games book - kidsinthegame.com

Games Book

Table of Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………… i

Kids in the Game (KING) Core Game ………………………………………………………… 1

Sports Games ………………………………………………………………………….……….. 27

Group Games ………………………………………………………………………….……….. 38

Tag Games ………………………………………………………………………………..……. 49

Pre-K and K Games ………………………………………………………………….………… 60

Indoor and Small Space Games ……………………………………...………………………… 71

Index ……...……………………………………………………………………………………. 85

i

Introduction

Kids in the Game is raising the bar in youth development. They’re providing a new perspective

on sports culture that exceeds pure athletics, and introduces both creativity and character-

building. With a forward-focused vision of an empowered community, Kids in the Game is

building the way with play.

Our mission is to provide positive experiences and opportunities through sports and creative

play.

This book should be utilized as a resource for KING programs. Provided with each game is:

suggested grade level, equipment list, suggested time frame, set-up directions, instructions for

play, a visual of set-up/play, and modifications/variations for the game. All instruction and

information given is open to change to best fit a specific site. Depending on student ability and

equipment available, games may need to be modify.

i

KING

Core Games

2

S

S

S

S

S

15ft

15ft

15ft

Switch

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Hula Hoops or Cones

Time: 10 – 25 minutes

Setup:

• Place 5 hula hoops or cones about 15ft apart, with one hoop in each corner and one in the

middle

• To start one student stands inside each of the outside hula hoops, leaving the hoop in the

middle empty

• All remaining students line up to the side

Instructions:

• The first student on line enters the middle hoop

• The student in the middle or the Coach calls out “Switch”

• The 5 students inside the hoops then must leave their hoop and try to get inside another

hoop

• Students are not allowed to go to the middle hoop

• Students are not allowed to re-enter the hoop they just left

• There will then be one student not in a hoop

• The student without a hoop, will then return to the end of the line on the side

• The next student on line will then enter the middle hoop and “Switch” will be called out

again

Modifications/Variations:

• Cones or poly spots can be used to replace hula hoops

• More hoops can be added to limit wait time for students on line

Visual:

15ft

S

S

S

S

S

3

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S S

Sizzle Ball

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Kickball, 4 Bases (cones, hula hoops, poly spots)


Setup:

• Setup four bases in a diamond pattern (home, 1st, 2nd, 3rd)

• Bases should be an equal distance apart and visible to all players

• Divide students into two equal teams

• One team starts as the fielding team (spread out in the playing area) and the other as the

kicking team (lined up behind home plate)

• The fielding team must have one pitcher in the middle of the field

Instructions:

• The pitcher rolls the ball to the first player on the kicking team

• When the ball is kicked, the student must try to run to as many bases as possible

• The fielding team retrieves the ball and throws it back to the pitcher

• Once gaining control of the ball at the pitcher’s mound, the pitcher yells “Sizzle”

• The kicking player must then stop at whichever base they are closest to

• The pitcher then rolls the ball to the next kicker, who kicks it and runs the bases

• The previous kicker will resume running the bases as well

• All kickers will continue to run the bases until the last person on their team kicks the ball

(there are no outs)

• A point is awarded to the kicking team each time a runner crosses home base

• Teams switch roles after each player on the kicking team has kicked

Visual:

S S S S S S S

4

Castleball

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: 24 Hula Hoops, Gatorskin Balls, Cones


Setup:

• Divide your space into two halves

• On each half build two hula hoop castles (6 hoops per castle)

• Divide students into two equal teams, one team on each side

Instructions:

• Using gatorskin balls, teams will attempt to knock down the opposing team’s castles

• If a castle is knocked over, the team who owns the castle can rebuild it

• While a team is rebuilding their castle, the opposing team is not allowed to throw the

balls at the fallen castle – they must target the remaining castle still standing

• If a team is able to knock over both castles at the same time (knock over the 2nd before

the 1st is rebuilt), they win the round

• Students must remain on their team’s side at all times

• Students can decide which role they want to play on their team (thrower, defender,

builder)

o Thrower – attempts to throw the balls to knock over the other team’s castles

o Defender – blocks their team’s castle from getting knocked over

o Builder – rebuilds their team’s castle when needed


• A rule change can be initiated that teams are not allowed to rebuild their castles.

• A boundary line can be added that students are not allowed to cross when defending

(leaving space between them and the castle)

Visual:

5

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Mr. Fox

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students begin lined up across a line at one end of the space

• The Coach or one student stands opposite the line with their back to the group

Instructions:

• Students on the line call out “What time is it Mr. Fox?”

• The “fox” will then respond with a time (1 o’clock, 4 o’clock, etc.)

• Students will take steps forward away from the line depending on the time (1 o’clock = 1

step, 4 o’clock = 4 steps)

• When the “fox” thinks the students are close, they will say “lunchtime”

• When “lunchtime” is said, students turn and run back to the line, avoiding the “fox” who

is now trying to tag them

• If a student is tagged, they become a “fox”

• If students are able to get to the line before being tagged, they are safe and start the next

round on the line

Visual:

Fox

6

Volcanoes and Craters

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: Cones


Setup:

• Place cones throughout the space, half upside down, half right side up

• Divide students into two groups

• Initially one group will be the “volcanoes” and one group will be the “craters”

Instructions:

• When the Coach says “Go”, volcanoes must turn as many cones right side up as possible

and craters must turn as many cones upside down as possible

o Cones right side up make a volcano

o Cones upside down make a crater

• When the Coach says “stop” all students must freeze

• If there are more cones right side up, the volcanoes are given a point if there are more

cones upside down, the craters are given a point


• After each round teams can switch roles, volcanoes become craters and craters become

volcanoes

• Change locomotor movement that students have to perform (skip, hop, etc.)

Visual:

7

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

Sharks and Minnows

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students begin lined up across from a line at one end of the space and act as the

“minnows”

• The Coach or one student stands in the middle of space and acts as the “shark”

Instructions:

• Minnows must try to get from one end of the space to the other without getting caught by

the shark

• Starting in the middle of the space, the shark calls out “fishy, fishy cross my ocean”

• Minnows then try to run from one end of the space to the other trying not to get tagged

• If the minnows are able to get to the opposite side without getting tagged, they are safe. If

they get tagged, they become a shark

• Once minnows get to the other side safely, they remain there until the shark calls out

“fishy, fishy cross my ocean” again

• Sharks must always start in the middle before calling out to the minnows

• The game continues until there are only 1-2 minnows left, who will then be the winners


• Minnows who get tagged can become “seaweed” instead of becoming a shark. If they

become seaweed, they must freeze and sit in the spot where they were tagged. As

minnows run past them, they can stretch out their arms to try to tag them, turning them

into seaweed as well.

