This is a bank of activity ideas that embed life skills learning into academic content. These practices can be documented in unit guides, lesson plans, etc. On this page, they are organized under the MN life skills benchmarks for this grade band.
Assign different emotions to specific movements or exercises. For example, explain that jumping jacks represent "excitement" or running represents "joy." During physical activities, encourage students to express the assigned emotion through their movements. Ask them to verbalize the emotions they are portraying, using more complex vocabulary. This activity helps students connect physical activity with emotional expression and expands their emotional vocabulary.
Set up stations around the gym or outdoor space, each representing a different emotion. Each station can have corresponding prompts or pictures to evoke that specific emotion, such as a station labeled "anger" with prompts like "What makes you angry?" or "How does your body feel when you are angry?" Encourage students to rotate through the stations, reflect on the prompts, and use complex vocabulary to communicate their emotional responses.
After engaging in physical activities or games, facilitate a reflection session. Provide students with reflective prompts such as, "How intense was your excitement during the game?", "What caused your frustration to increase or decrease?", or "Describe a time when your emotions were at a high intensity and how it affected your performance." Encourage students to share their experiences and use comparative language to distinguish between different levels of emotional intensity.
Incorporate mindfulness exercises or yoga-based activities into the physical education class. Before or after the activities, engage students in a brief discussion about how their thoughts and emotions can affect their physical sensations and vice versa. Guide them in recognizing the mind-body connection by asking questions such as, "How did focusing on your breath change your emotions?" or "How did stretching and relaxing your body impact your thoughts?" Encourage students to make connections between their thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences.
During physical education activities, provide students with thought balloons (cutouts or drawings of thought bubbles). Instruct them to write or draw their thoughts inside the balloons as they participate. After the activity, have students share their thought balloons and discuss how their thoughts influenced their emotions and behaviors during the activity. This activity helps students visualize the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Provide students with a large blank sheet of paper or a whiteboard divided into sections representing different emotions. Discuss various emotions with the class and ask students to physically demonstrate how they would respond to each emotion. Guide them in drawing or writing down their physical responses in the corresponding sections of the emotion map. Once completed, students can share their maps with the class, describing their physical responses to different emotions and discussing similarities and differences among their peers.
Assign students a reflective writing activity where they identify and describe their personal strengths and assets that contribute to their success as members of their school and community. Encourage them to think about their physical abilities, such as being fast, flexible, strong, or coordinated. Additionally, prompt them to consider their personal qualities, such as being a good team player, showing leadership skills, being determined, or being empathetic. Provide guiding questions to help students explore their strengths and assets and allow them to share and discuss their reflections with their peers.
Organize a physical education talent show where students can showcase their individual skills and talents. Provide a platform for students to demonstrate activities they excel in, such as dance routines, gymnastics moves, basketball tricks, or creative exercises they have developed. Encourage students to think creatively and express themselves through their talents. This can also inspire other students to discover and pursue their own unique skills.
Set up skill exploration stations in the physical education class where students can try out different activities and sports. Provide a variety of equipment and resources for activities such as basketball, soccer, gymnastics, dance, martial arts, or yoga. Encourage students to rotate through the stations and explore activities that interest them. Facilitate discussions afterward, allowing students to reflect on their experiences and identify activities they would like to further develop their skills and talents in.
Familiarize students with the physical education equipment and facilities available at their school. Teach them how to properly use the equipment and encourage them to explore different activities during free play or designated practice times. Show students how they can access and utilize these resources outside of regular physical education classes, such as during recess or after-school programs.
Engage students in a discussion about the importance of safety and respect in physical education class. Together as a class, create a set of rules that prioritize the well-being and respect of all participants. Discuss why each rule is important and how it contributes to a safe and inclusive environment. Encourage students to take ownership of the rules and remind them of their role in upholding them.
Provide students with a visual tool, such as a consequence map or decision tree, that helps them analyze the potential outcomes of different choices. Before engaging in an activity, ask students to consider possible choices they might make and the corresponding positive or negative consequences associated with each choice. Encourage students to discuss their thoughts with a partner or small group and create their consequence maps. This activity helps students develop foresight and decision-making skills while understanding the connection between their choices and the outcomes.
