After running, jumping and playing, the class was ready to learn.....
Let’s Get our Class Outside and Active!
On days where your students don’t have physical education sessions, take your class outside and energise them with one of these awesome, fun games. They’re designed to be inclusive of all abilities and you can use your discretion to focus purely on ensuring everyone has a go and enjoys it, or adding in a competitive edge.
Whilst laughing and having a ball, your students will be developing coordination, specific physical skills, self-confidence, fine motor control, balance, team work, visual awareness and healthy eating habits, not to mention they’ll be getting the all too valuable exercise growing bodies need every day.
Coming back into the classroom, your students are going to be smiling, invigorated, alert and ready to concentrate on your lesson! Plan which time of the day this will be most useful for you class; straight up in the morning; after morning tea; or in the middle of the last session of the day.
There are over 20 different games that can be played on an oval or an indoor court. There are a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to organise to borrow from your PE teacher, or you can purchase a Captain Active class sports pack, that has everything you’ll need to play.
As with any game, there is a certain level of risk of kids bumping into each other and tripping over. Please use your discretion and judgement to suit your class when planning, explaining and supervising the games
Animal March
» Learn how to play
Move around as a pack or herd, pretending to be different animals
Think of a range of animals that create different movement patterns, like running, lunging, crawling, jumping, waddling, squatting, sliding and wriggling
Tiger – crawling on hands and knees whilst roaring and scratching
Brolga – standing on one leg with your arms out like wings, then taking big long slow strides like you’re walking through a swamp
Kangaroo – jumping around with feet together
Snake – sliding on your stomach
Crab – walking sideways on your hands and feet with your body facing upwards
Ask the students to come up with other animal ideas
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Squid and Octopus
» Learn how to play
Played in a rectangle
All the kids line up at one end and will need to run to the other end, staying inside the side lines
The teacher (or an assigned student/s) is a squid, holding a noodle in both hands and standing in the middle of the rectangle
When the teacher yells go, everyone needs to try and get to the other end whilst avoiding the squid
The squid/s run around trying to touch kids below the waist with their noodle tentacles
Kids that are touched by a squid tentacle need to sit down where they were touched and become an octopus
An octopus waves their arms about trying to touch other kids as they run past, whilst staying seated
If an octopus arm touches someone, then they turn into an octopus also
The game continues with until everyone has turned into an octopus
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Ball Tag
» Learn how to play
Can be played in a circle, square or rectangle
Split the kids into two teams
All players can move around anywhere inside the markers
One team has the ball and passes it between themselves, trying to tag players on the opposition team with the ball
When they have the ball they can’t move, but when they don’t have the ball, they can move around and position themselves next to someone on the opposition team
The team without the ball are moving around, trying not to be tagged with the ball
When tagged, this student needs to either do a lap around the outside of the markers, or run to a point (like a far wall or tree) and back, to then re-enter the game
Give both teams a chance with and without the ball
The game can be made more competitive by those who are tagged by the ball, being out of the game
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Jump the River & Under the Chopper
» Learn how to play
Place two noodles parallel to each other and about 20cm apart
This creates a river that has hungry crocodiles in it
The kids line up and one at a time do a two foot jump from a standing start over the river, then return around to the back of the line
After everyone’s had a go, make the river a little bit wider
If a kid doesn’t make it all the way over the river, then pretend the crocodile eats them
Keep making the river wider until no one is able to jump the river
The game can be made more competitive (if you choose) by eliminating those that miss the jump on two consecutive turns
The game can be altered by placing one noodle on top of the other (horizontally) and the kids need to jump over the fence
If Jump the River finishes quickly (as it often can), follow it up with ‘Under the Chopper’
Whack the two noodles together at about head height
All the kids need to walk under the chopper
Once everyone’s through, the chopper gets lower
Keep making the chopper lower and lower until everyone has to wiggle under on their stomachs or backs
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Run the Gauntlet
» Learn how to play
Played in a rectangle where kids need to run from one end to the other, staying inside the side lines
The teacher stands on one side of the rectangle with 5-10 balls (any size and shape are ok)
When the teacher yells go, everyone needs to run to the other side, dodging balls as the teacher rolls them through the rectangle (you can pretend the balls are big hairy spiders or venomous snakes, as no-one wants to touch these!)