Visual:

Shark

8

Awesome Tag

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Designated boundaries that students must remain in throughout the game

• All students start as “it”

Instructions:

• Students start by moving throughout the space, avoiding being tagged while also trying to

tag others

• When tagged, students freeze with both hands up in the air

• Students become unfrozen by receiving a high-five on both their raised hands

• If one hand is given a high-five but the other is not, students must remain frozen with

only one hand in the air until receiving another high-five

• The game continues until only one student is still moving freely, or the Coach signals the

game to stop

Visual:

9

Capture the Flag

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Hula Hoops, Flags (flags, bowling pins, bean bags)


Setup:

• Divide the space into two halves

• On each half, place three hula hoops with a flag inside each one


Instructions:

• Teams try to get as many flags as possible to their team’s side and inside their hula hoops

• When a student is on their team’s side, they are safe and cannot be tagged

• Once a student crosses the mid-line, they can be tagged by the opposing team

• If a student is tagged, they must return to their team’s side to reset, before they are able to

cross over to the other team’s side again

• If a student is able to run across the other team’s side and get a flag, but is tagged on their

way back to their side, they must return the flag before resetting

• If a student is standing inside a hula hoop on the opposing team’s side they are safe. Once

they leave the hoop they can be tagged

• If a student as able to make it back to their side with a flag without being tagged, they

place the flag in one of their team’s hoops

• Student are allowed to guard their team’s flags as long as they remain outside their

team’s hula hoops


• Place additional hoops on each side to act as additional “safe zones” for runners

• Play until one team has all the flags, or place a time limit and the team with the most

flags at the end wins

Visual:

10

1 2

3 4

S

S S

S

4 Square

Grade: 3rd – 5th

Equipment: Floor Tape/Chalk, Playground Ball


Setup:

• Using floor tape or chalk (inside vs outside), create a 2x2 square

• Label each box 1 – 4 or Jack, Queen, King, Ace (A, K, Q, J)

• One student starts standing in each of the individual 4 boxes

• The remain students create a line to the side of the square

Instructions:

• The student in box 1 or A serves the ball to begin the game

• The ball must always be hit under hand with an open hand. To serve, the student must

bounce the ball once in their box and then hit it into another student’s box

• Students most continuously hit the ball into another student’s box

• The ball must bounce once in their own box before hitting it to another

• If the ball bounces more than once, the student in the box it bounced in is out

• If the ball is hit over hand or with a closed fist, that student is out

• If the ball is hit outside of the square, the student who hit the ball is out

• If a student hits the ball into their own box, they are out

• When a student is out, they join the end of the line and a new student rotates in

• The new student always enters box 4 or J

• When a student is out, all others rotate so the box empty is the 4 or J (if box 2 is out, 3

moves to 2, 4 moves to 3, new student enters in 4)

• Students want to try to stay in the longest, rotating around and remaining in box 1 or A


• The first student on line waiting can act as a referee to judge which student is out

• Rules can be added, such as spiking or drop shots

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

11

W W

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Wizard Ball

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Hula Hoops, Gatorskin Balls


Setup:


• Place one Hula Hoop in the center back of each half, and the gatorskin balls in the middle

• Divide students into two equal teams, with one team on each half

• Each team designates one student to be the “wizard”, who starts standing inside the hula

hoop

Instructions:

• To start, students run to the middle to get as many balls for their team as possible

• Students throw the balls to try to hit the students on the other team

• If a student is hit below the shoulders with a ball, they are frozen

• To become unfrozen, students must be tagged by their team’s wizard

• The round ends when a team is able to hit the wizard, or all other students on one team

are frozen

• The team that is able to end the round is awarded a point

• If the wizard is inside the hula hoop, they are safe and cannot be hit

• Once the wizard leaves the hoop to unfreeze another student, they are no longer safe and

can be hit

• If a student catches a ball on the fly, they are not frozen

• If the ball hits the ground before hitting a student, that student is not frozen

Visual:

12

Pin Striker

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Bowling Pins, Gatorskin Balls


Setup:


• On each half, place three bowling pins behind a designated line


Instructions:


• Using gatorskin balls, teams try to knock over the opposing team’s bowling pins

• If a pin is knocked over, teams are not allowed to stand it back up it must remain down

• Students can either throw or roll the balls to try to hit the pins

• Once a team is able to knock over all three pins the round is over, and the winning team

is awarded a point

• Teams can defend their pins, but must remain in front of a designated line. They are not

allowed to hover over the pin


• Pins can be placed inside hula hoops, if a distinguishable line is not present

Visual:

13

S

S

S

S S S

S

S

S

S S S

Gaga Ball

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Gatorskin or Playground Balls


Setup:

• Create a designated playing area, usually a circle

• Students start inside the perimeter of the circle

Instructions:

• The Coach drops the ball in the middle of the circle

• As the ball bounces, students say “ga-ga-ball” to signal the start of the game

• Using an open hand, students hit the ball trying to get each other out

• Students are not allowed to catch, throw, kick, or hold the ball

• A student is out if they are hit with the ball from the knee down

• When a student is out, they remain around the boundary line working to keep the ball

inside the playing area

• Students can evade the ball by jumping, running, or sliding out of the way

• Another student must hit the ball or the ball must make contact with the boundary before

a student is allowed to hit the ball another time


• Multiple balls can be added to increase difficulty

• As the number of students still in the game decreases, students can be allowed to hit the

ball more than once

Visual:

14

Defender

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Hula Hoops. Gatorskin Balls, Bowling Pins


Setup:

• Divide space into two sides

• On each side, place three hula hoops with one pin in each hoop

• Place gatorskin balls in the middle of the space

• Students are divided into two equal teams, with one team on each side. Each team will

have one player labeled as “the defender”

Instructions:

• When the game starts, students run to the middle to try to get as many of the gatorballs as

they can for their team

• Using the balls, students try to knock over the opposing team’s pins in their hula hoops

• If a student is hit by the ball, they are out (if they are hit above the shoulders, they can

stay in)

• If a student is out, they can get back in if the defender is able to catch a ball on the fly

• Students re-enter the game in the order in which they got out

• The defender is never out and can remain in the game even if they are hit by the ball

• The job of the defender is to guard their team’s pins and prevent them from getting

knocked over

• Once a team is able to knock over all three pins, the round is over and their team earns a

point


• Add multiple “defenders” to decrease the number of students who may be sitting out

Visual:

S

S

S S

S

D

S

S

S

S

S

D

15

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Fireball

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Gatorskin Balls


Setup:

• Students begin lined up across one end of the space

• The Coach stands on one side of the students with gatorskin balls

Instructions:

• The Coach yells out “Fireball”

• The students try to run from one end of the space to the other

• While the students are running, the Coach will roll the gatorskin balls trying to hit the

students from the knee down

• Balls can only be rolled, they are not allowed to be thrown

• If a student is hit by the ball, they join the coach on the side to try to get the remaining

students out

• Once the students make it to the other end of the space, they are safe until “Fireball” is

called out again


• Balls can be rolled from both sides of the space to make it more difficult

Visual:

C

16

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

March, Attack

Grade: K – 3rd

Equipment: none


Setup:

• Students are divided into two teams with one team on each end of the space

• One end is labeled the “Marchers” and the other “Attackers”

Instructions:

• The command “march, march, march…” is given by the Coach

• On the “march” command, the “Marchers” must step forward towards the “Attackers”

• As the “Marchers” get close, the coach will give the “attack” command

• On “attack”, the “Attackers” will then try to tag the “Marchers” before they return to their

end of the space

• If a student is tagged, they join the other team

• Teams switch roles after each round until one team has captured all students on the other

team

Visual:

17

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

B

Steal the Bacon

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Hula Hoops, Bacon (ball, scarf, bean bag)


Setup:

• Students are divided into two equal teams, one team on each end of the space

• Students on each team are given a number corresponding to someone on the opposing

team

• The hula hoop is placed in the middle of the two teams with the “bacon” inside

Instructions:

• The Coach yells out a number

• The students on each team who are that number run to the middle and try to get the bacon

• If a student picks up the bacon and runs it back to their team without getting tagged, their

team is awarded 2 points

• If the student who picks up the bacon is tagged by the opposing player before getting

back to their team, the team that tagged them is awarded 1 point


• More than one number can be called a time

• A count down can be initiated if students are stalling to pick up the bacon

Visual:

18

Saf

e Z

on

e

Safe Z

on

e

5 ft

Giants, Wizards, and Elves

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: None


Setup:


• Teams start standing in a line opposite each other in the middle of the space (about 5 feet

apart)

Instructions:

• Teams decide together whether to be giants, wizards, or elves

• The Coach will count to 3 and teams will display either giants, wizards, or elves

o Giants – students stand on their tippy toes with their arms in the air and make an