Engage students in a class discussion about personal responsibility and its importance in physical education. Ask students to brainstorm and identify different areas where they have personal responsibility, such as being prepared for class, following safety guidelines, demonstrating good sportsmanship, and taking care of equipment. Encourage students to share their thoughts and ideas, and guide the discussion to highlight the connection between personal responsibility and creating a positive and safe learning environment.
Create a personal responsibility chart that includes different aspects of physical education, such as attendance, participation, sportsmanship, and following rules. Display the chart in the classroom and provide each student with a copy. Throughout the school year, encourage students to self-assess their personal responsibility in each area and track their progress by marking their achievements or areas for improvement. This visual tool helps students become aware of their personal responsibilities and fosters a sense of accountability.
Organize role-play activities where students can demonstrate the benefits of personal responsibility in physical education. Assign different roles to students, such as responsible team captain, responsible equipment manager, or responsible group leader. Have students act out scenarios that showcase how being responsible contributes to the success of the team or group. After each role-play activity, facilitate a class discussion to reflect on the demonstrated benefits and encourage students to share their observations.
Begin each physical education class with a short mindfulness or breathing exercise to help students calm down and focus their attention. Teach them various techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided visualization. Discuss how these techniques can be used during moments of frustration, anger, or stress to manage their emotions and behaviors effectively.
Begin each physical education class with a brief emotional check-in activity. Ask students to identify and express their current emotions using I-statements. For example, they can say, "I feel excited because we're going to play my favorite game today." Encourage students to share their emotions in a respectful and supportive environment, promoting constructive expression.
Teach students about the mind-body connection by explaining how emotions, thoughts, and stress can impact physical sensations and performance. Engage students in activities that demonstrate these connections, such as guided mindfulness exercises or simple yoga poses. During or after the activities, have students reflect on their physical sensations and discuss how their emotions, thoughts, impulses, or stress influenced their bodies.
Set up an obstacle course in the gym or outdoor area that includes various physical challenges. Instruct students to navigate through the course individually or in teams. Encourage them to persevere and adapt their strategies when facing obstacles or difficulties. After the activity, facilitate a discussion where students share their experiences, highlighting instances where they demonstrated perseverance to overcome challenges.
Engage students in team building activities that require collaboration and problem-solving. For example, divide students into groups and provide them with a challenge, such as building a human pyramid or crossing a simulated "river" using limited materials. Encourage students to work together, adapt their strategies, and persevere in order to accomplish the task. Afterward, facilitate a reflection where students discuss the obstacles they faced and how they overcame them.
Engage students in discussions about sportsmanship and ethical behavior in sports and physical activities. Explore topics such as fair play, honesty, respect for opponents and teammates, and following rules. Encourage students to analyze how their own ethical values align with these principles and how their behavior reflects those values. Discuss real-life examples of ethical dilemmas in sports and ask students to reflect on how they would respond in similar situations.
Lead a discussion with students about setting goals related to physical fitness, such as increasing the number of push-ups or running a faster mile time. Students can also discuss personal goals related to their social and emotional well-being, such as developing better relationships with friends or practicing mindfulness techniques.
Introduce students to simple data collection methods to monitor their progress. For example, they can track the number of laps they run, the time it takes to complete a fitness circuit, or the number of successful basketball shots over a period of time.
Guide students in recording their data and creating visual representations such as charts, graphs, or progress posters. Help them analyze the data and identify trends or patterns that indicate progress or areas needing improvement.
Engage students in discussions about their data, encouraging them to make connections between their efforts, strategies, and the outcomes they observe. Discuss how monitoring progress can help them stay motivated and make adjustments to their actions.
Designate regular practice sessions within physical education classes where students can dedicate time to work on their goals. Provide guidance on effective practice techniques and encourage students to set specific practice targets for each session.
Incorporate warm-up activities or drills that focus on the skills or movements relevant to students' goals. Scaffold the activities to gradually increase difficulty as students make progress.
Encourage students to self-monitor their performance during practice sessions. Prompt them to reflect on their strengths, areas for improvement, and strategies they can implement to overcome challenges.
Lead a discussion on the importance of having resources to achieve goals, such as support from family and friends or access to fitness equipment. Students can identify potential obstacles they may face in achieving their goals and brainstorm ways to overcome them.
