Star Wars Throwing Game and Relay Races

This week we practiced throwing (underhand and overhand), and did some relay races in preparation

for field day.  Star Wars is a great game to practice THROWING.   Below are some youtube videos describing how I play Star Wars with K-2nd and how I play with 3rd-5th. 

This is how they look when finishing a relay - SMILES!

I also taught a variety of relay races for K-2nd grades.  I explained that TEAMWORK is the most important part of a relay - cheer for teammates and encourage them to do their best.  I reward teams with a POINT if they sit down in a nice straight line with hands in their lap when the relay is all done.  I give them TWO POINTS if the whole team is sitting with a smile on their face!  This helps very much with management - after each race, the teams are all ready to listen to the directions of the next race and no time is wasted trying to quiet the class.  I hold a clipboard and show the points (tally marks) for each team. 

These are the relays I taught this week:
1)  Basic - run around the cone and back. (We also added a hurdle the second time).
2)  Money Run - each team had a bucket of pretend money (laminated money from the dollar store).  Players took turns running to the bucket to get 1 dollar at a time.  They kept taking turns until the money was gone.
3)  Bean Bag Balance - balanced a bean bag on a foam hockey stick (short stick that we use for scooter hockey)  This is similar to the egg and spoon relay.  However, if the beanbag falls I do NOT make the student start all over - instead they stop and do 10 exercises, then pick up the beanbag and finish.
4)  Chicken Walk - We used rubber chickens and put them between our knees.  We said "knees - squeeze" and they had to walk around a cone and back.  If the chicken fell, they had to stop and do 10 exercises then continue.
5)  Puzzle Relay - Each team had to complete a 24 piece puzzle.  I put all of the team's puzzle pieces in a bucket.  They took turns running to the bucket, get ONE piece, then run back.  They took several turns to collect the pieces then when all the pieces were collected the last person ran to collect their box (with the picture of the puzzle on it).  Then the team completed the puzzle together.

This video describes all of the relays I taught this week:

These videos describe the game STAR WARS  (K-2nd version)

These videos describe the game STAR WARS  (3rd-5th version)

STAR WARS Throwing Game in Action:

Set up for K-2 Star Wars Game

Set up for K-2 Star Wars Game

The scooter "rocket" is helping give the balls back to the players because players can not go inside the cone area.

We used three scooter "rockets" to help get the balls that didn't make it into the spaceship.  Astronauts were inside the big spaceship throwing balls back out.

3rd-5th grade classes have a different set up that is more challenging.  We divided into 4 teams and put the ships in the corners of the gym.

3rd-5th set up spaceships in the corners of the gym.

Please check out my other links: 
My Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Carly3 
My Webpage: http://carlyspegames.weebly.com/ 
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/carly3ify 
My Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/carlyglanzman/carlys-pe-games/

Sink the Ship - Fun game for P.E. and Pinball Bowling Game

This week my students played Pinball and Sink the Ship.  Both games are a great way to practice rolling a ball, catching, throwing and teamwork.

See pics and videos below!  Click here for printable directions for Sink the Ship.

Here is a video to explain the game Sink the Ship from pecentral.org

This is our agenda which includes the rules of Sink the Ship.

The RED ship is demonstrating how to FREEZE when I blow the whistle.  The ships that freeze the quickest are rewarded a point on the board.  The kids on scooters are the "lifeboats". There job is to retrieve balls and bring them to their ship.

This team is demonstrating how to freeze quickly when I blow the whistle.

This 5th grader is volunteering his recess time to come play with the Kindergarten students.  Players may guard the bowling pins and step off the ship with ONE foot.  Players who are guarding pins must stay standing up - no sitting or kneeling on the ship.

The green ship has a green "lifeboat" who is doing a great job retrieving balls for her team.

This is the "penalty" for ships who sink or kids who step off of their ship with both feet - The crew from the ship goes to the "bottom of the ocean" (cone) and performs 10 exercises.  Then they are able to return to the game and set their pins back up.

The yellow ship is demonstrating how we BEGIN the game with a ball between their feet.  Teams who are ready quickly are rewarded with a point.

