Activities

Hockey in the middle

Grade Level: 3-5

This activity is a variation of “Monkey in the Middle”, and works best with groups of 6-8. For each group, tape a small X on the floor and scatter polyspots (one less than the number of people in the group) in a circle around each X (6-8 feet away seems to work best).

The person on the X is the “monkey” and the people on the spots are the passers (all players must keep one foot on their spot or X during the activity). Passers must keep the puck away from the monkey by passing to other teammates. Passers MAY NOT pass to someone to their immediate left or right, nor the person who just passed to them. If the monkey is able to steal a pass, then they switch places with the person who made the pass. After two minutes, if the monkey hasn’t stolen a pass, have them switch places with someone who hasn’t been in the middle.

Remind students of safety procedures for no highsticking.

Hockey Highway

Grade Level: K-2

After an instant activity, let students know they will be working on striking an object with a hockey stick. Demonstrate how they should use “soft taps” with both sides of the stick to dribble and control the ball, much like you use “soft taps” with the feet when dribbling a soccer ball. Then let them know they will be using these small taps to play a game called “Hockey Highway“.

Let them know that once they have retrieved their equipment, they are to take them to a self space and begin to “start their engines“. This means they are to dribble the object back and forth (left to right)ten times without moving out of their self space. In other words they pass it back and forth to themselves but don’t move. Once they have done this, they can begin to safely travel around the “highway” (the open general space), using different pathways (straight, curved, and zigzag) to avoid collisions.

If students lose control of their ball, dribble out of bounds, or have a collision, their car is now “stalled” and they have to start their engine (soft tap the ball back and forth to themselves wile remaining stationary) again before they can begin to travel again!

As students travel through the general space, remind them to use soft taps in order to keep the ball close to their stick, and to use both sides of the blade.

Bean Bag Paddle Game

Grade Level: K-2

Set up 3-4 rows of hoops on the playing area. Create small teams of players, and arrange them in relay formation. Give the first person in the group a paddle and a bean bag. Set out three hoops per team and on “Go!” the first person in each group tries to balance the bean bag on their paddles as they move to the first hoop. There they drop their bean bag, and return the paddle to the second person. This continues until all of the hoops have been filled.

Indoor Snowball Game

Grade Level: 3-5

Before class begins, set up the volleyball nets/ropes and place the basket of yarnballs in the middle under the net. Then place an empty basket at the far end, in the middle of each playing area.

Review the cue(s) for the overhand throw you want students to focus on when playing the game. Explain to students that they are to throw the yarn balls across the net to the other side as well as catch any balls that are being tossed to them. If they catch the ball in the air, they should place it in the basket on their side. If it ball drops to the floor without being caught, it can be picked up and thrown back to the other side.

Let students know they can catch balls off the walls. If they slide on the ground, however, or any part of their body besides their feet touches the ground when they are trying to catch, they then have to walk to the “penalty box” (an area set aside by a wall), count backwards from 30 then return to the game.

Divide the students into small groups (the number depends on how many net areas you have set up. The more areas you can use, the more opportunities each student has to retrieve and throw balls). Send the groups to their area to begin. Stop the game periodically or when you notice a group is close to having all their yarn balls in a basket. Have students count the balls in their basket, then divide them back up equally and begin again. During one of these breaks, relate to students the strategy of trying to throw the ball to where the other team is NOT.

You may wish to switch groups so they are throwing against different groups, as well.

Throw (Don’t Mow) the Yard

Grade Level: 3-5

Start the lesson off with an instant activity that involves throwing and catching (for example, get a ball and a partner and begin to throw and catch to each other). When done, let students know that they will be working on a throwing game today. Remind them that the purpose of the game isn’t to see who “wins”, but rather, for them to show how well they can throw using one of the throwing cues. Let them know you will be looking for them to use this cue today all through the lesson, and you’d rather see them making a few “good” throws versus lots of “bad” throws.

Divide the area, and students in the class, into four (or more) equal-sized “yards” (use cones if needed) and teams, respectively (hint: place students on teams so that each team has students with differing throwing abilities–for example, don’t put all the “good” throwers on the same team).

Place the same number of crates, large and small boxes, and large garbage cans (clean!) in similar places in each of the “yards”. Give each team the same number of objects to use for throwing (e.g., yarn balls, “gator” balls, bouncy foam balls, etc.). On the “go” signal, students try to throw balls from their area into the containers in the others’ yards. Students may pick up balls from the ground or take them out of containers to throw.

On the teachers “stop” signal have students divide the balls up so each team once again has an equal number of balls, and begin the game again.

As the game progresses, observe students on one team at a time. Record whether they are throwing using the cue you are looking for “most or all of the time”; “some of the time”; “almost none of the time”. Try to observe each student for at least five throws. As you stop each round, give students feedback on their use of the throwing cue.

Teaching Suggestions:

Meal Deal Balance

Grade Level: K-2

Create small groups of students (2-3) and assign them to a mat. Give students a number of body parts that they must balance on, and have students work together to balance on the assigned number of parts.

Food Balance Store

Grade Level: K-2

Discuss various body shapes, narrow, wide, twisted, round, pointed, flat, etc. Allow the students some time to practice the various positions. Then have students try to form the shapes of foods. Set up a food store where, “buyers” come in to a store and ask to buy certain foods. If the sellers can form the shape of the foods that the buyers want, they change positions.

Color Freeze tag

Grade Level: 3-5

Players begin scattered around the room in their personal, spaces. On “Go!” all players try to keep moving without touching any others. The teacher will call out “Freeze!” followed by a color. All students wearing that color must freeze, and only the players from their team may unfreeze them (with a high five). Wait until all students are unfrozen again, and call “Freeze!” with another color.

Hoop Tag

Grade Level: K-2

Players begin the game in a scattered formation, each standing in a hoop. Choose a few players to be the taggers, and have each of them wear a pinnie. Players move around during the game by shuffling inside their hoops, while keeping them on the floor at all times. Tagged players must go out of the game and hula hoop 10 times before returning. Change taggers, and play again.

Pump the Blood

Grade Level: 3-5

Designate the middle circle of the gym as the heart. Students must jog around the perimeter of the gym. when the teacher calls “Veins” students must run back to the heart without being touched by the tagger. When the teacher calls “arteries”, students must run away from the heart to the outside boundary line without being touched by the tagger.

Letter tag

Grade Level: K-2

Partners face each other with a pile of cards in front of them. They both choose a card and turn it over at the same time. The player with the letter that comes earlier in the alphabet becomes “it” and tries to tag the other. After being tagged or a certain time limit, the game is repeated.

Band Aid tag

Grade Level: K-2

Discuss how the skin serves as protection against germs entering the body. When the skin is broken, band-aids can cover the skin to protect it until the skin heals. Choose 4-5 players to be “germs” and have them each choose a pinnie. On “Go!” players try to avoid being tagged by the germs. Each time the are tagged, they must put a band-aid (one of their hands) on the spot of the tag. If they have used up all of their hands and are tagged again, they must sit down where they were tagged, and wait for a teammate to unfreeze them by giving them an injection of medicine. Change “germs” and play again.