Promote peer collaboration and teamwork by assigning students to work in pairs or small groups. Encourage them to share their goals and obstacles they face in achieving them. Instruct students to brainstorm and discuss potential solutions to overcome these obstacles. Encourage them to consider how their combined resources and strengths can be utilized to support each other in meeting their goals.
Set up feedback stations with different exercises or skills for students to rotate through. Assign each station a specific role, such as performer, observer, and feedback provider. Instruct students to rotate roles after a certain amount of time or repetitions. Guide students in providing constructive feedback based on the predetermined criteria for each station. Encourage students to actively engage in the feedback process by asking questions, seeking clarification, and incorporating feedback into their performance.
Facilitate group discussions where students can provide feedback to their peers in a collaborative and supportive environment. Assign specific topics or questions related to their performance, progress, or strategies for improvement. Encourage students to actively listen to their peers' feedback and provide thoughtful responses. Foster a positive and respectful atmosphere where students can learn from each other and engage in meaningful discussions.
Lead a discussion on how our behavior can affect the emotions of those around us, particularly in group activities like team sports. Students can reflect on times when their behavior may have had a negative impact on others' emotions and brainstorm ways to be more considerate in the future.
Students can participate in activities that promote teamwork and collaboration, such as group games or partner workouts. You can emphasize the importance of respecting others' perspectives and encourage students to listen actively to their classmates.
Pair up students and instruct them to observe their partner's behavior during physical education activities. Encourage students to pay attention to verbal cues (tone of voice, choice of words), physical cues (facial expressions, body posture), and situational cues (environment, context) that indicate how their partner may be feeling. After the observation period, facilitate a discussion where students share their observations and discuss their interpretations of their partner's emotions. Guide students to recognize the significance of different cues in understanding others' feelings.
Assign each student the task of selecting a personal quality or skill they admire in someone else in the class or in a famous athlete. Provide materials for students to create a visual representation or poster showcasing that personal quality. Allow students to present their posters to the class, explaining why they chose that particular quality and the benefits it brings. Encourage open discussions about the importance of embracing individual strengths and the value of diversity in achieving group goals.
During team-based games or group activities, conflicts or differences of opinions may arise. You can use these situations as opportunities to teach students how to communicate effectively, listen actively, compromise, and find solutions that benefit everyone. You can model and encourage positive conflict resolution strategies, such as brainstorming, taking turns, apologizing, forgiving, and seeking help from adults when necessary.
Introduce different physical activities and sports that have cultural origins or influences, such as yoga, tai chi, capoeira, or basketball. You can then lead a discussion about the history and traditions behind these activities and how they have been adapted or adopted by different communities around the world.
Facilitate a class discussion about stereotypes and ask students to share their understanding of what stereotypes are. Provide examples of common stereotypes related to physical abilities, gender, or race, and discuss their impact on individuals. Encourage students to reflect on personal experiences with stereotypes and how they can be harmful and unfair. Engage students in brainstorming ways to challenge and break down stereotypes in physical education and sports.
Discuss the importance of access to sports equipment for all children and the potential barriers some students may face in participating in physical activities. Collaboratively identify a social need of collecting and distributing sports equipment to those in need, either within the school or the broader community. Organize a sports equipment drive where students bring gently used or new sports equipment to donate. Work together to sort, clean, and organize the collected equipment for distribution.
After the group project is completed, you can ask each student to reflect on their experience and write a short essay or make a presentation about what they learned about themselves and their peers. You can encourage students to think about their strengths and weaknesses, their values and beliefs, their communication and leadership skills, and their ability to make a positive impact on their community.
Engage students in a discussion about the importance of taking care of the physical education equipment and maintaining an organized space. Collaboratively identify tasks that contribute to the overall organization and cleanliness of the physical education area, such as inspecting equipment for damage, organizing storage areas, or cleaning exercise mats and equipment. Divide students into small groups and assign rotating responsibilities for specific tasks. Provide guidance and instructions on how to perform each task safely and effectively.
Students could discuss and identify positive peer and adult role models in sports and physical activity. This could include professional athletes who demonstrate hard work, dedication, and positive sportsmanship.