“argh” noise

o Wizards – students hold out one arm, as if holding a wand and make a “zzztt”

noise

o Elves – student crouch down, cup their hands around their ears and make high

pitch “eeeee” noise

• Giants beat Elves, Elves beat Wizards, Wizards beat Giants

• The team that loses must turn and run to their team’s safe zone behind them

• The team that wins chases the losing team back to their safe zone, trying to tag them

• If a student is tagged before getting to their safe zone, they join the team that tagged them


• Teams can be left to figure out what to be on their own, or team captains can be chosen

each round to decide for their team

• If one member of a team displays a different choice, that team can lose automatically

Visual:

S S

S S

S S

S

S S

S S

S S

S

S

19

5 yds

Wolves’ Den

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Cones


Setup:

• Using cones, a “Wolves’ Den” is created in the middle of the space, about 5 yards wide

• Students start at either end of the gym as “rabbits” with one student in the middle as the

initial “wolf”

Instructions:

• The students representing the rabbits must run back and forth to each end of the gym

without get tagged by the wolf

• If a rabbit is tagged by the wolf, they become a wolf in the wolves’ den

• When a wolf, students must remain inside the wolves’ den at all times. They can only tag

rabbits as they enter the den


• A command can be given by the Coach to signal rabbits to run across the den if they are

staying off to the side

Visual:

W R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

20

Nation Ball

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Gatorskin Balls, Cones


Setup:

• Divide the space into two sides with gatorskin balls placed in the middle

• Divide the students into two equal teams, with one team on each side

Instructions:

• When the Coach signals to start, students run to the middle to get as many gatorskin balls

as possible for their team

• Students throw balls at the other team trying to get students on the other team out

• If a student gets out, they join the other team

• A student is out if…

o They are hit with the ball below the shoulder

o They throw the ball and it is caught by someone on the other team before it hits

the ground

o They try to catch a ball thrown at them but drop it

• A team wins when they are able to get all the students from the other team on their team


• Instead of joining the other team, students can stand around the boundary of the opposing

team when they get out. Those students can then still try to get players out on the other

team, remaining out of bounds using the balls that leave the boundaries

Visual:

S

S

S S

S

S S

S

S

S

21

S S S S S S S S S S

Riverbank

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students start lined up behind a designated line

• The Coach stands in front of the students

• Before beginning, make sure to review all the commands with the students

Instructions:

• The Coach will call out a number of commands to be followed by the students

• If the students follow the command correctly, they remain in the game

• If the students miss a command or perform the wrong action, they are out

• Commands are…

o River – jump in front of the line

o Bank – jump behind the line

o East – touch the shoulder of the person to your left

o West – touch the shoulder of the person to your right


• More commands can be added to increase difficulty

• Increase student engagement by having them create their own commands

• When students are out, instead of waiting to the side, they can take turns calling out the

commands

Visual:

C

22

Tic-Tac-Toe Relay

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Hula Hoops (9), Team Markers (bean bags, pinnies, scarfs, cones)


Setup:

• At one end of the space, place 9 hula hoops in a 3x3 grid

• At the other end, place three markers for each team (markers for each team should be the

same color)

• Divide students into two equal teams, with teams lined up behind their team markers

• The first three students on each team should have one of their team’s markers

Instructions:

• The first student on each team runs down to the tic-tac-toe board and places their marker

in one of the open spaces

• Once the student in front of them returns to their line and gives them a high-five, the next

student on line runs down to place their marker

• If all three makers for a team have been placed and there isn’t three in a row, the next

player on the team runs down and moves one of the previously placed markers to a new,

empty space

o They are only allowed to move their own team markers and must place it in a

space where there isn’t already a marker from their team or the opposing team

• Once one team has three markers in a row on the board, the round is over and their team

is awarded a point


• Have each team designate a team “caller” who stands at the end next to the board. This

student’s role is to tell their team where to place each marker.

Visual:

S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S

23

Helicopter

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Long Jump Rope


Setup:

• Students start standing in a circle

• With a long jump rope, the Coach starts inside the circle

Instructions:

• Remaining inside the circle, the Coach swings the rope around the circle (keeping the

rope on the ground)

• As the rope makes its way around the circle, students jump over the rope to avoid getting

hit

• If a student is hit by the rope, they are out


• When students get out they can do a set number of an exercise (5 jumping jacks) to be

able to return to the game

• Instead of getting out, students can work together to see how many times they can get the

rope around the circle without it touching anyone

Visual:

S

S

S S S

S

S

S

S

S S S S

S

S

C

24

Blob Tag

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students start spread out in the space, with one student designated as “the blob”

Instructions:

• When the Coach signals to start the game, the blob tries to tag as many of the other

students as possible

• If a student is tagged, they become part of “the blob”

• As part of the blob, students can either hold hands or link arms with the student who

tagged them

• The blob must stay together in order to tag other students

• If any student breaks off from the blob, they must come back together before being able

to tag anyone else


• Once the blob gets big enough, students can split into multiple blobs with at least 3

students per blob

Visual:

S

S

S S

S S

S

S

S

25

Four Corners

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Designate each corner of the space 1, 2, 3, or 4

• Students start split up among the four corners, with the Coach in the middle of the space

Instructions:

• The Coach closes their eyes and slowly counts to 10

• While the coach is counting, the students are deciding to move to either corner 1, 2, 3, or

4

• When the Coach reaches 0, all students must be at one of the 4 corners

• The Coach will select one of the 4 corners, keeping their eyes closed

• The students who are in the corner selected by the Coach are out and sit down

• The last student to be standing is declared the winner


• Instead of being out, students in the corner chosen by the Coach can have to perform an

exercise or action to get back into the game

Visual:

1

2

3

4

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S S

S

S

C

26

Sh

ore

Sh

ip

Ship, Shore, Wave

Grade: 3rd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students start lined up in the middle of the space

• One side on the space is designated “shore” and the other side is designated “ship”

• All other commands to be used in the game should be reviewed (see below)

Instructions:

• The Coach will call out different commands for students to follow

• If the Coach calls out “shore”, students must run to the shore end, and if they call out

“ship”, students must run to the ship end

• If students do not follow the right command or they are the last one to complete the

command, they are out

• Other commands…

o Man Overboard – one student gets on their hands and knees and another places

one foot on the back of the student on the ground

o Crows’ Nest – 3 students get together with their backs towards each other and

lock arms

o Captain’s Coming – students hold a salute until the command “at ease”

o Hit the Deck – students lay down on their stomach

o Three men in a boat – 3 students sit in a line and act as if rowing a boat, and sing

“row, row, row your boat”


• Commands can be added or taken out to increase or decrease difficulty

• When students get out, they can perform an exercise to get back in the game or come out

and take turns calling commands

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

Sports Games

28

S S S S S S S S

Knockout

Grade: 3rd – 5th

Equipment: Basketballs (2), Hoop


Setup:

• Students start in a line at a designated distance away from the basket

• The first two students on line start with a basketball

Instructions:

• Students shoot the ball in an attempt to get each other out

• A student can only get out if the person behind them on line gets their ball in before them

• To start, the first person in line shoots the ball

• The second player in line can shoot the ball as soon as the first person shoots their ball

• If the first person on line gets the ball in before the second person, they are safe. They

then hand the ball to the next student and go to the end of the line

• If the second player gets the ball in before the first player on line, they are safe and the

first player on line is out. Both students hand the ball to the next two students, and the

second student goes to the end of the line


• Students can play with more than one out before being eliminated from the game

Visual:

29

2 pts

2 pts

5 pts

7 pts

7 pts

10 pts

Hotshot

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Polyspots, Basketball, Basketball Hoop


Setup:

• Place polyspots various distances away from the basket

• Designate a point value to each spot

• The student starts with the ball at the top of space

Instructions:

• One at a time, students attempt to score as many points as possible in a set amount of

time

• Students can shoot the ball from any of the marked spots

• If a student makes a shot from a marked spot, they are awarded the number of points

designated for that spot


• Restrictions can be placed on how many times students can shoot from the same spot or if

they can shoot from the same spot multiple times in a row

Visual:

30

S S S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S S S Sideline Soccer

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Soccer Ball, Cones


Setup:

• Create goals on opposite ends of the space


• Teams line up on each side of the space across from one another

• A soccer ball is placed in the middle of the space

• Students on each team are given a number corresponding to a student on the other team

Instructions:

• The Coach calls out a number(s)

• The students with the corresponding number run out trying to get the ball

• Students work to try to get the ball through their team's goal

• If multiple numbers are called, students can work together and pass to score a goal

• After each goal, the ball is placed back in the center and a new number(s) is called


• Two balls can be placed in the middle for lower grades (K – 2nd) with one for each team.

