Marathon Tag
I choose two students to start out with a tagging ball in their hands. These students can begin tagging at the start of the game, but can only tag three of their classmates. When they have used up their three tags they must roll the tagging ball across the gym. Student who are tagged must sit on the ground. If a student is still up they can pick up this tagging ball and use three of their own tags. The taggers will continue changing throughout the game. To get back up and in the game the tagged students need to watch the person who tagged them. If the person who tagged them gets down, then they would get back up and in the game. Taggers may not tag each other. Students sitting down may not get the tagging ball until they are back up and in the game. Students may have more than one turn tagging, but someone different must have a turn in between their turns.
Team Marathon Tag
This is the same idea as Marathon Tag above..except that you will put the kids into teams. Students try to keep their team alive while tagging down the other teams. When students have used their three tags, they are not allowed to throw the ball to a teammate. Modification: Students could choose to tag down 3 people or tag up 1 of their own teammates.
Bulldog Tag
I choose three students to wear yellow jerseys, 2 students to wear red, 10ish students to wear blue, and 10ish students to wear no jerseys (same number for blue and no jerseys). Students in the red are bulldogs who are trying to tag the cats wearing blue. Cats in blue want to stay away from the bulldogs in red while at the same time tagging the mice who are wearing no jerseys. Mice in no jerseys are trying to stay away from the cats in blue while at the same time trying to tag the cheese which is the yellow jerseys. Mice try to stay alive. If tagged the student must sit on the ground. To get back up the cheese needs to be tagged back up by another cheese or a bulldog (they like cheese). For mice to get back up another mouse has to tag them back up. Same deal for a cat, another cat must tag them back up. Bulldogs can't get tagged down, but must keep the cheese in the game.
Courtesy Flag Tag
Each student is given a flag football belt with two flags on it. Students move around the gym trying to steal other peoples flags off their belt. Students can have a maximum of 4 flags at one time (two on the belt and one in each hand). When a student runs out of flags that student must sit on the ground. A courteous student would bring an extra flag to any downed students to get them back up and in the game. I recommend making one small area for students to go and put flags back on their belt.
Spiders and Flies
Line up the students on one side of the gym and pick two students to become spiders in the middle. The spiders start each round by saying, "We are the spiders!" The flies (all of the students on the side of the gym) will reply, "We are the flied!" The spiders respond, "We're going to get you!" And the flies respond, "Just you try!" As soon as the flies end their reply the flies must move from one side of the gym to the other without getting tagged. If tagged they become a spider.
Continuous Tag
Line up students on one side of the gym. Pick two students to start in the middle of the gym with a tagging ball. On the opposite side of the gym place two boxes full of popsicle sticks. Students try to run from one side of the gym to the other without getting tagged. When they reach the other side of the gym they get to take on stick out of the box. Students then use the sidewalks (sides of gym) to walk back to the beginning to try again. If tagged, students give the tagger all their sticks and the tagger gives them their ball.
Team Tag
Put each student on a team (or use their squads). Give each student on a team a tagging ball and ask them to tag everyone in the class as fast as they can. When tagged students must sit down on the ground. Time each team to see how quickly they can get everyone down. Remind students to use their teammates to help trap the quicker kids. Switch so each team gets a chance to tag.
The Blob
Pick a couple of students to link together at the hands or elbows. They are the blob. The blob will move around the gym trying to tag others with their free hand. If tagged, they join up with the blob. The blob will grow bigger and bigger. Runners may not go under or over the blob. Last students staning could act as the next blob.
Pac Man
All students must walk and stay on the lines of the gym. If students run or are off the lines I will freeze them myself. Give three students a red tagging ball. This ball is used to tag those frozen students (sitting down) back up. Give two students blue tagging balls. These balls are used to tag students down (freeze them). Blue balls can tag the people with the red balls. Those with red balls can only get back up if another red ball comes and tags them back up. Throwing of any tagging ball is not allowed.
Treasure Island
Put students into four teams lined up in a single file line on a poly dot. Put a large mat in the middle of the gym and place as many beanbags on the island as you can. Pick two students to act as the pirates of the island, each with a tagging ball in hand. Pirates must stay on the island and stay on their knees. Students on ships will leave their ship one at a time to try to steal a piece of treasure. If they get tagged their turn is over. If they get a piece without getting tagged they can bring that treasure back to their ship. When a turn is over students must complete one lap around the gym before they get back in line.
