When the wolf claps his hands, the sheep try to run from one line to another without being tagged on the back. If they are caught, they become wolves. Only the original wolf can clap his hands to bring the sheep out.
2. 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.
3. Stretched Baseball
Play this game on a baseball diamond or line up 4 bases about 10 feet apart with the first base being about 25 feet from home plate.
Divide the class into two teams, one team at bat and the other in the field. Each player gets a turn at bat instead of 3 outs.
Rather than a baseball, you can use a beach ball or T-ball for primary grade students or kick a soccer ball. If the fielding player throws the ball past home plate before the runner reaches home, the runner is out.
Count runs just as in baseball.
4. Treasure Chase
Students line up behind a line with hands folded so that there is a small opening at the top of their hands.
One student faces the line with a small treasure (stone, piece of chalk, etc.) in his folded hands.
The student with the treasure starts at either end of the line and puts his hands over each student's hands as if to drop the treasure into them.
One student does get the treasure and waits until he thinks no one is watching him. At that point he runs toward a goal line at the far end of the gym or field.
If he reaches the goal line without being tagged hew wins. If he's tagged, the tagger gives out the treasure for the next game.
5. Fish Net
This game is played with two teams. One team is the NET and the other team is the FISH.
To begin, each team stands behind a goal line at opposite ends of the field. The NET team chosses a Captain and joins hands in a line. The FISH team runs free.
At a signal, both teams run forward and the NET team tries to make a circle around as many FISH as possible. The FISH may not duck under the arms of the NET, but if the NET drops hands, the FISH may escape.
When the NET team has made its circle, the Captain counts the number of FISH that were caught. The other team now has a turn to be the NET.
6. Policemen and Thieves
Circles with about 8 students (thieves) in each circle and 3 students (policemen) in the center of each circle are formed.
One thief holds a bean bag (representing the stolen jewels). The object of the game is for the policemen is to get the jewels.
The thieves may throw the bean bag to each other in any direction. The policemen may capture the jewels by catching the bean bag, by picking it up from the floor, or by touching a thief who is holding the bean bag.
If a policeman gets the jewels, he changes places with the thief who failed to catch the bag or is touched when holding the bag.
I hope you will try some of these games or some of the other ones I describe on my website. You and your students will love them. It's a WIN-WIN for all.
Honey Krumholz has taught elementary school for 33 years. She is currently a college supervisor and mentor to student teachers. She presents seminars on teaching strategies at York University in Toronto. Visit her website and get her
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