When a number is called, students only go after the ball that is designated for their team

• Instead of trying to score a goal, students can dribble the ball through their goal, working

on different skills

Visual:

31

Dribble Knockout

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Soccer Balls or Basketballs


Setup:

• Designate a set playing area

• Each student starts inside the playing area with a ball

Instructions:

• When the Coach signals to start, students dribble their ball throughout the playing area

• While maintaining control of their ball, students try to knock the ball of another student

out of the playing area

• If a student’s ball goes outside the playing area, they are out

• The last student who still has their ball is declared the winner


• To start, one student does not have a ball and is the one to knock out the other balls. As

students lose their balls, they too become someone who can knock out another’s ball

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

32

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

Steal the Bacon

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Soccer Ball, Basketball, Hula Hoop


Setup:

• Students are divided into two equal teams, one team on each end of the space

• Students on each team are given a number corresponding to someone on the opposing

team

• The hula hoop is placed in the middle of the two teams with a ball inside

Instructions:

• The Coach yells out a number

• The students on each team who are that number run to the middle and try to get the ball

• If a student picks up the ball and dribbles it back to their team without getting tagged,

their team is awarded 2 points

• If the student who picks up the ball is tagged by the opposing player before dribbling

back to their team, the team that tagged them is awarded 1 point


• More than one number can be called at a time

• A count down can be initiated if students are stalling to pick up the ball

Visual:

33

En

d Z

on

e En

d Z

on

e

Ultimate Football

Grade: 3rd – 5th

Equipment: Football


Setup:

• Designate a playing area, with an end zone at each end


• Teams start spread out within the playing area

Instructions:

• Teams deicide which team will start with the ball (rock, paper, scissors)

• Teams must pass the ball to each other trying to get the ball into their teams end zone

• Teams must make at least 5 passes before they are able to throw to the end zone

• If a team is able to throw into the end zone, their team is given 7 points

• If a pass is dropped or hits the floor before being caught, the ball is turned over and given

to the other team

• The student who has the ball is not able to take more than 3 steps with the ball they must

pass to a teammate

• Students who do not have the ball are able to freely move around the space to get open

• When defending the ball, students are not allowed to hit the ball out of the hands of the

student in possession of the ball

• When defending, students are allowed to put their hands up and should be an arm’s

distance away, giving space for the student with the ball to be able to throw


• Increase or decrease the number of passes teams must make before being able to throw to

the end zone

• Require that every member of the team must touch the ball before teams can throw to the

end zone

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

S

34

Flag Tag

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: Flag Football Flags or Pinnies


Setup:

• Designate a set playing area

• Each student starts inside the playing area with a flag around their waist (pinnies can be

tucked inside their waist band)

Instructions:

• Remaining inside the playing area, students move freely trying to pull out the flag of

another student while keeping their flag on

• If their flag is pulled off, that student is out

• The last student with their flag still attached is declared the winner


• One student can start without a flag and is the only one who can pull the flag from

another student. Once a student loses their flag, they too can pull off flags, instead of

being out

Visual:

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

S

S

35

Track Relays

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Batons


Setup:

• Using cones, design a track for students to run

• Ideally the track should be in a circle, with both turns and straightaways

Instructions:

• Divide students into an equal number of teams (depending on class size)

• Have students compete in a number of different races in relay style

• The first student on each team runs and when they return to their team, the next student

runs

• Races…

o Straight away – there and back

o Lap – 1 lap around, 2 laps around, etc.

o Sprint Relay – a different student runs each turn and each straight away. Students

should be positioned at the beginning of each section, waiting for their teammate

to reach them before running


• Use different types of equipment to make relays more challenging

o Balance a ball on a racquet while running

o Jump with a ball between your knees

o Roll a ball using only your head

Visual:

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

36

Clean Your Room

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Volleyballs, Beach Balls, Net


Setup:

• Using a net divide the space into two sides

• Divide students into two teams, with one team on each side of the net

• Have all volleyballs and beach balls spread out on both sides of the net

Instructions:

• Teams try to get as many of the volleyballs and beach balls onto the other team’s side as

possible

• Students must get the ball over the net to get it to the other team’s side

• Students are not allowed to roll balls under the net

• Students can either throw, serve, set, or bump the ball over the net

• At the end of the round, the team with the least balls on their side wins


• Students can be required to use a specific skill (serve, bump) to get the ball over the net

depending on what skills they are working on at the time, and their age

Visual:

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

37

Keep it Up

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Volleyball or Beach Ball


Setup:

• Divide students into equal groups

• Groups stand in a circle in their own space with one ball per group

Instructions:

• As a group, students hit the ball back and forth trying to keep it in the air

• If the ball hits the floor, the group must re-start

• Students should use the volleyball skills of setting and bumping to keep the ball in the air

• The group that is able to get the most hits without dropping the ball is declared the

winner


• Groups can compete against each other, or work to beat their own high score

• Students can be restricted to only certain moves (set, bump) to focus on specific skill

development

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S S

S

Group Games

39

S S

S S

S

` S

`

S

` S

`

S

`

S

`

S

`

S

`

Obstacle Course Kickball

Grade: 3rd – 5th

Equipment: Jump Ropes, Hula Hoops, Basketballs, Bowling Pins, Playground Ball


Setup:

• Create a field with four bases

• At each base, place two identical sets of a task

o Jump rope

o Basketball

• Divide students into two equal teams, with one team starting as the fielding team and one

team as the kicking team

• The fielding team should have two students at each base, with the rest of the team spread

out in the field

Instructions:

• After the kicking team kicks the ball, the fielding team retrieves the ball and throws it to

one of the students at first base

• Once they have the ball, the other student at first completes the task (jump rope 5 times)

• After completing the task, they throw the ball to one of the students at second base. Once

they get the ball, the other student completes the task (shoot a basket).

• The fielding team continues all the way around to home base completing each task

• After kicking the ball, the student on the kicking team must run to each base completing

each task

• Whichever team is able to complete all tasks first, receives a point for their team


• Have students rotate which base they are at and what their role is, so students have a

chance to try different things

Visual:

S S S S S S S

S

`

40

Straddle Ball

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: Playground Ball


Setup:

• Students create a circle, standing with their feet shoulder width apart

• Students should be standing close enough to the student next to them so their feet are

touching

Instructions:

• A playground ball is rolled into the circle

• Using an open hand, students hit the ball trying to get it through the legs of another

student

• Students can block the ball from going through their legs by keeping their hands open

and in front of their legs

• Students are not allowed to pick up or kick the ball

• The ball should remain on the ground at all times

• If the ball goes through a student’s legs, they are out and step out of the circle. The

remaining students then step in, closing the circle

• The last three students remaining are declared the winners


• Instead of being out, students can perform an exercise to get back in the game

• Add more balls as the round goes on to increase difficulty

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

41

Hot Lava

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Various (Hula Hoop, Cones, Poly Spots, Mats. Etc.)


