Recess Ideas click here***Additional Recess Activity Ideas*** click here Tag Games Grade Levels- K-5 Safety- ·Make sure to set a boundary. ·Make sure students know the correct way to tag. ·Make sure students are watching where they are going and use good body control.
Equipment- None
Super Hero Tag- Pick three students to be Super Heroes and three students to be the Villains. The rest of the class needs to spread out within the boundary you have set. When the game begins, the Villains will run around, trying to tag anyone that is not a Villain or a Super Hero. If a student is tagged, they must freeze with their legs spread open and their hands on their waist. The Super Heroes will run around looking for students that are frozen. The Super Heroes will crawl between the frozen person’s legs to free them. For older students, you may want to take out the Super Heroes so you don’t have students crawling between other children legs and have the person who is tagged do ten push-ups or sit-ups before returning to the game.
Turtle Tag- Pick three or four students to be turtle hunters, the rest of the students are the turtles. Once the game begins, the turtle hunters will try to run around and tag the students. If a student is tagged, they must lay on their back with their legs up in the air. Fellow turtles must come around and touch all four of their turtle legs to get them off their shells and allow them to continue playing. When the game is stopped, any turtles that are still on their back are “cooked” in the turtle soup.
High Five Tag- Pick three of four students to be taggers, the rest of the students need to spread out. Once the game begins, the taggers are going to run around and try to tag the other students. If a student is tagged, they must freeze and balance on one foot until someone comes by and gives them a high five. Once they receive a high five, they are unfrozen and can join the game.
Math Tag- Pick three of four students to be taggers, the rest of the students need to spread out. Once the game begins, the taggers are going to run around and try to tag the other students. If a student is tagged, they must come to you and answer a math question correctly, before returning to the game.
Relay Races Grades Levels- K-5 Safety- ·Make sure to set a start and finish line. ·Make sure students are evenly spaced so there are no collisions
Design endless relays were once students are finish, they continue to perform locomotor skills until everyone if finished. There should be no more than 3 in a line so students are staying active. Relay Races- There is a variety of relay races. A basic relay race is when you break your class into groups of three or four. The object to the game is to perform a sports skill to a cone or boundary and back to their teammates where they hand off the object to the next person in line. Whichever group has all their team members finish first, is the winner.
Running Relay Race- Have students race to cone or boundary and back where they hand off the baton to the next person. You can use a toilet paper roll, rolled up newspaper, or anything else as a baton. Just make sure the baton is soft so if a student falls on it they will not be hurt. Once a student finishes, they go off to the side and do exercises (jumping jacks, push-ups) until the relay is finished.
Movement Relay Race- Same as running relay race but instead of running you have the students, skip, gallop, hop, jump, crab walk, walk backwards, or any other movements. Once a student finishes, they go off to the side and do exercises (jumping jacks, push-ups) until the relay is finished.
Balancing Relay Race- Same as running relay race but students need to balance an object on their heads. You can use a bean bag, or any other object that will stay on a student’s head. If the object falls off during the race, the students must go back and start over again. Once a student finishes, they go off to the side and do exercises (jumping jacks, push-ups) until the relay is finished.
Dribbling Relay Race- This is the same as the running relay race but a ball is added. The Students can dribble a ball (basketball) with their hands to a cone or boundary and back, or dribble a ball (soccer) with their feet to a cone or boundary and back. Once a student finishes, they go off to the side and do exercises (jumping jacks, push-ups) until the relay is finished.
Energizers Grade Levels- K-5 Safety- Make sure students have enough personal space.
Energizer- These games are great to play in the classroom or outside where there is limited space.
Uno- Teachers passes out one UNO card or playing card to each student in the class. Students identify the color or suit on the card, and perform the activity that corresponds to that color or suit for twenty seconds. For example- Blue or Spades- push-ups Red or Diamonds- Sit-ups Yellow or Clubs- Jumping Jacks Green or Hearts- Running in place Once they perform the skill, they pass the card on and identify the next activity. You can make up whatever activities you want them to perform.