Gotcha
Put out as many balls or bean bags on the gym floor as you can. Students must try to keep their feet away from the bean bags or balls. Students may pick up one item at a time and use it to roll, slide, or throw at others feet. If hit, students must say gotcha and the hit player will complete a certain number of exercises before they return to the action of the game. Make exercises quick and easy so students don't spend their entire time doing exercises. If hit while completing exercises the student does not need to complete extra exercises, but just finishes the ones he was doing. Students should look around when done with exercises to make sure it is safe to leave their spot. Once they leave their spot they are eligible to be hit again.
Scooter Tag
Put each student on a scooter board and practice moving safely. Pick a particular color of scooter to be taggers while the other scooters try to stay alive. If tagged, students sit on the ground and place their scooter in their lap. You could also pick a second color scooter to be the unfreezers to keep the game moving along. Students who are unfreezers can save those that have been tagged by the freezers. Freezers can be tagged just like everyone else.
Sharks and Minnows
Students start on one side of the gym while you choose two or three sharks to start in the middle of the gym. Sharks call out colors and if students are wearing the called color they try to run across the gym without getting tagged by a shark. If tagged, they become sharks with them. Last few minnows standing become the sharks for the next round.
Zoo Keeper
Pick two zoo keepers to start in the middle of the gym. Have the zoo keepers choose three animals. The rest of the students will choose one of the three animals picked by the keepers. The students keep their animal secret. When their animal is called they try to run to the other side of the gym without getting tagged. It tagged, they become caged in the spot they were tagged. In that spot the student cannot move their feet, but can try to tag people running past them. If they tag someone running by them then that person becomes caged too. Students can change their animal after each time across the gym. Last two or three animals get to be the next zoo keepers.
Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag
Pick 3 or 4 students to start out as the taggers. They will move around the gym trying to tag anyone they can. When tagged, students play a quick game of rock, paper, scissors. If the runner wins they get to go free. If the tagger win, the person is frozen where they got tagged.
Sharks and Sailors
Put 6 or 7 hula hoops around the gym. Pick two or three students to be taggers. Everyone else tries to stay away from the taggers. The hula hoops are ships that they sailors can use to stay away from the sharks. However, sailors can only stay on a ship for 3 mississippi's. After that sailors must leave their ship. If tagged by a shark, the sailor switches with the shark to become a shark. No tag backs of course and no puppy guarding sailors on the ships.
Triangle Tag
Put together groups of 4. Three students connect at the hands to create a triangle. The fourth student is the tagger. The tagger is assigned a person that they must try to tag. The triangle attempts to move to protect the target. One tagged or if they run out of steam, the target can become the tagger and the triangle picks a new target.
Frogs and Ants
Picks 3 or 4 students to start out as the taggers. The rest of the class starts as frogs. The frogs move around and try not to get tagged. Once tagged the frogs turn into ants and lie on their backs with their hands and feet in the air. Frogs may save the ants by having four frogs (one on each limb) carry the ant to a safety mat. Once there the ant is turned back into a frog. Frog's may not be tagged while saving an ant. Teaching students how to carefully move any ant is important in this game.
Bumper Cars
Give each student a hula hoop. Hula Hoops must stay on the ground and students will shuffle their feet to move their hula hoop (bumper car) around the gym. Choose a color to be it. If bumped by that color students must sit down in their hoop. Choose another color to be unfreezers to make the game last a bit longer. Change freezers and unfreezers often.
Give me the Aspirin
Pick two or three students to be taggers. If tagged students must sit down where they got tagged. To get back up students need to get the aspiriin (large nerf ball) If students are tossed the aspirin they may stand up but cannot continue playing until they pass the aspirin to someone else that needs it.
Dino's Nest
Setup three hula hoops in the middle of the gym with 10 bean bags in each. One student will be assigned their dino nest at a time. This person will have a tagging ball in hand. Put 6 cones around the outside of the gym. This is where each team is centered. One students at a time (from the cones) can go out to any of the three nests to try to steal one egg. If tagged their turn is done. If they get one they try to get it back to their cone before getting tagged.
Hideout
Create four hideouts in each corner of the gym. Create one jail in the middle of the gym. 3 to 5 players are it with tagging balls. Everyone else moves from hideout to hideout but can only stay in each for 10 seconds. Players must go to a new hideout each time. If tagged students must go to jail. To get people out of jail another player may go to the jail and act as a taxi to a hideout. They must connect body parts. If the taxi is tagged both players must go to jail.
Stuck In The Mud
1-2 Taggers. If you get tagged, balance on a certain number of body parts. (4-downward facing dog, 3-two hands and one foot, 2-one hand and one foot.) Players can be freed when someone goes under them.
Tree, Water, Fire
3 colors of jerseys: blue=water, green=tree, red=fire . Trees tag water and stay away from fire. Water tags fire. Fire tags tree . Players hold their jersey in their hand. Once you tag, switch jerseys.