Setup:


• Each group receives the same amount of equipment

• Groups start lined up at one end of the space with their equipment

Instructions:

• Using the equipment, groups work together to get from one end of the space to the other

• Students are not allowed to touch the floor at any point

• Groups form a line and pass the equipment up from the last person to the first person,

progressing across the space

• If any student in a group touches the floor, that group must pick up all their equipment

and start at the beginning

• The first team that is able to get every student on their team and all the equipment to the

other end, is declared the winner


• After each round, take away a piece of equipment, increasing the difficulty

Visual:

S S S S S

S S S S S

S S S S S

42

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

Round the Bases

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Bases (Cones, Hula Hoops), Playground Ball


Setup:

• Set up four bases about 10 yards apart


• One team starts as the fielding team, with one student at each base and all others spread

out in the field

• The other team starts as the kicking team and lines up behind home base

Instructions:

• The fielding team rolls the ball to the first student on the kicking team

• After kicking the ball, the student tries to run around all the bases as many times as

possible

• The fielding team retrieves the ball and tries to throw it around the bases as quickly as

possible

• The fielding team must throw the ball to 1st base, then 2nd base, 3rd base, home base, and

finally back to the pitcher

• Students must have possession of the ball at each base before throwing it to the next

• When the pitcher receives the ball, the student running the bases stops

• If they were able to make it around all the bases once they get 1 point. If they made it

around completely once and then to 2nd base they get 1.5 points, etc

• After each student on the kicking team has kicked, the teams switch roles


• The closer the bases are to each other, the more points each student will be able to score

Visual:

S S S S S

43

Human Obstacle Course

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Clear space of any obstacles

Instructions:

• Students will create an obstacle course, using their bodies to make the obstacles

• Demonstrate to students various poses they can do to create an obstacle

o Creating a tunnel with their legs

o Creating a jump with their legs

• Give students a set amount of time to explore what pose they want to do. Students can

work as individuals or in groups to create their pose

• After students have decided on their pose, space out each group in a path throughout the

space

• Have students take turns running through the course


• Students can re-set and come up with different poses after every few runs through the

course

• Students can run the course as a race for time

Visual:

44

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S S

S

Hula Hoop Relay

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Hula Hoops


Setup:


• Have each team create a circle, holding hands

• Each team is given a hula hoop

Instructions:

• Students try to pass the hula hoop around the entire circle

• Students can move the hoop using their hands as long as their hands stay joined together

• Students should step through the hoop in order to pass it to the next student

• The team to get the hoop back to where it started is the winner


• Can also be run as a relay, with teams in a line and the last person running to the front

once they pass off hoop. The first team to get the first person in line back to the front,

wins

Visual:

45

Alaskan Kickball

Grade: 3rd – 5th



Setup:

• Students are divided into two equal teams

• One team starts as the fielding team, and one team starts as the kicking team

• The kicking team starts in a line at one end of the space, and the fielding team starts

spread out

Instructions:

• The kicking team kicks the ball out into the field for the fielding team to retrieve

• After retrieving the ball, the fielding team gets into a straight line

• With the ball starting at the beginning of the line, the fielding team passes the ball over

and under through the end of the line (over head, under legs, over head, under legs)

• After kicking the ball, the kicking team forms a circle holding hands

• The student who kicked the ball runs around the circle as many times as possible

• Once the fielding team gets the ball to the end of the line, they yell out “stop”

• However many times the kicking team is able to get around the circle before the fielding

team says “stop”, is how many points their team is awarded

• After each student has kicked on the kicking team, the teams switch roles


• Change up how the fielding team passes the ball down the line (just over head, just under

legs, side passes, throwing, etc.)

Visual:

S S S S S S S S

S

S S

S

S

S S

S

46

Torch Relay

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: Jump Rope, Hula Hoops, Poly Spots, Cones, Torch (bean bag, cone), Cups


Setup:

• Create a large circle area, with a small circle within the middle of the large circle

• Set up 4 stations, with two identical tasks at each station in the corners of the outer circle


• Each team assigns students to one of the 4 stations

Instructions:

• The student at the first station starts with the torch

• After completing the task at the first station, the student must run one lap around the

circle before handing the torch off to their teammate at the next station

• Once receiving the torch, the next student can start completing the task at their station,

and then running a lap and passing the torch to the next station

• The student who completes the task at the last station, must run to the middle and place

the torch in its holder

• The first team that has their torch in the middle is the winner

• Stations…

o Jump rope 10 times

o Build and collapse a hula hoop castle 2 times

o Match 3-4 pairs of symbols taped under poly spots

o Build and collapse a stack of 6 cups, 3 times


• If there are large teams, one student at the station can complete the task and one student

can run the lap

Visual:

47

Capture the Flag – 4 Ways

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Cones, Hula Hoops, Flags (flags, bowling pins, bean bags)


Setup:

• Divide the space into 4 corners

• In each corner, place one hula hoop with a flag inside

• Divide students into 4 equal teams, one team in each corner

Instructions:

• Teams try to get as many flags as possible to their team’s corner and inside their hula

hoop

• When a student is in their team’s corner, they are safe and cannot be tagged

• Once a student crosses a line, they can be tagged by the opposing team

• If a student is tagged, they must return to their team’s corner to reset before they are able

to cross over to another team’s corner again

• If a student is able to run to another team’s corner and get a flag, but is tagged on their

way back to their corner, they must return the flag before resetting

• If a student is standing inside a hula hoop in the opposing team’s corner, they are safe.

Once they leave the hoop, they can be tagged

• If a student is able to make it back to their corner with a flag without being tagged, they

place the flag in their team’s hoop

• Students are allowed to guard their team’s flags as long as they remain outside their

team’s hula hoop


• Place additional hoops on each side to act as “safe zones” for runners

• Play until one team has all the flags, or place a time limit and the team with the most

flags at the end wins

Visual:

48

Castleball – 4 Ways

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: 24 Hula Hoops, Gatorskin Balls, Cones


Setup:

• Divide your space into four sections

• In each corner, place one hula hoop castle (6 hoops per castle)

• Divide students into four equal teams, one team in each corner

Instructions:

• Using gatorskin balls, teams will attempt to knock down the opposing team’s castles

• If a castle is knocked over, the team who owns the castle cannot rebuild it, they can

however still throw balls at opposing teams’ castles

• The last team with their castle standing wins the round


• Students can decide which role the want to play on their team (thrower, defender, builder)

o Thrower – attempts to throw the balls to knock over the other team’s castles

o Defender – blocks their team’s castle from getting knocked over

o Builder – rebuilds their team’s castle when needed


• Castles are sometimes referred to as “Hula Hoop Huts”

• A boundary line can be added where students are not allowed to cross when defending

(leaving space between them and the castle)

Visual:

TAG GAMES

50

Pacman Tag

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Visible Lines, Pinny


Setup:

• Students start spread out standing on a line present on the floor of the space

• One student is wearing a pinny and is the “pacman”

Instructions:

• Students move throughout the space, trying to avoid being tagged by the pacman

• Students, including the pacman, are only allowed to move on a line

• Jumping from one line to another is not allowed

• If a student is tagged they sit on the line where they were tagged and act as a barrier

• When a student who is still moving comes to a student sitting, they must turn around and

go in the opposite direction


• More than one pacman can be selected at the start of the game

• When students get tagged, they can become a pacman instead of sitting

• The pacman can be allowed to run while the other students must walk to make it more

challenging

Visual:

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S S P

51

Tunnel Freeze Tag

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Set designated boundaries for students to stay in

• Students start spread out in the space, with one student being designated as a tagger

Instructions:

• Students move freely throughout the space trying to avoid being tagged

• If a student is tagged, they freeze with their arms stretched out and their legs open

• To get unfrozen, a student must crawl through the tunnel created by the frozen student’s

legs


• For students who don’t want anyone crawling through their legs, they can ask for high-

fives to get unfrozen

Visual:

52

Partner Tag

Grade: 3rd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students get with a partner

• Holding hands with their partner, students spread out throughout the space

• If a student does not have a partner, they start in the space on their own

Instructions:

• While holding hands, students and their partner try to tag other pairs

• Students must be holding hands with a partner in order to tag someone else

• If a student is tagged, they must sit down while their partner who wasn’t tagged keeps

running

• If two students tag each other at the same time, both students sit

• When students do not have a partner, they can still be tagged but are not allowed to tag

anyone else

• To get another partner, students who are still running pick up one of the students who are

sitting and have already been tagged

• Students are not allowed to pick up the student who was most recently their partner. They

must first get a new partner before being able to return to an old one

• The game is over when there is only one set of partners remaining

Visual:

S

S

S

S

SS

SS

SS

SS

SS

SS

SS

53

Link Tag

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students link arms with a partner and spread out in the space

• One set of partners in selected to be the “tagger” and “tagged” and start not linked

together

Instructions:

• To start, the tagger chases their partner throughout the space, moving freely in and out of

the other partners

• At any time, the student who is being chased can link arms with a group

• When the student being chased links with a group, the student on the opposite side of the

group is bumped off and is now the student being chased by the tagger

• If at any point the tagger is able to tag the student being chased, their roles switch. The

tagger is now chased and can link together with another group


• Groups can be made of more than two students

• There can be more than one tagger and more than one student being chased at a time

Visual:

SSS

SSS

SSS

SS

SS SS

SS SS

S S

54

Stop Light Tag

Grade: K- 2nd

Equipment: Green Ball (1), Red Ball (1)


Setup:

• Students start spread out throughout the space

• One student starts holding the green ball

• One student starts holding the red ball

Instructions:

• Students move throughout the space trying not to get tagged

• The student with the red ball, moves through the space trying to tag as many students

with the ball as possible

• If a student is tagged by the red ball, they must freeze (red means stop)

• To get unfrozen, they must be tagged by the student with the green ball (green means go)

• Students with the ball should not be throwing the ball. The ball should remain in their

hands at all times, tagging others lightly


• Add in a yellow ball, which when being tagged makes students move slowly (yellow

means slow down)

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

S

55

Hospital Tag

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Cones


Setup:

• Using cones, a “hospital” is set up to the side of the playing area

• Students start spread out throughout the playing area, with one student designated as the

tagger

Instructions:


• When a student is tagged, whatever part of their body was tagged is now considered

“injured” (If students are tagged on the leg, they must hop on one foot; if they are tagged

on the arm they must put that arm behind their back, etc.)

• Tagged students must make their way to the “hospital” in order to get healed and be back

in the game


• Instead of a hospital, there can be designated “medics”. The job of the medic is to run out

and heal anyone who is injury by tagging them

Visual:

Hospital

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

56

Blob Tag

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students start spread out in the space, with one student designated as “the blob”

Instructions:

• When the Coach signals to start the game, the blob tries to tag as many of the other

students as possible

• If a student is tagged, they become part of the “the blob”

• As part of the blob, students can either hold hands or link arms with the student who

tagged them

• The blob must stay together in order to tag any other students

• If any student breaks off from the blob, they must come back together before being able

to tag anyone else


• Once the blob gets big enough, students can split into multiple blobs with at least 3

students per blob

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

57

Hula Hoop Tag

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: Hula Hoops


Setup:


• One student is designated the tagger and starts with a hula hoop at their feet

Instructions:


• To be tagged, the student who is “it” must kick the hula hoop into the feet of another

student

• If the hula hoop hits the feet of a student, they are out

• The last student remaining is declared the winner

• To avoid being tagged, students can run, dodge or jump out of the way of the hoop

• If a student is hit by the hula hoop anywhere besides their feet, they are not out and can

remain in the game


• Add more than one hoop to have multiple taggers

• Instead of being out, students can perform a set number of an exercise to re-enter the

game

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S S

S S

S

S S

58

Saf

e Z

on

e Safe Z

on

e

5 ft

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students are divided into two equal teams

• Each team is given a designated safe zone

• Teams line up opposite each other about 5 feet apart, in the middle of each team’s safe

zone

Instructions:

• As a team, students decide whether to be rock, paper, or scissors

• Facing the opposing team, teams show their choice on the count of three

• The team that loses must turn and run to their team’s safe zone while behind them

• The team that wins chases the losing team back to their safe zone trying to tag them

• If a student is tagged before getting to their safe zone, they join the team that tagged them

• Students display each symbol accordingly…

o Rock – crouch down with arms wrapped around knees

o Paper – jump and stand with arms out and legs spread (making an “X” like shape)

o Scissors – with arms at side, stick out one leg


• Teams can be left to figure out what to be on their own, or team captains can be chosen

each round to decide for their team

• If one member of a team displays a different choice, that team can lose automatically

Visual:

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

S S

59

M M

M M

M M

M M

M

Shark

Sharks and Minnows

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students begin lined up on a line at one end of the space and act as the “minnows”

• The Coach or one student, stands in the middle of space and acts as the “shark”

Instructions:

• Minnows must try to get from one end of the space to the other without getting caught by

the shark

• Starting lined up at one end, the minnows will run to the other side when the shark calls

out “fishy, fishy cross my ocean”

• If the minnows are able to get to the opposite side without getting tagged, they are safe. If

they get tagged they become a shark

• Once minnows get to the other side safely, they remain there until the shark calls out

“fishy, fishy cross my ocean” again

• Sharks must always start in the middle before calling out to the minnows

• The game continues until there are only 1-2 minnows left, who will then be the winners


• Minnows who get tagged can become “seaweed” instead of becoming a shark. If they

become seaweed, they must freeze and sit in the spot were tagged. As minnows run past

them they can stretch out their arms to try to tag them, turning them into seaweed as well.

Visual:

Pre-K and K

Games

61

Clean Your Room

Grade: Pre -K – K

Equipment: Volleyballs, Beach Balls, Net


Setup:

• Using a net divide the space into two sides

• Divide students into two teams, with one team on each side of the net

• Have all volleyballs and beach balls spread out on both sides of the net

Instructions:

• Teams try to get as many of the volleyballs and beach balls onto the other team’s side as

possible

• Students must get the ball over the net in order to get it to the other team’s side

• Students are not allowed to roll balls under the net

• Students can either throw, serve, set, or bump the ball over the net

• At the end of the round, the team with the least amount of balls on their side wins


• Students can be required to use a specific skill (serve, bump) to get the ball over the net

depending on what they are working on at the time, and their age

• Can be played without a net, and other objects can be used besides volleyballs (gatorskin

balls, bean bags)

Visual:

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

62

Move and Freeze

Grade: Pre-K – K

Equipment: None


Setup:


Instructions:

• Coach provides commands to students dictating which movement they are supposed to do

o Gallop

o Skip

o Jump

o Hop

• After students start moving, the Coach calls out “freeze”

• After the “freeze” command, students should freeze where they are


• Mix up how students should freeze after hearing the command

o On one foot

o With hands on their head

o Like a superhero

Visual:

63

Toe to Toe

Grade: Pre-K - K

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students start spread out within a designated space

Instructions:

• Students start moving freely throughout the space

• The Coach can call out different locomotor moves (skip, gallop, jump, hop) for students

to perform as they move around

• When the Coach calls out “toe to toe”, students must find a partner and stand with their

toes touching (“toe to toe”)

• After all students are toe to toe, the Coach will signal for students to start moving

throughout the space again

• The coach can call out “toe to toe” again, or they can give a different command (“elbow

to elbow”, “knee to knee”, etc.)

