6 Great Movement Activities for PE During COVID-19

** This blog is being shared to provide activity ideas for future use. Gopher strongly recommends following your district, state, and CDC guidelines for practicing safe Physical Education during the pandemic.

Follow/Subscribe to John on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or on his website.

1. Exeropoly

Objective: Go around the playing the are the most times possible

Scroll to next game (Sample Obstacle Course)

Fundamental Movement Skills: Non-Locomotor (Jumping Jacks, Pull, Push, Push Up, Up and Down)

g 64015 FitDotzLocomotorSpots 205 1
FitDotz Locomotor Spots

Equipment List:

Setting Up:

  • Set up the Fitdotzs with five on each side of a square, at least one step apart (more if you have more players and want players to run further).
  • All players begin at the same corner. Each player holds a dice.
  • The leader should have some markers (tongue depressors, playing cards…) to give to players each time they pass the beginning.
  • The leader defines the number of times all exercises are done (If the number is 10 all exercises are done 10 times; exercises like running means 10 running steps on the spot).

Instructions:

  • On the leader’s signal to go all players roll their dice and advance that many spaces to the Fitdotz and then complete that exercise the correct number of times.
  • When the exercise is done the player rolls the dice again and moves to the next Fitdotz.
  • When players go past the beginning the pick up a scoring marker–players continue to try and gain the most markers.

Questions & Notes:

  • Instead of using the Fitdotz develop your own exercises related to a unit you are working on.

2. Sample Obstacle Course

Objective: Design and challenge each other to build and complete an obstacle course

Scroll to next game (Simon Says)

Fundamental Movement Skills: Locomotor (Balance)

g 10013 segmentedsquishsteppers model 05 clean
Rainbow Segmented Squish Steppers

Equipment List:

Setting Up:

  • Use various pieces of balance and other equipment to set up your equipment so that players have a start and end line.

Instructions:

  • At the signal to begin the players try to complete the course as quickly as possible.

Questions & Notes:

  • Questions for understanding
    • How does one balance speed and balance?
    • How does it feel to succeed/fail at the course? 
      • What action do these feelings lead to?

3. Simon Says

Objective: To follow what Simon says or move to other side of playing area

Scroll to next game (Ying Yang You Instructions)

Fundamental Movement Skills: Non-locomotor activities

Equipment List:

  • None

Setting Up:

  • Divide the area into two or three.
  • All players begin in area one standing in a scattered formation facing the leader.

Instructions:

  • When Simon says something, the players do the action till Simon Says a new movement.
  • When the leader says, do this (with saying Simon Says) then those players move to the next area, then the next area, then back to the beginning…
  • Players attempt to not move areas.

Questions & Notes:

4. Ying Yang You Instructions

Objective: To successfully stay in the game as long as possible.

Scroll to next game (Dance “Don’t Sit Still”)

Fundamental Movement Skills: Locomotor (Dodge, Run), Manipulative Send (Throw), Manipulative Receive (Block, Catch)

Equipment List:

  • None

Setting Up:

  • Position students in a circle, each one facing the center.
  • Designate a player to start the game.

Instructions:

  • Designate a player to start.
  • Have the starter place one of her hands over her head and point to one of the players beside her (right hand points to the player on the left, left arm points to the player on the right), and shout “Ying.”
  • The player pointed to responds immediately—if he hesitates, he’s out– with one of his hands held waist high point to a player (right arm points to the player on the left, left arm points to the player on the right) and shouts “Yang.”
  • The player that was yanged responds immediately by pointing to someone across the circle and shouting “You.”
  • The player pointed to Yings one of the players on their left or right with a “Ying,” that player follows with a “yang,” and so on.
  • If a player does not respond immediately, does not use the next correct word,  shouts “Ying” without pointing over their head, or shouts “yang” without pointing across their waist, they are out and must sit in the middle of the circle.
  • Another player is assigned to begin and play continues till there is only one player is left

Team which fills their basket first scores a point. Spread the balls out again, and play again…

Questions & Notes:

  • Teaching Tips
    • Start slowly. Once players get the hang of it, speed up the pace. If someone hesitates when it is their turn they are out and sit in the middle. A boisterous ejection call by the teacher, “You’re out of there!” adds intensity and excitement to the game.
  • Variation​
    • Have two or more circles so that when players are out, they simply join another circle. ​
  • Question for understanding: ​
    • How can leaders better respond to situations that require quick answers? ​

5. Dance “Don’t Sit Still”

Objective: Learn to repeat the moves as demonstrated on the video

Scroll to next game (Groove Movement)

6. Groove Movement

Objective: • Explore moving to music through three stages of Body Cue, Brain Cue, and Being Cue. This video shows these stages through on land swimming.

Scroll to next game (Fair and Square)

Bonus Resource: FAIR & SQUARE


Fair & Square is a collection of games and activities that can be played in two by two squares. View book.

FairSquare

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured Resources

Articles

5 Ways Small Sided Games Make a BIG Impact

Author: Jessica Shawley

A Brand New Tool for PE You Didn’t Know You Needed!

Author: Brett Fuller

5 Skill-Based Floor Hockey Games

Author: Michael Beringer

16 Parachute Team Building Activities

Author: Tim Mueller

Motivating Unmotivated Students​

Author: Dr. Robert Pangrazi, Jessica Shawley, and Tim Mueller

Promoting Activity and Success Through Adapted PE

Author: Dr. Robert Pangrazi, Marci Pope and Maria Corte

Bin Ball

Author: Randy Spring

Equipment

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Sign up to receive the latest physical education resources, activities, and more from educational professionals like you straight to your inbox!