Bump Tag
Select several taggers. All other students match up as pairs and must attach themselves to their partner by putting hands on shoulders or on waist. Players move around the gym once the music starts. If a tagger attaches to the back of a pair, the person in front then becomes a new tagger.
Toilet Tag
Choose a certain number of taggers to wear a jersey and have a softi ball to body tag. All other players are trying to avoid the taggers. If tagged, the player must sit down with their legs crossed (the toilet bowl) and bend one arm so that their hand becomes the flusher. Other players who are free may flush them by pressing on their hand and they are back in the game. Change taggers after a few minutes.
Flagbank
Divide class into teams of 3 or 4 players. If you have 7 teams, place 7 cones around the perimeter of the gym. Place each team at a cone. Each team member needs 2 flags to tuck into their belt and have 2 flags under their cone. When the music starts, one person from each team comes out and tries to steal a flag. Once they do, they return to their cone and ‘high five’ the next player to go into the playing area. (All players must have 2 flags to enter.) If a team runs out of flags, they can “buy” a flag from the teacher for a fitness activity (i.e. 5 pushups, 10 jumping jacks, etc.)
Outta' Here Tag
Place 10-15 hula hoops around the gym. Give four or five students a tagging ball to tag safely with. Students will move around the gym trying to stay away from the taggers. If tagged, students exchange tagging balls (take the other persons job). Students may use the hula hoops to safely stay away from taggers. Students may stay in hoops as long as they want to or until another students comes along and says "Outta Here." Students must leave the hula hoop when someone new comes to it. Students may not go to the same hula hoop twice in row. If two students go to the same hula hoop at the same time they are both "outta here."
Ro Sham Bo Relay (Chicken Football)
Divide into two groups; each group in a single file line.
Each line of players starts at the ends of the “U”.
Review how to Ro Sham Bo (also called Rock-Paper-Scissors).
Make sure everyone know where to go when they win and when they don't in Ro Sham Bo.
Set Up:
Set out a semi circle (U shaped) path using cones or other markers. You can also use half of a basketball court.
How To Play:
The goal of the game is for a player from one line to make it to the start of the opposite team's line.
The game begins on a signal from the leader.
The first players in each line begin walking (or skipping, hopping or running) on the path towards each other.
When the first two players from opposite teams encounter each other on the path, they stop and Ro Sham Bo until one player wins.
The winner continues walking on the path in the same direction, while the other side allows their next player to start walking on the path.
Again when the players encounter each other, they do Ro Sham Bo until one player wins.
The game continues until one player makes it all the way to the other side. Then that player rejoins her/his line and two new players begin.
Variations:
Make the path longer or shorter.
Play in a straight line instead of a U.
Add obstacles to the path.
Tally scores by giving a point to the team whose player makes it from one side to the other.
Give players a category to name one thing from as they meet in the middle. For example, each side has to yell out the name of a fruit or a vegetable, a natural environment, a State, etc. before they Ro Sham Bo. This variation is great for teachers who want to reinforce class learning in an active way.
Add a chicken to the middle. Student runs out and ro sham bo's..winner grabs the chicken. Loser runs back to line and next person comes out to meet the winner before the make it to end zone.
Aerobic Human Bowling
Place two cones on each side of the gym. Split the class into teams. One set of teams are the bowling pins who are going to set themselves up between two of the cones. They can setup however they like, but can't move once set. The other team is at the other set of cones. They are the bowlers. Bowlers get in a line. First person in line is the ball retriever. The second person is line is the bowler. The bowler rolls the ball trying to hit a pin. Pins are only knocked over with a direct shot (no deflections). Once they bowl the retriever runs the ball back and hands it to the next bowler and the first bowler runs down to become the retriever. They keep this rotation until all the pins are out. To speed it up you can have two balls being rolled. You can also have teams race the other bowling team next to them.
Turkey Hunt
The game “Turkey Hunt” was a student favorite during Thanksgiving. Humans have always hunted Turkeys for their Thanksgiving meal except this year! In this fun scooter game, the turkeys hunt the humans. Four students are designated as turkeys by putting on their brightest feathers (a yellow jersey) and by holding a rubber chicken. The gym is decorated by standing up mats and creating places for humans to hide. On the signal, turkeys round up and tag as many humans as they can. If a human is tag they perform an exercise and get back in the game.
GaGa Ball
Equipment:
- Mats or Cones
- 3 or 4 playground balls
Create designated boundary areas that will be the GaGa Domes.
Create groups of 10 or more.