If a student is touched by a ball, they move to the side of the rectangle, in readiness to also roll balls
Ensure the balls are rolled and not thrown or kicked
Students rolling the balls aren’t to go inside the rectangle whilst the other students are running, however, if a ball rolled from one side comes out on the other, they can pick it up and roll it back through
Continue until everyone’s been touched by a ball
Alter the game by splitting the class into two teams, one running and the other rolling balls – see which team can make it through the gauntlet the most number of times without being touched by a ball
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Noodle Hockey
» Learn how to play
An equal number of markers are evenly spaced out every metre to form the sidelines of the playing field
2 goals are placed at the ends of the field (or use different coloured markers that are about 1.5m apart)
1 ball is placed in the middle of the playing field along with 2 pool noodles
Two teams line up on opposite sidelines, with each person standing on a marker
Starting from opposite ends of the playing field, each player is assigned a number from 1 upwards
A number is called out
The player from each team with the corresponding number runs to pick up a pool noodle and uses it to hit the ball through their goal
Players still waiting on the sideline markers stop the ball from going out of play
When a goal is scored, the pool noodles and ball are returned to the middle, ready for the next number to be called
Progress the game by using 2 or 3 balls and more noodles and calling out a group of numbers
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Too Much Lazy Food
» Learn how to play
Place markers on the ground to create a large rectangle or circle
Everyone can move around anywhere inside the markers
The teacher (or assigned student/s) has two pool noodles, which are ‘lazy food sticks’
Those with the lazy food sticks are chasing the others trying to touch them (aiming below their waste)
If someone gets touched by a lazy food stick, it means they’ve been eating too many lazy foods and they run out of energy and fall down onto the ground
They must stay there until someone else runs over to them and calls out an active food that they pretend to give them, such as an apple, carrot, water or yoghurt, then they can get up and start running around again
Continue the game to try and get everyone down on the ground – you may need to add in extra kids with more lazy food sticks
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Fetch
» Learn how to play
The kids are split into two teams and stand together in their group in front of the teacher
A small ring of markers is placed next to each team
The teacher holds up two different balls and assigns which ball each team will need to ‘fetch’
The teacher then explains that everyone in the team needs to touch the ball before it’s returned to their ring of markers
The teacher then throws the balls in any direction and each team has to collect their ball and get it back into their ring of markers as quickly as possible
The first team back wins – play best out of 3 or 5 and see how the teams adapt and improve
Mix it up by throwing the balls in different directions, or saying that the ball needs to be passed, kicked, head butted our bounced to every player on the team before it’s returned
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Bottom, Ball, Log & Frog
» Learn how to play
Using markers, create a course for the kids to move around
Everyone then needs to move through the course in different ways, without walking, such as:
Sitting on your bottom, with legs out straight and arms in the air, then bottom shuffle
Curl up into a ball and roll
Crouch and hop like a frog
Lie on the ground with arms stretched above your head and log roll
Hold your ankles with your hands and waddle like a duck
Crawl and pretend to be a train
Walk on hands and feet being a spider
Spread out your arms and fly like a plane
Mix the game up by including obstacles using noodles, balls or other equipment
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Mirror Monsters
» Learn how to play
Place two lines of parallel markers about 10m apart
All the kids stand along one line, whilst the teacher (or assigned student) stands in the middle of the other line
The teacher does a movement, like lunging, jumping sideways, rolling etc
All the kids need to mirror the teacher’s movements along their line of markers
If the teacher squats down and jumps up, all the kids squat down and jump up
If the teacher takes big steps left, all the kids take big steps in the same direction (right)
When the teacher calls out run, all the kids need to run to the other line of markers
The teacher then pretends to be a monster and catch kids
The kids that are caught then get to be a monster with the teacher and do movements that the kids on the other line need to mirror
Continue the game until there are more monsters than kids
Alternatively, allow each kid to have a turn at being the monster on their own, whether they get caught or not
Mix the game up by pairing the kids up and have them stand on opposite lines facing each other. One line are all monsters and do whatever movements they choose, whilst their partner has to mirror them along the other line. When the teacher calls run, each monster needs to try and catch their partner.
