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MAHPERD 2014
Elementary and Middle School Activities That Meet
the Standards.
Dana Welch
B.S. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine ’04
Physical Educator for M.S.A.D. #15 Gray-New
Gloucester Schools
Burchard A. Dunn Elementary School
Pre-K and Grades 3&4
My Philosophy
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I have done my job if my students become
physically active adults. -DD
Students need more choice in their
learning especially in P.E. -GR
Always leave them wanting more. &
Games can always be changed to make
them work better for you and your
students. -JM
Ideas that create
sustainability
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Before or after-school programming
Winter activity programming
Collaboration with PTO/PTA
Family PE or adult ed. connection
Recess theme days
Fitness Box
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Prepare a cardboard box by cutting a hand sized hole in the top and
covering the box in paper.
Create cards with various types of tasks for students to complete.
Activities should fit in to one of the five areas of fitness. They can be fun,
challenging and unique based on what you have for equipment. I use
activities like the balance board, push-ups, pogo stick, scooters, stationary
bikes, sit and reach, jumprope and pop a shot.
Cards should give a description of the activity. Pictures are best for
younger students but are handy for all. I usually indicate which of the 5 areas
of fitness the activity addresses. I generally will replace the body
composition activity with recreation.
Activities will be done in several different areas including; the stage, the
track, the open space in the middle of the gym and the mats inside the track.
The Airplane Game
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This activity is great for the really young kids. It helps them learn how to
be safe while running and keep out of classmates personal space.
Make “airport signs” for all four corners of the gym. Each sign can have the
name of a teacher students may know. (Smith Regional Airport.)
Mark each airport with two cones. When the teacher says cleared for take
off, students may put out their wings and fly around the gym. Students must
land at a new airport when the teacher tells them they are cleared for
landing.
Encourage students to keep their passengers safe by watching out for
other planes.
Enhance this activity with itunes by saving various airplane sounds on your
wishlist. Play them one at a time while students are flying.
Food groups and Fruit
and Veggie Relay
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I have collected pictures of foods from all food groups. The foods are then
printed, laminated and cut out.
This activity can be done several ways. If you are able to obtain a large My
poster, you can set up a relay for students in which they will retrieve food
items one at a time and stick them to the my plate poster using sticky tack
or velcro. Younger students will need help determining what foods go in
what group. As you get closer to the end, many food items will be hard to
correctly place.
With much younger kids, spread the food items on one end of the gym.
Have the girls run across and retrieve a fruit or a vegetable, then have the
boys go. When everyone has returned, one at a time pull the items out and
ask students to identify the food items. You may preface the activity with an
explanation that fruits and vegetables are often colorful and look as though
they might grow on a tree, plant or even underground.
Gaga Ball
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Gaga ball is a very popular game that has been introduced to the US mainly
through summer camps.
Players must hit the ball and try to hit other players from the knees down.
If you are hit from the knees down you are out. If you hit the ball out of the
pit, you are out.
Players may only hit the ball twice in a row if the ball hits a person or the
wall after their first hit.
Please note that this game is well known. Gaga pits can be purchased for
$1,000 - $4,000 depending on the type of material you are looking for. The
wooden gaga pit at Dunn School was build with only $275 worth of
equipment. The portable pit that is still a work in progress can be built for a
similar amount.
Alternative Gaga
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Set up a rope in a circle or use the center circle of the basketball court.
Send one player into the center of the pit. Other players must sit on the
outside of the circle and try to keep all of the balls within the circle. No
hitting a ball that stopped inside the circle. Players must knock it back out
with another ball.
The player in the center must dodge both or all 3 balls that are in play. If
they are hit with a ball, the player that hit them with a ball goes into the
center. The player in the center should try and keep one foot on the ground
for safety.
If a player has had multiple turns in the middle, they may pick another
person to take their place.
Striker
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This game is a fine alternative to gaga ball. Set up the lines between 18 inch
cones. If you do not have a set of lines or goals, these can be made easily
with different colored fabric and parachute cord.
Students form teams and nominate one player to enter the hexagon first.
The others will be a few steps back from the hex ready to return the ball if
it leaves the game.
Students must strike the ball with their hands and try to send the ball
through the goal of another team. Students must also successfully defend
their own goal. Various size goals can be made. If you have a team that is
very athletic, you can give them a larger goal.
If someone scores a goal on you, rotate out to the back of your line. You
may also play a version where everyone rotates out after a goal or number
of goals.
5-hole
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Have students form a standing circle and move their feet so they are a
good distance apart. Put one ball in play and tell students to attempt to hit
the ball through another players goal.
If a student scores a goal they get a point. If they hit the ball over the circle
and out of bounds, they lose a point.
Lord of the Rings
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Students are split up into two teams and gathered in a small box on one
end of the gym. Students may not touch the floor outside of the starting and
finishing box as well as the rings. Students must return to the start if they
step outside one of the areas.
Students must use the set of 12 rings to make their way across the gym.
No rings may be left on the floor unoccupied or they will sink into the mud.
(be take by the teacher)
Students must problem solve and complete the challenge. If students run
short on rings they may find some rings placed on the floor ahead or behind
the group.
Tarp Challenges
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Students are put in groups of 6-12 on a set of tarps approximately 4’x6’.
Tarps are lined up one on top of the other, “even steven” and touching the
wall.
Students must problem solve and work together to move themselves and
the tarps to the other end without touching the floor.