The game begins with all players standing on the perimeter of the boundary lines. The playing ball starts in the middle of the dome. Students collectively will call out “Ga…Ga…Ball” after which play has begun and students may not strike the ball.
Contact with the ball can only be made with an open palm.
Players may dodge the ball in any way but must stay standing during play.
The objective of this activity is to evade the ball rolling on the ground and to use your striking skills to target the other players in the Dome. Also to keep the ball in play and to not let it go outside of the boundary area. Talk about reaction time and agility. How it is important to start from a good athletic stance and to stay on the balls of your feet.
If the ball tags you on your knees or below you are out. You may earn your way back into the activity by completing a fitness activity such as running 3 laps, doing 10 burpies, or 30 shoulder taps.
Other ways to get are to hit the ball in any way other than an open palm, to hit the ball outside of the boundary area, to have bad sportsmanship, or if you slide on the ground.
If the ball goes out of play the game is restarted.
As students get adjusted to the play of the game create one large dome. Start with one ball and add in others as the game progresses.
Beehive
Divide students into four equal teams. Each team is assigned a specific color jersey (red, blue, yellow, green) and has their own hive in a corner of the gym. (Hives are a mat set on its end.) All students start the game with one "stinger" (a flag football flag, juggling scarf, etc.) tucked into the side of their waistband. Extra stingers are placed in each hive.
At the teacher's signal, all bees leave their hive and try to take the flag of any bee not on their team. When a flag is pulled, that player takes the flag back to their have and drops it inside. For K-2, I have them hold their stolen stinger over their head which is a signal that their stinger may not be stolen while they are returning to their hive. For 3-6, their stinger may be stolen while returning to their hive.
If a players stinger is stolen, they may return to their hive to replace it and return to play. If a hive is out of stingers, I steal some from other hives so play is continuous.
Hives should be used to rest, replace stingers and drop stingers off.
Safety issues: All stingers must be long enough that when arms are held down by their side the stinger extends past their fingertips. Students may not physically grab onto another player to steal their stinger. Stingers may not be stolen if a player has fallen and is on the ground.
Beehive with Queen/King Bee's
Beehive game with a small variation. When students lose their flag they sit down. Each hive has chosen a queen/king who is the only one that can bring out stingers to get them back in the game. Queen/King can steal stingers from others, but their big job is to bring their teammates stingers when they go down.
Beehive with Capture the Honey
This is an addition to the Queen/King Bee variation. Each hive will have a hula hoop and place 15-20 tennis balls into the middle of the gym. Students can steal a honey (tennis ball) from either the middle box or another teams hula hoops. Only one guard per hula hoop. When students lose a stinger they sit down and the queen/king must bring them a new one to get them back up.
Turkey Tails (See Beehive with Capture the Honey)
This is Beehive with Capture the honey except make the hives turkey pens, the flags turkey tails, and the beanbags be turkey food. Goal is to get as much turkey food as they can. First half of the game is played without captain turkeys...second half this could be added.
Aerobic Bowling
Set out 15 rubber spots and 10 bowling pins on each side of the gym. Place the 10 bowling pins onto rubber spots so that there are 5 spots uncovered. Students are to roll or throw balls to try to knock down the other teams pins. If they knock down a pin they get to run across and grab the pin and bring it to their side. They place the pins on any open rubber spot. The goal is to fill all of your teams rubber spots with a pin. I allow guarding of pins, but don't allow students to surround their pin with their body and students must be standing up. I allow students to put pins back up if the other teams doesn't come over to grab it.
Alaskan Fieldball
Equipment: Playground or nerf type ball (we used a pig), jerseys to identify teams
Description: Offensive team tries to score as many runs as possible before the defensive team stops them.
Rules:
1. Defensive team is scattered around the entire playing area.
2. One player on the offensive team throws the pig anywhere within the playing area and then immediately begins running around the rest of his/her team that have formed a tight group.
3. Each lap around the group scores a point.
4. The defensive team must get to the pig, form a straight line, and begin passing the pig down the line in a certain method (overhead, between the legs, etc.)
5. When completed, the end person yells, “STOP!” They immediately throw the pig anywhere they like and begin running around their team.
6. Each player may only be at the end of the line once to yell “STOP!” Each player only gets one turn to run around their team.
Dinosaur Tag
You need two blue balls (raptors), one yellow ball (triceratops), two red balls (t-rex), and two green balls (splitters). The blue ball dinosairs are the raptors and need to move in packs. So they have to tag at the same time to freeze someone. The green balls (splitters) can only tag players by throwing the ball. The red balls (T-Rex) can't see people unless they are moving so if someone is not moving they can't tag them. The Yellow ball (Triceratops) are the good dinosaur and can save people who have been tagged.