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Scoop Catch
» Learn how to play
Everyone needs a marker and a tennis ball or a plastic cup with a small pom pom in it
Throw the ball up into the air and try to catch it in the marker
Vary the game by:
Throwing the ball higher
Spin around before catching
Clapping as many times as possible before catching
Touch the ground before catching
Throwing it to someone else
Bouncing the ball off a wall
Bouncing the ball of your head
Throwing the ball under your leg
Kicking the ball up
Mix the game up by using a leaf or feather instead of a ball or pom pom or simply using your hands to catch the object
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Shark Net
» Learn how to play
Everyone stands inside a large circle of markers, which is the ocean
The teacher is a shark and all the students are fish
The fish must stay inside the ocean and try to stay away from the shark
If the shark touches someone or if someone runs outside the ocean, they need to join hands with the shark to create a shark net
The shark net then needs to move together to touch other fish
Each time a fish is touched by the shark net, they join the net
The more fish that are touched, the bigger the net gets and the more challenging it is for the net not to break apart and the harder it is for the fish to avoid
Create different shapes and sizes of ocean to make the game slightly different and more challenging
The game can be adapted into a ‘Wolf Pack’
Instead of being a shark, the teacher gets down on all fours and is a wolf
Crawling around, the teacher touches students who then also turn into a wolf, crawling around
The bigger the wolf pack becomes, the harder it is for the prey to escape
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Bound
» Learn how to play
Place 6-8 pool noodles about 30cm apart in a line, so they look like the rungs of a ladder (you could also use markers, hats or leaves)
Everyone lines up behind the first marker and runs placing one foot between each noodle, trying not to touch any of them
Once they get to the end of the noodles, they run around and join the back of the line (if you have a lot of children, make them run further around a tree or post before joining the back of the line)
After the last person has gone through, the teacher moves one of the noodles in the line (though never the first one) and places it any distance they like from the last noodle
Everyone then needs to run through again, placing one foot between each noodle
This process continues until the noodles are spaced apart so that no-one is able to run through them without putting two feet between one of the gaps
This game can be made to be competitive (if you choose) by eliminating students if they aren’t able to make it through successfully on two consecutive turns
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Circle Dodge
» Learn how to play
Use markers to create a circle approximately 10m in diameter
All the kids stand inside the circle
The teacher is on the outside of the circle holding 5-10 balls (sizes and shapes can vary)
The teacher rolls the balls through the circle whilst the kids try to dodge them
If a kid is hit by a ball, they move to the outside of the circle and can join in rolling (not throwing or kicking the balls)
Keep picking up and rolling the balls until there is no-one left inside the circle (ensure kids are outside the circle of markers when they roll their ball)
Alternate the game by splitting the class into two teams
One team is inside the circle and the other outside rolling the balls
When someone in the circle is hit by the ball, they’re out of the game
The teacher times how long it takes each team to eliminate the other team.
Video demo is coming soon!
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Throw/Kick Tennis
» Learn how to play
Markers are placed in a large rectangle (like a tennis court) with a centre line or markers that indicates the net
Split the class into two teams on opposite sides of the net
The teacher stands at the centre line – the height of the imaginary net is over the teacher’s head
Players must throw a ball from their side of the court, over the net, so that it will land inside the opposite side of the court
A player on the other team must catch the ball
Whoever catches the ball, must be the person to throw it back over the net
If the ball is thrown outside the court area, the player that threw it is eliminated
If the ball is thrown below the height of the net, the player that threw it is eliminated
If the ball is dropped, the person that dropped it is eliminated
If the ball lands on the ground inside the court, the person closest to where the ball lands is eliminated
If a player hangs onto the ball too long (they will be issued a warning and a 5 count), they are eliminated
The team to completely eliminate the opposition wins
Mix the game up by incorporating more than one ball, different sized balls, or have them being kicked instead of thrown
Video demo is coming soon!
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Clap Catch
» Learn how to play
The class stands in a large circle around the teacher
The teacher, standing in the middle of the circle, throws a ball to a student
The student must clap before they catch the ball, then throw it back to the teacher
If they don’t clap or if they drop the ball, they need to run to a designated point (tree, post, building etc) and back to re-enter the game
If the teacher pretends to throw the ball (and doesn’t release it) and a student claps, they have to do the run to re-enter
The game can be made competitive (if you choose) by eliminating players and having them sit down instead of doing the run – the last person standing is the winner
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Stuck in the Avo
» Learn how to play
Place markers on the ground to create a large rectangle or circle
Everyone can move around anywhere inside the markers
The teacher (or assigned student/s) has a pool noodle and chases the others trying to touch them (aiming below their waste)
If someone gets touched by a noodle, they’re then stuck in the avocado and need to stand on the spot with their legs apart
They must stay there until someone else runs over to them and crawls between their legs, then they can get up and start running around again
Continue the game to try and get everyone stuck in the avo – you may need to add in extra kids with more lazy food sticks
When you change the person with the noodle, change the type of food you’re getting stuck in, for example, spaghetti, peanut butter or custard
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Knock ‘Em Out
» Learn how to play
Make a large circle of markers that all the class stand on
At least 10 of the students will have a tennis ball
In the middle of the circle, make a small circle of markers about 1m in diameter
Place as many larger balls as you can pile up inside this small circle of markers
When the teacher yells go, students throw their tennis ball from outside the large circle, trying to hit and knock the balls out of the small circle of markers
Staying on the outside of the large circle, students continuously pick up the tennis balls and throw them at the balls remaining in the circle of markers (if they need to go inside the large circle to pick up a tennis ball, they need to be careful not to get hit!)
