For many elementary school children, time in gym class can become a dreaded experience with all of the physical exertion and frustration that comes with certain lessons. As a gym teacher, give students a break once in a while and let them get some exercise while having a bit of fun by playing some outdoor gym games.
Mother Hen
Begin this game from the website, Work Notes, by picking one player to become the "Mother Hen." Have all of the other players stand on one side of the play area, while Mother Hen stands in the middle. At a random moment, Mother Hen calls out "Come to Mother" to the other players, or chicks. The students all have to race past Mother Hen to make it to the other side of the play field while Mother Hen quickly tries to tag as many players as she can. Any players tagged by Mother Hen must leave the game. Mother Hen continues to call for her chicks until only one player remains. He takes over as the new Mother Hen and the game continues just as before.
Get into the Hoop
Before the game, set up several hula hoops of various colors around the outdoor area, as suggested by the website, Preschool Rainbow . Assemble the hoops into a circle and have the students gather around the outside of the circle. Tell the students to start walking around the hula hoops. At a random moment, give the students an instruction, such as "Put your left hands in the red hoops" or "Get into groups of four in the yellow hoops." Any students who do not follow the instructions or don't do them quickly enough, get eliminated. Make the game harder by giving the students only a few seconds to fulfill commands.
Leap over the Creek
In the play area, lay down two jump ropes parallel to each other with only half a foot separating them, as indicated by the website, Kid Activities. Line the students up single file on one side of these ropes. Say "Go," and the first player in line jumps over the gap between the ropes to make it to the other side. Have the rest of the players in line do the same. Anyone who falls into the "creek" is eliminated. After each round, widen the gap by about six inches. The last player remaining in the game wins. To make the game harder, make pairs hold hands while they jump or set up several "creeks" for the students to jump over.