If any student touches the floor in any way, the entire team must go back,
reset the tarps as they were at the beginning and start again.
No tarp may move if there is more than one person on it and no pulling a
tarp if there is anyone on it.
This challenge works well with section 1 of the cooperative skills section of
the HPE standards.
Plank Hockey
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Students find a partner and get one beanbag between the pair. Students
will get into the plank or push up position with their heads pointing towards
each other.
Students will take turns attempting to slide the beanbag across the floor
into their opponents “goal” between their hands or arms.
Students must remain in the position without their body touching the floor.
Choose a number of goals that will be suitable for your students to play to.
I would suggest 4 goals.
Laundry Tag
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Students are given 3 clothes pins and asked to clip them to the back of
their shirt below their hair and above their belt line.
When the teacher says begin, students may run around and pull clothespins
of others and put them on their own back.
Students are never allowed to grab ahold of a person or their clothing.
They may also not put out an arm to slow someone down. Students must
stay away from the walls because they might try and lean up against it to
protect their clothespins.
If a student runs out of clothespins, they may continue and try to re-gain
some.
Always run facing forward for safety.
Bag Tag and Juggling
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Collect a supply of grocery bags.
Young students may work on hand eye coordination (throwing and catching) while
older students may work on juggling with them.
These bags can be use for tag games. Students can tuck one end of the bag into
their waistband. When the teacher says go, the students must try to pull the bag
from others without their own bag being pulled. No one is eliminated.
Missile command: Have students break into groups of three. Two of these
students should be about 25-40 feet apart depending on age. More distance if older.
The third student should be in the middle with a bag. Each group gets one
dodgeball. When the thrower says blast off, the student in the middle throws the
bag up in the air over their head and ducks down. 1 point is awarded for hitting the
bag, 3 points if it goes into the bag and 5 if it goes in the bag and stays in all the way
to the ground. The ball goes back and forth between the two several times and
then have students rotate positions.
Rubber Chicken Tag
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All students but one or two begin by getting a pinnie and spreading out.
One student begins in the center of the gym. When the teacher says go, the
students that are on the chicken team may throw underhand the rubber
chickens at others.
When you are hit by a rubber chicken, you must put the pinnie back in its
spot and join the chicken team. You may now throw underhand at others.
No student may throw overhand unless they are making a long pass to a
teammate.
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No student may move if they are holding a chicken.
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Head shots do not count. Always keep your eyes facing forward for safety.
Ricochet
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Students try to knock one of three oversized kickballs all the way down to
the other end of the gym by throwing dodgeballs at them.
Students must stay on their own teams side and not intentionally stand
between the other team and the large target ball.
Students may not bump into a target ball or let the target ball bump into
them. Students may also not be touching a dodgeball when it comes in
contact with the target ball.
Students must sit in the penalty box or do a re-entry task in order to get
back into the game if they break one of the rules listed above.
Popcorn
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Divide the group in half and assign each team an end of the gym. Students
must stay on their side of the center line.
On the word go, students must roll small and large reaction balls from the
back line or baseline of a basketball court. The ball must bounce at least
once on their own side.
Each team should have a counter that sits at the opposite end and counts
their teams points. 1 point for every small ball and 3 points for every large
ball that either hits the back wall or crosses a designated line.
Students are encouraged to try and field or block the balls rolled by their
opponents as they would if they were playing baseball, softball or playing as a
goalie in soccer.
Flickerball
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Divide the group into two teams. This game can work well with 4 per
team. Students will be assigned an end to start on but will play anywhere
within the play area.
The ball starts at the hoop that a team is defending. Students must use the
underhand volleyball serve to pass the ball to a teammate. A successful
catch means that the team retains possession. A dropped or deflected pass
means that the other team assumes control of the ball.
In order to score, a team must serve the ball to a player that has one foot
in the opponents hoop or goal. Teams can be required to get the ball to
every player before scoring or get a certain number of passes in before
scoring.
Contact with passers or catchers is prohibited. Good defense is
encouraged.
Volleyball Basketball
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Form a small group at each basketball hoop. Tell students they must try
and bump or set the beach ball or volleyball into the basketball hoop.
This game is handy for helping students learn how to set each other up
instead of always just hitting the ball over the net.
If the ball touches the ground, a player must serve the ball to their
teammates from underneath the basketball hoop.
Play until a team has reached 3-5 points.
Heads and Tails Tag
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The group is divided in half and each group is assigned either heads or tails.
If you are on the heads team, you must show your horn and if you are on
the tails team, you must show your tail.
When the teacher says go, students must tag only students that are on the
other team. If you are a head and your get tagged by a tail, you become a tail.
This is a game of survival of the fittest.
Asteroid Soccer
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Form 2 teams of 4. One team is in control of the soccer ball and must
keep the ball away from the asteroid team by quickly passing the ball to any
player on their team that is not near the asteroid.
The asteroid team must pass the asteroid ball around and try to get an
open shot at the soccer ball. If they are able to throw the asteroid and hit
the soccer ball, they gain control of the soccer ball and give the asteroid to
the opposing team.
The game can be played with no scoring or a point for every 5 passes that
a team gets in with the soccer ball.
Danielle Delaney
B. S. University of Maine Presque Isle ’11
Physical Educator for M.S.A.D. #15 Gray-New
Gloucester Schools
Gray-New Gloucester Middle School
Grades 5-8