Invite a guest speaker, such as a high school athlete, to share their experiences and discuss the qualities that make them a positive role model. Prior to the visit, engage students in a discussion about positive role models and the qualities they possess. During the visit, encourage students to actively listen and take notes on the speaker's experiences, achievements, and the qualities they exhibit. After the visit, facilitate a class discussion where students can reflect on the qualities they observed in the guest speaker and how those qualities align with being a positive role model. Encourage students to think about how they can incorporate those qualities into their own lives and physical education practices.
Engage students in a discussion about recognizing their own limits and knowing when they need support during physical activities. Provide examples of different situations where students may need support, such as when attempting a new skill, participating in a challenging activity, or when feeling overwhelmed or fatigued. Encourage students to reflect on their own experiences and identify instances where they have needed support in the past. Discuss the importance of asking for help or seeking support from peers, teachers, or coaches when necessary, emphasizing that it is a sign of strength rather than weakness.
Students could discuss the different ways that family members, peers, school personnel, and community members can support physical activity and healthy behavior. This could include providing encouragement and positive reinforcement, helping to plan and participate in physical activities, or volunteering time and resources to promote health and wellness in the community.
Engage students in group activities that require cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork. After completing the activities, facilitate a class discussion where students reflect on their experiences and discuss how being part of a group affected their emotions, attitudes, and behaviors. Guide the discussion to help students recognize the differences between individual behavior and group behavior, such as the influence of peer pressure, the impact of collective goals, and the sense of belonging within a group.
Select video clips or images that depict different physical activities or sports. Show the media clips to the students and guide them in analyzing the facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice of the individuals shown. Facilitate a class discussion where students discuss how these non-verbal cues impacted the interactions between individuals and the overall atmosphere of the activity.
Begin each physical education class with a designated "peer feedback warm-up" session. Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a specific exercise or activity to perform. After completing the warm-up, instruct students to provide feedback to their group members, emphasizing positive aspects and offering suggestions for improvement. Rotate the roles of the feedback giver and receiver within the groups, ensuring everyone gets the opportunity to provide and receive feedback.
Create communication challenges or games that require students to practice attentive listening. For example, divide the class into teams and provide each team with a set of instructions for a group activity. Instruct the teams to listen carefully to the instructions and work together to complete the activity correctly. After the activity, facilitate a discussion on the importance of attentive listening in effective communication and problem-solving.
Organize cooperative games or activities that require students to work together as a team. Emphasize the importance of positive behaviors such as encouragement, cooperation, and active participation. After each game, facilitate a discussion on how the demonstrated behaviors contributed to positive relationships within the team.
Organize cooperative partner activities where students are paired with different classmates each time. Encourage students to interact and work together with their partners, emphasizing the value of getting to know and appreciate different individuals. Facilitate discussions about the unique strengths and qualities each partner brings to the activity, highlighting the value of diverse friendships.
Invite a referee or coach to visit the physical education class. Have the referee or coach demonstrate their role in resolving disagreements and conflicts during sports or physical activities. Engage the students in a discussion about the role of referees and coaches in maintaining fairness and resolving conflicts. Encourage the students to ask questions and seek advice on how they can appropriately seek assistance when faced with disagreements.
Incorporate team-building activities into your physical education lessons where students must work together to achieve a common goal. For example, you can set up an obstacle course where students need to navigate through various challenges by cooperating and communicating effectively. Emphasize the importance of collaboration, listening to others' ideas, and working together to accomplish the task.
Introduce group challenges that require students to collaborate and problem-solve as a team. For instance, you can assign small groups of students different fitness challenges or sports-related tasks that they need to complete together. Encourage them to allocate roles, communicate strategies, and support each other throughout the process.
Provide opportunities for students to take on the role of peer teachers. Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a specific skill or exercise to master. Each group can then teach their assigned skill to the rest of the class. This activity promotes cooperation, shared learning, and reinforces the idea of working toward group learning goals.
Integrate cooperative games into your physical education curriculum. These games require students to work together, strategize, and communicate effectively to achieve a common objective. Examples include parachute games, relay races, or cooperative tag games. Emphasize the importance of teamwork, active participation from all group members, and celebrating collective achievements.
Engage students in cooperative games and group activities that highlight positive peer pressure. For example: Relay races where students cheer for and motivate their teammates or group challenges where students must work together to achieve a common goal, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration.