• Whatever body part is called out by the Coach is what the students have to touch with

their partner


• Instead of just getting with a partner, the Coach can have students get into bigger groups

(3 students, 4 students, etc.)

Visual:

64

Up, Down, Stop, Go

Grade: Pre-K – K

Equipment: None


Setup:


Instructions:

• Students must follow the commands called out by the Coach

• Any student who does not follow the command correctly must preform a set exercise

before re-entering the game

• Commands…

o Up – students squat down

o Down – students jump up, or stretch as high as they can

o Stop – students move around the space performing a locomotor movement

o Go – students freeze


• Instead of students performing the opposite of the command, have students perform the

literal meaning of the command (stop – freeze, go – move)

Visual:

65

Musical Spots

Grade: Pre-K - K

Equipment: Poly Spots or Cones


Setup:

• Poly spots are placed throughout the space

• Students start lined up around the outside of the space

Instructions:

• Students walk around the perimeter of the space while music is playing

• When the music stops, students must get to one of the spots in the space

• If a student is not able to make it to a spot, they are out

• After each round, the Coach removes some of the spots

• When there is one spot left, the student who is able to get to the spot is declared the

winner


• Instead of removing spots and students being out, the last student to get to a spot can be

required to perform an exercise to get back in the game

Visual:

S S S S S S S S S

S

S

S

S

S

66

S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S

Color Relay

Grade: Pre-K – K

Equipment: Hula Hoops, Bean Bags, Cones


Setup:

• Place hula hoops of different colors at one end of the space

• Divide students into equal teams, with one team lined up at each hula hoop

• At the opposite end of the space from the hula hoops, place colored items (bean bags,

cones, balls) that correspond with the color of the hula hoops

Instructions:

• One at a time, students run to the opposite end of the space and retrieve an item the color

of their hoop

• Students place the item in their team’s hoop and give the next student in line a high-five,

so their teammate can go get another item

• The first team to get all their colored items in their team’s hula hoop is declared the

winner


• Have teams retrieve any color item instead of a specific color. Once all items are gone,

have teams count to see which team was able to get the most

Visual:

67

Volcanoes and Craters

Grade: K – 2nd

Equipment: Cones


Setup:

• Place cones throughout the space, half upside down, half right side up

• Divide students into two groups

• Initially one group will be the “volcanoes” and one group will be the “craters”

Instructions:

• When the Coach says “Go”, volcanoes must turn as many cones right side up as possible

and craters must turn as many cones upside down as possible

o Cones right side up make a volcano

o Cones upside down make a crater

• When the Coach says “stop” all students must freeze

• If there are more cones right side up, volcanoes get a point; if there are more cones upside

down, craters get a point


• After each round teams can switch roles, volcanoes become craters and craters become

volcanoes

• Change locomotor movement that students have to perform (skip, hop, etc.)

Visual:

68

Obstacle Course

Grade: Pre-K - K

Equipment: Hula Hoops, Hurdles, Cones, Scooters,


Setup:

• Design 3 – 4 lanes of identical obstacle courses

• Divide students into equal groups, with one group behind each lane

Instructions:

• One at a time, students run through the course

• After completing the course, students go to the end of their line and the next student starts

• Students start by jumping over a hurdle, then crawl through the hula hoop castle, then

jump over two more hurdles, then step in and out of hoops laid out on the floor, then end

by scootering around two cones


• Can be run as a relay race with each group facing each other, or can be run as individuals

Visual:

S S S S S

S S S S S

S S S S S

69

Cat and Mouse

Grade: Pre-K - K

Equipment: None

Time: 10 -15 minutes

Setup:

• Students form a circle holding hands

• One student is designated the “mouse”, and one student is designated the “cat”

• The mouse starts standing inside the circle, and the cat starts standing outside the circle

Instructions:

• The cat must try to catch the mouse

• The cat can move around the outside of the circle, but is not allowed inside the circle

• The mouse is only allowed inside the circle for up to 10 seconds at a time, but must

remain moving inside the circle

• The students holding hands on the circle, can hold their hands up in the air to let the

mouse in and out of the circle to avoid the cat

• If the mouse is caught, they then become the cat

• The cat switches places with someone on the circle, who will then become the new

mouse


• Set a time limit for the cat to catch the mouse. If the mouse isn’t caught before the limit is

up, two new students are picked as the cat and mouse

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S S S

S

S

S

M C

70

S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S

Lily Pad Hopper

Grade: Pre-K – K

Equipment: Hula Hoops, Poly Spots


Setup:

• Using the hula hoops and poly spots, create different colored paths from one end of the

space to the other


• Groups should start in a line at one end of the space and are given a color corresponding

to one of the paths

Instructions:

• Groups make their way from one end of the space to the other

• Students can jump, hop, or step through the path

• Students must follow their team’s path, only stepping in hoops or on spots that are their

team’s color

• The first group that gets everyone to the other end of the space is declared the winner


• Have students go one at a time across, or have all students in a group go at the same time

Visual:

Indoor and

Small Space

Games

72

S S S S S S S S S S

Riverbank

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students start lined up behind a designated line

• The Coach starts standing in front of the students

• Before beginning, make sure to review all the commands with the students

Instructions:

• The Coach will call out a number of commands to be followed by the students

• If the students follow the command correctly they remain in the game

• If the students miss a command or perform the wrong action, they are out

• Commands are…

o River – jump in front of the line

o Bank – jump behind the line

o East – touch the shoulder of the person to your left

o West – touch the shoulder of the person to your right


• More commands can be added to increase difficulty

• Increase student engagement by having them create their own commands

• When students are out, instead of waiting to the side, they can take turns calling out the

commands

Visual:

C

73

Mum-ball

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Small Ball (tennis ball, gatorskin ball)


Setup:

• Students start at their desk or spread out throughout the space

• One student starts holding the ball

Instructions:

• Students throw the ball to each other

• If the ball is thrown to a student and they do not catch it, they are out and must sit down

• If at any time a student talks or makes noise, they are out and must sit down

• The last student standing is the winner


• Add in multiple balls to increase difficulty

• Instead of being out, students who drop the ball can do an exercise to re-enter the game

Visual:

S S S S S

S S

S S S S

S S

S

S S S S

S S S

74

Flinch Ball

Grade: 2nd – 5th



Setup:

• Students stand in a circle

• One student starts in the middle of the circle with a ball

Instructions:

• Students are instructed not to move their hands unless the ball is thrown to them

• The student in the middle either chooses to throw the ball to a student in the circle, or

pretends to throw it trying to fake them out

• If the ball is thrown to a student, they must attempt to catch the ball

• If the ball is thrown and they don’t attempt to catch it, they are out

• If the ball is not thrown at them (the student in the middle tries to fake them out) and they

move their hands or flinch, they are out

• When a student is out, they are to sit down

• The last student standing is declared the winner


• Instead of being out, students can perform an exercise to get back in the game

• Students who are sitting out can act as the judges for the game

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

S

75

Night at the Museum

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students spread out throughout the playing area

• One student is designated as the “guard”

Instructions:

• On the Coach’s signal, students freeze as if they are a statue in a museum

• As students hold their statue pose, the guard walks around trying to catch students

moving, laughing, etc.