Starting the game with a ball between each player's feet.

This student is doing the splits, trying to reach a ball!  She knows to keep one foot on her ship!

The rest of the pictures are of the game Pinball.  Click here for printable directions.

This year I used the volleyball net at a low level to teach K-2 students how to stay on their side of the gym and roll balls UNDER the net to knock down the other team's pins.

Each team had 10 bowling pins set up on their endline.

This student is demonstrating that you can NOT stand in the "no guarding zone" which is between the yellow line and pins.  The whole team has to stay in front of the yellow line to guard the pins.

Please check out my other links: My Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Carly3 
My Webpage: http://carlyspegames.weebly.com/ 
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/carly3ify 
My Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/carlyglanzman/carlys-pe-games/

Dodgeball and Dr. Mario

This week my students played Dodgeball (3rd-5th grades) and Dr. Mario (K-2nd grade).  Click here if you would like printable directions of Dr. Mario.  Dr. Mario is a modified Dodgeball game where players "get sick" if they are hit on the feet or legs with a "germ ball".  The "doctor" can help sick players by giving them pretend "medicine". 

Both of these games are a great way for students to practice a variety of skills including running, dodging, rolling, throwing, and catching. 

The students really enjoyed both games!  Below is a video of Dodgeball - please notice how players who are OUT do not sit or stand on the sideline.  Instead, players who are OUT must walk or jog on the sideline from cone to cone.  We played 3-4 minute games.  When the time was up, we started a new round and all players were able to come back into the game.  Please see the picture below for a list of rules of the game. 

Here is a list of rules I used for Dodgeball.  Note - we used foam balls for this activity, not the old fashion rubber balls!

Players who were OUT walked or jogged from the red cone to the orange cone - no sitting in my gym!

 

 

This game is Dr. Mario. I decided to use the volleyball net at a low height to help teach students how to ROLL the balls under the net- not throw them.  It worked like a charm!

Kindergarten - The doctor is on the blue scooter.  The piece of noodle is the pretend medicine.  The doctor helps players who are sick by touching them with the medicine.  We called the scooter the "ambulance".

Dr. Mario - the doctor is giving the "sick" player the medicine so he can stand up again and play.

Dr. Mario is scooting around helping players who are "sick" (players who got hit with a germ ball).

Please check out my other links:
My Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Carly3
My Webpage: http://carlyspegames.weebly.com/
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/carly3ify 
My Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/carlyglanzman/carlys-pe-games/

Batting Practice for K-5th grade students - Elementary Physical Education

This week my K-5th graders participated in BATTING PRACTICE.  Students worked in groups of 3.   The jobs were 1) Catcher 2)Batter 3) Fielder and/or Pitcher.  Students kept their same position for about 4-5 minutes, then we rotated.   K-2nd grade students hit the ball off of a tee or a large cone (see pictures below).  3rd-5th grade students had the option to use the tee, but most chose to have the ball pitched to them by another student.  We used wiffle ball bats and small rhinoskin balls.  They really enjoyed this activity!   Here is a link to how I set up batting "cages" when I was teaching in a smaller gym.

A note to my fellow PE teachers - See pictures below for special notes regarding lesson details and organizing students into groups.

My white board - It took me about 3-4 minutes to explain the activity and teach the "batting basics".  Before I began teaching, I told the kids I would select the best listeners to choose their partners first.  This strategy works great!

4th graders - The pitcher also serves as the fielder.  The batter is showing proper form and the catcher is standing back by the bleachers.

Add caption

Add caption

This is Kindergarten - I used the TALL CONES as tees.  The STAR poly spots were a lifesaver - I definitely recommend marking a spot for the fielder to stand for K-2nd graders.  It really helped so everyone knew where to go. 

Kindergarten student is being a fielder - he stands on the blue star waiting for the batter to hit the ball.

Please check out my other links:
My Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Carly3 
My Webpage: http://carlyspegames.weebly.com/ 
My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/carly3ify
My Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/carlyglanzman/carlys-pe-games/