Facilitate class discussions that emphasize the importance of sportsmanship and fair play. For example, you could ask the students to play a game that requires them to follow rules and respect their opponents. You could then facilitate a discussion about how conflicts arise during games and how they can be resolved through communication and compromise.
Have students discuss the different perspectives of different players in a game. For example, you could have students discuss the different perspectives of the offense, the defense, and the referee in a game of basketball.
When students have disagreements about who gets to use equipment or who is on which team, facilitate a discussion on how to solve these conflicts in a way that meets the needs of all involved parties. Students could brainstorm and share potential solutions, such as taking turns, compromising, or finding a new activity that everyone enjoys.
During fitness challenges or obstacle courses, emphasize the importance of effective communication using I-statements. Encourage students to express their needs or concerns using I-statements. For instance, if a student is struggling to complete a task, they can say, "I need help with this part because I'm having trouble balancing," or "I'm feeling tired, and I need a short break to catch my breath."
In cooperative games or group activities, teach students how to address conflicts or disagreements using I-statements. For example, if students are working together to solve a problem but have different opinions, they can state their viewpoints using I-statements like, "I think we should try this strategy because it might work better," or "I feel like my idea is being ignored, and I would like a chance to explain it."
Teach students about the importance of sportsmanship and fair play by discussing the concept of intent versus impact. Explain that our intentions may not always match the impact our actions have on others. For example, if a student accidentally knocks down another player during a game, their intent may not have been to hurt them, but the impact of their action may have caused physical or emotional harm. Discuss how we can be mindful of our actions and considerate of how they might affect others.
During physical education lessons, regularly remind students about the importance of adhering to safety norms and rules. Take the opportunity to discuss specific safety concerns that may arise during different activities. For example, you can talk about the significance of proper warm-up exercises to prevent injuries or the importance of maintaining appropriate spacing and awareness of others during group games. Facilitate class discussions on how these rules contribute to a safe and inclusive environment.
Teach students about the impact of certain decisions and choices on their overall health and well-being. Discuss topics such as nutrition, hydration, sleep, and active lifestyle choices. Help students understand how making healthy choices in the short term can lead to long-term benefits. For example, discuss how staying hydrated during physical activities can improve performance and prevent fatigue, or how getting enough sleep can support physical recovery and mental focus.
Present students with hypothetical scenarios related to physical activities or sports and ask them to identify the positive and negative consequences of certain decisions. For example, you could describe a situation where a student chooses not to warm up properly before engaging in vigorous physical activity. Ask students to discuss and identify the potential positive consequences of warming up (such as injury prevention and improved performance) and the negative consequences of skipping the warm-up (such as increased risk of injury or reduced performance).
Present students with physical education-related problems or challenges that require critical thinking and decision-making skills. For instance, provide a scenario where students need to decide how to modify a game or activity to include a student with a physical disability. Encourage students to brainstorm creative solutions and consider the potential impact of their decisions on the inclusion and participation of all students.
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a debate topic related to physical education decisions. Topics could include issues like the benefits and drawbacks of team sports versus individual sports, the importance of warming up before physical activities, or the use of protective gear during certain sports. Encourage students to research and present arguments for their assigned position, fostering critical thinking and understanding the different perspectives related to these decisions.
Assign small groups of students a physical education challenge or problem that requires them to work together to generate alternative solutions. For example, challenge them to create a new game that promotes teamwork and incorporates different physical skills. Encourage groups to discuss and explore various ideas, consider different perspectives, and think outside the box. Facilitate a group discussion where each group presents their alternative solutions and highlights the unique features of their game.
Engage students in consequence analysis activities related to physical education decisions. Provide scenarios or case studies where students need to evaluate the potential outcomes of different solutions or decisions. For example, present a scenario where students need to choose the equipment and rules for a new game. Have them assess the consequences of different options, such as safety risks, skill development, inclusivity, and enjoyment. Encourage students to discuss and justify their assessments, considering the perspectives of different stakeholders.
Encourage students to reflect on the decisions they made during physical education activities and evaluate the outcomes. For instance, prompt them to consider the consequences of choosing certain strategies, modifying rules, or adjusting their effort level. Encourage students to analyze the impact of their decisions on the overall outcome of the activity and reflect on whether alternative choices could have led to different results.
