Partner Path Plays
Grade Level: 3-5
Have players use their knowledge of pathways to create football pass patterns. Challenge them to use as many pathway as they can in each pattern. Have players take turns running their own pattern and having their partner throw the ball to them at the end of the pattern. Exchange pass patterns and try again.
Catch and Move
Grade Level: K-2
Give each student a soft ball, and review the cues for catching. On the teacher’s signal, students begin throwing and catching the ball in their space. After each successful catch, the student moves to the largest open area they can find within the playing area, and tries to throw and catch again.
Sky Ball, My Ball
Grade Level: 3-5
Discuss taking turns. In groups of three, one player throws the ball high in the air, and the other two call for the ball and catch. The player who is closest to the ball should be the only one to call and catch it. Stress the importance of taking turns. Which group can get to five catches first?
100 Catches
Grade Level: 3-5
Set hoops out on the gym or outdoor area about 5-15 yards apart. The hoops should be set in rows with 2 hoops across from each other. Place a different type of ball in each pair of hoops. One student goes into each hoop, and on the signal, students throw and catch with the person across from them counting the total number of catches. Every 15 seconds the whistle is blown, and everyone moves in line to a new hoop.
Cooperope
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Place the tug of war rope in the middle of the playing area. Along the sides of each rope, (where the players will be standing) place food cards. On “Go!” players try to pick up the rope, achieve a static balance position, and then pick up as many food cards as they without losing their static balance position.
Ouch Tag
Grade Level: 3-5
Describe the qualities of a safe and friendly tag: gentle, on the upper back, not accompanied by “Got you!” Have students spread out around the gym. Select 3-4 players to be “it”, and have them put on pinnies. Have all students begin on a poly spot. On “go!” taggers try to tag others, who say “ouch!” when tagged. Players are not out when tagged, they simply continue on as this is a practice activity.
Dribble Transfer
Grade Level: 3-5
Have students get a ball to dribble, a hoop, and a beanbag. Tell them to find a good self space in the playing area and then put their beanbags in the middle of their hoop which will be on the floor in front of them. On the teachers signal, the students, while dribbling their ball, go throughout the room picking up one beanbag from hoops and then they are to take them and drop them in the center of hoops that are unoccupied. Each student can only transfer one beanbag at a time. Students cannot dribble the ball inside the hoops or throw the beanbags. The goal of the activity is to have the most bean bags in your hoop as possible when time ends.
Two pass
Grade Level: K-2
Spread many balls of different sizes around the gym or outdoor area. Each student has a partner, and the object is to pick up any ball, complete 2 passes with the partner, set the ball down, and move to another ball. To make this more challenging set a number for them to try to reach or you could set a time limit.
Strike a Pose
Grade Level: K-2
Students gather together in the center of the gym floor in a big circle allowing about two feet of space between each other. One student stands in the center of the circle and is the leader who strikes a pose at the sound of the teacher’s whistle. All other students copy the pose made by the leader. Ask students to maintain the pose as a group for three seconds to win a point for the class. Ten points wins!
Balance River
Grade Level: K-2
Place mats in a winding form in the playing area, and place balance beams or posts on top of them. Lay food cards all around the beams and mats. Players take turns crossing the Nutrition River, and trying to collect one card each time they cross. If they fall off, they must return the card. If they make it successfully across, they may bring the card back for the class.
Locomotor Hello
Grade Level: K-2
Hoops are scattered throughout the open playing area. Ask students to find a hoop and stand in it. When the music starts they need to move in the hoop any way they wish while staying in the hoop. When done, bring students together and quickly point out that they were in a “self space” when they were in the hoop — that is, students aren’t able to touch anyone or anything else when they were in their hoop. What is left over is called “general space”. Tell students when the music begins again, you’d like them to move in the general space avoiding the hoops on the floor. Ask them to skip, jog, walk, etc. Remind them that when they move in general space, they need to make sure they don’t come close to anyone else’s self space. When the music stops, they are to move safely to the closest open hoop. You can also challenge them to find a hoop by the time you count to “5” (or 3, etc.) after the music stops. Then, tell students you will call out a number when the music stops. This is the number of people who must now stand in a hoop together! For example, if you call out “6”, 6 students must all go to a hoop and stand in it (or, get at least one foot in the hoop). Then, ask students to introduce themselves to those in their hoop, saying their name and shaking hands.
Flip The Hoop
Grade Level: K-2
For this activity you will need a hula hoop and any object that you can throw. For example, a bean bag, yarn-ball, gator-ball, etc. For this activity students will start on the sideline of a basketball court. Their hula hoop will be in front of them and they will have to toss their object (whatever that object is) into the hoop by means of an underhand throw. Once they make it inside of the hoop they will then have to flip the hoop and then go back to the sideline and make it inside the hula hoop again and repeat the process. The students should do this until about halfway from the sideline to the other sideline. After they make it halfway, they can come back to the start and select a different throwing object and repeat the process.