Sports Galore- Teacher calls out the following sports skills to mimic: -Shooting a jump shot -Running through tires -Batting a baseball -Serving a tennis ball -Downhill skiing -Spiking a volleyball -Swinging a volleyball -Throwing a football -Juggling a soccer ball -Shooting an arrow -Shooting a hockey puck -Swimming underwater -Dunking a basketball -Or any other sports skill Students do each skill for thirty seconds.
As if (K-2) Teacher reads sentences to class: -Jog in place as if a big scary bear is chasing you -Walk forward as if you’re walking through chocolate pudding. -Jump in place as if you are popcorn popping. -Reach up and grab balloons out of the air. -March in place and play drums as if you are in a marching band. -Paint as if a paint brush is attached to you head. -Swim as if you are in a giant pool of Jell-O. -Move your feet as if you are ice skating. -Shake your body as if you are a wet dog. Students act out each sentence for thirty seconds.
On the Farm (K-2) Teacher will call out various farm animals. -Pig -Cow -Chicken -Horse -Rooster -Sheep -Dogs -Students will mimic the farm animal (sounds and movements) until teacher or student helper calls out a new farm animal.
Travel the Tarheel State- Teacher leads the class on a virtual tour of North Carolina. Students move according to the actions listed below. -Hike the Appalachian Trail -Climb to the top of Mount Mitchell -Whitewater raft on the Nantahala River -Fish the Outer banks -Shoot a basket in the Dean Dome -Go swimming in the Atlantic Ocean -Fly a kite at Kitty Hawk -March like a soldier around Fort Bragg -Drive a racecar around Lowes Motor Speedway -Do a touchdown dance like the Carolina Panthers -Climb to the top of Cape Hatterus Lighthouse -Add your own
Various Games Grade Levels- K-5 Safety- ·Make sure you set a boundary ·Make sure students keep their personal space when playing games.
Ship to Shore- This game is similar to “Simon Says” but this game has running involved. Find two lines opposite from each other on the black top and give each line a name. One can be called “ship,” one can be called “shore.” The teacher will call out commands. There are three non-moving commands: Salute, Attention, and Anchors Away. When the teacher calls out “Salute” students need to bring their right hand to their forehead. When the teacher calls out “Attention” students need to stand up straight with their arms at their sides. When the teacher calls out “Anchors Away”, every student needs to drop to one knee. There are also two moving commands. When the teacher calls out “ship” or “shore” students must run to the line that has been designated that name. If a student makes a mistake by doing the wrong direction, or running to the wrong line, then need to go to the side and do an activity to get back into the game (push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, or run a lap)
Four Squares- The teacher needs to chalk a 4 squares court and this game needs one playground ball to play. The court needs to be numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. Four students stand outside the squares on the corner. The server (1) starts the game by bouncing the ball once and then taps the ball with one or both hands into other players square. The receiving player must tap the ball into someone else’s square before the ball bounces twice. This continues until there is a fault. A fault occurs when a players taps the ball outside a square, catches a ball, taps it after it bounces twice, or hitting the ball into their own personal space. Whichever player makes a fault moves to square 4 while the other players move up to the next square if unoccupied. The object of the game is to reach square 1 and be the server.
Man in the Middle- Children need to form groups of three. Each group needs one ball. One person goes into the middle while the others spread out about twenty yards. The two end players attempt to throw the ball back and forth without the middle person stealing the ball. If the end players lose control of the ball, has it block, the ball touches the ground, or the ball is stolen, the end player who had touched the ball last goes to the middle and the middle student take their place.
Balancing Game- Have students pair up. The teacher needs to call out three or four body parts. Students take turns trying to balance on only the body parts that have been called out. For example: Easy -head, one hand, one elbow, one foot -two elbows, one knee, one foot Hard -head, two knees -one hand, one foot Have a partner help the student balance by “spotting” or reminding which body parts to use.