Continue to throw the tennis balls until all the larger balls have been knocked out or their small circle
Make the game more challenging by saying kids have to throw the tennis ball with their opposite arm or whilst standing on one leg
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Bouncy Ball Bocce
» Learn how to play
Make a line of markers that all the students stand along, side by side
Each student needs a ball of any shape and size
The teacher throws a distinct looking ball out in front of everyone
Taking turns, each student throws their ball, trying to get it to stop as close as they can to the teacher’s designated ball
After everyone has thrown their ball, check to see whose is the closest
Mix the game up by varying the distance the teacher’s ball is thrown or make the kids kick their ball, throw it with their opposite hand, throw it with one eye closed or roll it between their legs
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Rob the Nest
» Learn how to play
Divide the class into 4 equal teams
Place 4 small rings of markers 10-15m apart to create the corners of a large square
Place another small ring of markers in the middle of the square and fill it with as many balls as possible
Each team is assigned a ring of markers and needs to stand behind it
When the teacher yells go, teams need to run and grab a ball from the central ring of markers and return it to their team’s ring
Kids can only take one ball at a time and aren’t allowed to throw them
When there’s no balls left in the middle, they can start collecting balls from other teams’ ring of markers
Students cannot protect the balls in their ring of markers from being taken by other teams
After a couple of minutes of crazy running all over the place, do a final countdown from 10 to finish the game
After the game finishes, balls cannot be added to a team’s ring of markers
The teacher goes around and counts how many balls each team has – the one with the most wins
It can get a little chaotic with so many kids running around, so to make it a little more controlled:
Each time forms a line behind their ring of markers
When the teacher yells go, only the person at the front of the line runs to get a ball
When that person returns to their team’s ring of markers, they go to the back of the line and the next person goes
This way, there will only ever be 4 kids running at one time
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Throw Softball
» Learn how to play
Create a diamond of markers, similar to the bases in softball and baseball, with markers 10-15m apart
Split the class into two teams
One team sits down behind the home plate marker and is the ‘batting’ team
The other team spreads out around the diamond of markers
Make a small ring of markers adjacent to the home plate marker about 5m away
Place 3 balls of any size at the home plate marker
The first ‘batter’ steps up and throws the first, then the second and then the third ball anywhere out towards the diamond
The fielding team is not allowed to move until the last of the three balls is thrown, at which they need to collect all the balls and get them to the small ring of markers as quickly as possible
While this is happening, the batter runs around the diamond of markers as many times as they can
They only stop when the fielding team have all three balls in the small ring of markers
The batting team scores a point for each full lap of the diamond the batter makes
Swap the teams over after everyone’s had a turn as the batter
To incorporate maths into the game, includes quarters, halves and three quarter points into the tally if the batter doesn’t complete a full lap of the diamond
The game can be varied by:
Kicking the balls
Using different types of balls or equipment, such as a frisbee, hacky sack, tennis racquet and ball, rugby league ball or a super bouncy ball
Having all the class fielding and each person gets to bat (instead of having two teams)
Have two or three batters at the same time
Use one ball and have the fielding team pass it to everyone before it’s returned to the small ring of markers
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Skittle ‘Em
» Learn how to play
Push a marker onto the bottom of a noodle, so that it can stand up like a skittle
Make a line of 8-12 skittles that are each about 1m apart
On both sides of the line of skittles, make a parallel line of markers about 10m away
Split the class into two even groups and have them stand on each line of markers facing the line of skittles
5 students on each line should have a ball (any size or shape)
When the teacher yells go, the students throw their ball, trying to knock over the skittles
As the ball rolls across to the other side, students can pick it up and throw it back at the skittles
No-one is to throw a ball from in front of their line of markers (if they are collecting a ball to throw, they need to be careful not to get hit)
Continue until all the skittles have been knocked down
Make it more challenging by moving the lines of markers further away from the skittles, or having the students throw with their opposite arm or whilst covering one eye
Video Demo is Coming Soon!
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Ten Pass
» Learn how to play
This game can be played in a circle, square or rectangle of markers
Split the kids into two teams
All players can move around anywhere inside the markers
One team has the ball and passes it between themselves
The team without the ball are trying to get in between and intercept/knock the ball down whilst it’s in the air (they aren’t allowed to knock it out of someone’s hands)
Everyone can move around inside the markers, including the person with the ball (unlike in the rules of ‘Ball Tag’)
The goal for the team with the ball is to pass it 10 times without it being knocked down
If the ball is knocked down or dropped, it’s a changeover and the other team get the ball
If someone is holding onto the ball for too long, give them a countdown from 5 to pass it, otherwise it’s a changeover
The game can be made more challenging by increasing the area inside the markers, using different sized balls, using multiple balls, increasing the number of passes required or specifying that everyone in the team must receive the ball