Physical Education Games
Your Students Will Beg For More!!

When playing physical education games or any gym sport there are several things you need to focus on.

For instance, you can have a volleyball, basketball, soccer ball, or borden ball game after you have taught students the appropriate skills to play these games properly and accurately.

The games that I am going to describe can be played with partners, in groups, or as a whole class, with or without gym equipment.

The main skills I want students to demonstrate when they play these games are co-operation, sportsmanship and enjoyment.

This goes as well for all the elementary physical education lesson plans that I develop.

Near the end of the year, (April, May, June), I allow my kids to either work with partners or in groups of three to create their own game - with or without physical education supplies/equipment. They get one gym period to get together and plan their physical education game.

Then over the last couple of months over several gym classes, you can have each group teach their game to the rest of the class.

You can use this opportunity to mark their physical education game - even using physical education rubrics (which the students are aware of) and add it to their final physical education grade.

Here are 7 great physical education games that you can tailor according to your students' needs.

1. Catch the Cane

Have the students form a circle or divide the class in two and make two circles. Each student has a number from 1 to the end.

One student is "It" and stands in the middle of the circle holding a cane or yard/meter stick with one end on the floor. This student calls out one of the numbers and lets go of the cane.

The student whose number was called, must catch the cane before it falls to the floor. If he fails he becomes "It".

2. Overpass

Divide the class into 2 even teams ( or 4 for a large class and run two games simultaneously).

Team 1 forms a circle and each member of team 2 stands between two members of team 1.

A team 1 member holds a ball (volleyball, soccer ball, football, etc.) and a member of team 2 holds the same type of ball (differentiate the balls, colour, etc.).

On the word "go", each team member passes their ball to their team member on their right (or left). The team that completes the full circle with their ball gets a point.

The teacher can vary the game by calling out, "circle" (the student with the ball must run around the circle before passing the ball) or "zig-zag" or "bounce the ball", etc. I'm sure you get the idea. It's great fun.

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. 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.

5. The Oyster Shell

Divide the class into two teams ("X" and "Y") and and have them stand along two parallel lines with a space of 10 feet between the lines. This space is neutral territory.

Each team has a goal line some distance back from their parallel line.

The teacher, standing in the neutral area, tosses the oyster shell (use a bean bag with a taped "X" on one side and "Y" on the other) into the air. If it lands with the "X" side up, the "X" team members must run back to their goal line before a "Y" team member tags (captures) them.

The "Y" team scores a point for each "X" team member captured. The first team to reach a certain score or with the most points after a certain time wins.

6. 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 gola 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.

7. 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.

When choosing and playing these physical education games keep these things in mind:

* the likes and dislikes of your students.

* the age and number of students in your class.

* the size of the area where your gym class takes place.

* the equipment that you have to use.

Feel free to adapt or change these physical education games according to the needs of your class. Just be sure that you and your students have fun!!!

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