Rock, Paper, Scissors Champ
Place a series of cones moving down the gym. Each cone will be a different level. All students start at the bottom of your gym and find one partner to play rock, paper, scissors with. The winner gets to move up to the next level. The other person moves down unless they are at the bottom already. They keep moving up and down until someone gets all the way across the gym and becomes the champ.
Turkey Hunter (Pinball Machine)(think human ga ga ball)
Put an entire class around a circle or a rectangle/square in the gym (these are the turkey hunters). Choose 5 or 6 students to act as turkeys. Their job is to move around the circle or rectangle and try not to touch the ball (omnikin ball). They may not leave the playing area. If the ball touches them at any time, they become a turkey hunter around the outside of the circle. You can play until there is only one turkey left standing. Or you can play a continuous game where you tap one of the turkey hunters on the shoulder to take the place of a turkey that goes out. I also played this in teams where I lined up two teams on each side of the rectangle. I marked the last person in each line. Teams entered the ring from one corner and when hit by the ball they exited the ring in the opposite corner. The goal for each team was to get the other teams players out until they got to the last teammate at the end of the line.
Slimer Tag
Place four hula hoops in each corner of the gym. These serve as the ghost holding tanks. Pick 3 to 5 students to be slimers (wearing green jerseys). Pick 2 to 3 students to be ghostbuster (wearing other colored jerseys). Everyone else is a ghost and will have a flag hanging out. Slimers job is to pull the flag of the ghosts. When they pull a flag the ghost has to go to a holding tank and the slimer is going to throw the flag on the ground. The ghostbusters are trying to save the ghosts by finding the flags on the ground and giving them back to the ghosts in the holding tanks. When the ghosts get a flag back, they get to leave the holding tank. Slimers can't tag the ghostbusters. Ghostbusters can only take one flag at a time to a ghost.
10 Second Tag
Pick 3 or 4 students to start in a tagging line on the side of the court. When the game starts, the first person in line becomes the tagger and runs to tag as many people as they can. When a person gets tagged, they go to the end of the tagging line. Every 10 seconds or so, call out "switch" and the current tagger loses their job and the next person in line becomes the new tagger. (in other words there is only one tagger out at a time). Switch often so that the line doesn't get too big and the kids don't have to wait too long.
Secret Agent Tag
Have your entire class close their eyes. You will tap around 3 people on the shoulder one time and they will become the bad guys. You will tap around 4 people on the shoulder and they will become the secret agent. After you have chosen who is going to do each job have students stand up and start the game. Bad guys tag those that are standing and sit them down. Secret Agents tag those sitting down to get them back up. Secret agents can be tagged down just like everyone else. Bad guys job is to get everyone down.
Tic Tac Toe Relay
The game will be played 3 versus 3. Each student will have 1 placement marker (scarf). On go, the first person from each team will run down to the tic tac toe board and place their marker in one of the hula hoops. After they place the marker, they will race back to their line to high five the next student in line. The next student will then place their marker in an open hoop. The goal is to have your team get 3 in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally). If all 3 markers have been played and there is no tic tac toe, the next student in line will run down and move one of their own team markers into an open hula hoop. The next team in line will stand behind the hula hoops and judge the game. After the game is over, the winning team will stay and play again. The judging team will come on to challenge, and the next 3 in line will judge the next game. The game will continue to cycle through. You can have multiple games going at a time!
Tucker's Island
Create a large rectangle with cones or lines (Tucker's Island). Spread bean bags or other items around the island. Choose 4 to 5 people to be Tucker's (taggers). Place three hula hoops on the outside of the island as a jail. On the signal, the students who are on the outside of the island try to sneak on the island to grab a piece of treasure. They bring that treasure to the team bucket. They try to get as much treasure from the island as they can. Treasure can not be thrown at any time. If tagged by a Tucker, the students stands in one of the three hula hoops. When all three hula hoops are full the next person will push the first person out of the hoop and into the game. Should only be three people in jail at a time. Switch Tucker's every three to four minutes. Spread out treasure whenever it is getting light.
Freedom Catch
Create an End Zone on one side of the gym. The end zone is where the tagged players will go. Outside of the end zone place cones or use dots on the floor where students are able to throw to the end zone. Students in the court can pick up a ball and go to the spot/cone to toss to a student in the end zone. If the student in the end zone makes the catch then they get to come back into the field and keep playing. If the taggers are able to get all of the class into the end zone they win. If the players are able to stay alive then they win. There are no safe places to be. Taggers can tag players on the spots/cones just like everywhere else. Change the distance of the spots/cones for the different age of students.