• If the guard catches a student moving, that student must do a pre-determined exercise to

re-enter the game

• After each round, switch which student is the guard


• Students can be challenged to try to change their pose when they think the guard isn’t

looking

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S

S

G

76

Catch the Spy

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students line up with their backs to the Coach

• The Coach taps one student on the back, selecting them as the spy without the other

students knowing

Instructions:

• When the Coach signals the start of the game, students move throughout the space

• While students are moving throughout the space, they are trying to make eye contact with

each other

• If the spy makes eye contact with another student, they wink at that student

• If a student gets winked at, they should immediately sit down where they are

• As students start sitting, the remaining students moving throughout the space try to guess

who the spy is

• After three guesses, if the spy is still not identified, the spy wins

• After each round, a new spy is selected


• Have one individual student selected as the watchman. Their job is to watch the game and

guess who the spy is

Visual:

77

Toe Tag

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Students are divided into partners

• Students stand facing their partner with their hands on each other’s shoulders

Instructions:

• Keeping their hands on their partner’s shoulders, students try to tap the toe of their

partner with their own

• Each time a student is able to tap the toe of their partner they are awarded a point


• Partners can either try to tap each other’s toes at the same time, or they can alternate who

is tagging and who is avoiding

Visual:

78

Pacman

Grade: K – 5th

Equipment: Gatorskin Balls (yellow, green, red, blue)


Setup:

• Students start sitting in their seats, or lined up in rows

• One student starts with the yellow gatorskin ball (the pacman) and other students start

with the colored balls (the ghosts)

Instructions:

• Staying in their rows, students pass the balls to another student either in front, behind, or

next to them

• Students are trying to get one of the colored balls to catch the yellow ball

• If the yellow ball is caught by any of the colored balls, the student holding the yellow ball

at that time is out

• When a student gets out they can perform an exercise to re-enter the game

Visual:

S S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S S

S S S S S S S S

79

Laser Tag

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Divide students into pairs

• Students start facing their partner, about 1 foot apart

Instructions:

• Students stand with their feet shoulder width apart and raise their right hand

• Partners link their hands so that their index and middle finger are pointing out, and their

thumbs are interlocked

• Pushing on each other hands, each student tries to touch the knee of their partner with

their index and middle finger

• Students are not allowed to move their feet at any time and must remain in the same spot

• If a student moves their feet, a point is given to their partner

• The first student to tap their partners knee is given a point

Visual:

80

Cyclops Tag

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:


• Have teams line up facing each other on separate sides of the space

Instructions:

• Each team selects one student to represent their team

• Students from each team enter the middle of the space and stand at opposing sides

• Students close one eye and form a circle with their hand over their other eye

• Keeping one eye closed and their hand around the other, students attempt to tag each

other

• The student that is able to tag the other, earns a point for their team

Visual:

81

Indoor Marco Polo

Grade: 2nd – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:


• One student is designated to be “it” and one student is designated to be their guide

Instructions:

• The student who is “it” calls out “Marco” and is followed by the other students calling

out “Polo”

• The student who is “it”, then tries to find and tag one of the students saying “polo”

• The student who is acting as the guide, places their hands on the shoulders of the student

who is “it” to help them avoid bumping into anything as they move through the space

• If a student is tagged, they become the tagger and a new guide is also selected

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

M G

82

Chocolate and Vanilla (Unusual Talent Contest)

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Divide group into 4 teams

• Appoint 3 students to be judges

Instructions:

• Coach will announce a category or task

• Teams will choose one student to perform the category or task for the judges

• Both teams will perform the category or task

• Judges will decide which team is awarded points for the round

Categories/Tasks:

• Sing in an opera voice

• Jump the highest in the air

• Curl tongue

• Give the scariest scream

• Make the silliest face

• Bust out a cool, random dance move

• Stand on one-foot contest

• Act out a pretend conversation (2 players)

• Look surprised

• Look frightened

• Pretend you are surfing in the ocean on a surfboard

• Pretend you are brushing your teeth in front of the mirror

• Sing the ABCs like a rock star

• Fake cry

• Fake laugh

• Sing a note for as long as possible without taking a breath

• Take a pretend shower

• Moon walk

83

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: None


Setup:

• Divide students into groups of 3

• Each group will make a small circle

Instructions:

• Students will go around the circle counting to 4, with each student saying only one

number.

• Each time number 1 is said, it should be a different student from the first time.

• After a few rounds, replace each number with an action

• First replace number 1 with having to clap (clap, 2, 3, 4)

• Then replace number 2 with a two-handed snap (clap, snap, 3, 4)

• Then replace number 3 with clap overhead (clap, snap, overhead, 4)

• Then replace number 4 with saying “woo!” (clap, snap, overhead, woo)

Visual:

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S S

S

S S

S

S S

84

Numbers and Letters Relay Race

Grade: 1st – 5th

Equipment: Trivia Questions, Printed Numbers and Letters, 1 color for each team


Setup:

• Divide students into equal teams

• Students start in their team at one end of the space

• At the opposite end of the space, a set of numbers and letters is set up for each team

Instructions:

• To start the Coach will ask a trivia question to all teams.

• One at a time, students on each team will run down to their team’s letters and numbers to

select one.

• Working together, each team will select the number of letters they need to correctly spell

the answer to the trivia questions.

• Numbers and letters can be collected in any order.

• Teams can either hold up the letters/numbers or place them on the floor to spell out the

answer.

• The first team to correctly spell the answer is awarded a point.

Visual:

S S S S S S

S S S S S S

S S S S S S

a 5 t e 4 b

w y 7 n m 9

r 6 1 p i 3

u h g 2 0

85

Index

#

1 – 2 – 3 – 4, 83

4 Square, 10

A

Alaskan Kickball, 45

Awesome Tag, 8

B

Blob Tag, 24, 56

C

Capture the Flag, 9

Capture the Flag – 4 Ways, 47

Castleball, 4

Castleball – 4 Ways, 48

Cat and Mouse, 69

Catch the Spy, 76

Chocolate and Vanilla (Unusual Talent

Contest), 82

Clean Your Room, 36, 61

Color Relay, 66

Cyclops Tag, 80

D

Defender, 14

Dribble Knockout, 31

F

Fireball, 15

Flag Tag, 34

Flinch Ball, 74

Four Corners, 25

G

H

Helicopter, 23

Hospital Tag, 55

Hot Lava, 41

Hotshot, 29

Hula Hoop Relay, 44

Hula Hoop Tag, 57

Human Obstacle Course, 43

I

Indoor Marco Polo, 81

K

Keep it Up, 37

Knockout, 28

L

Laser Tag, 79

Lily Pad Hopper, 70

Link Tag, 53

M

March, Attack, 16

Move and Freeze, 62

Mr. Fox, 5

Mum-ball, 73

Musical Spots, 65

N

Nation Ball, 73

Night at the Museum, 75

Numbers and Letters Relay Race, 84

O

Obstacle Course, 68

86

Gaga Ball, 13

Giants, Wizards and Elves, 18

Obstacle Course Kickball, 39

P

Pacman, 78

Pacman Tag, 50

Partner Tag, 52

Pin Striker, 12

R

Riverbank, 21, 72

Rock, Paper, Scissor Tag, 58

Round the Bases, 42

S

Sharks and Minnows, 7, 59

Ship, Shore, Wave, 26

Sideline Soccer, 30

Sizzle Ball, 3

Steal the Bacon, 17, 32

Stop Light Tag, 54

Straddle Ball, 40

Switch, 2

T

Tic-Tac-Toe Relay, 22

Toe Tag, 77

Toe to Toe, 63

Torch Relay, 46

Track Relays, 35

Tunnel Freeze Tag, 51

U

Ultimate Football, 33

Up, Down, Stop, Go, 64

V

Volcanoes and Craters, 6, 67

W

Wizard Ball, 11

Wolves’ Den, 19

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