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.

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Scroll to next game (Sample Obstacle Course)

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

Equipment List:

• Two sets of Fitdotz
• One dice per player (or could do in pairs)

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.

Scroll to next game (Simon Says)

Fundamental Movement Skills: Locomotor (Balance)

Equipment List:

• Various pieces of balance equipment.
• Rainbow Segmented Squish Steppers
• IntroFit Plyo Boxes
• The Spooner
• Obstacle Course

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?

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:

• This game requires focus, how does that influence when to do what Simon Says? ​
• Variations—Also see:
  • https://www.canadago4sport.com/Leadership/Simon-Says-Do-Previous
  • https://www.canadago4sport.com/Leadership/Simon-Says-Do-Opposite

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. ​
  • Also see:
    • https://www.canadago4sport.com/Leadership/Ying-Yang-You-Slow
    • https://www.canadago4sport.com/Leadership/Ying-Yang-You-Faster
• Question for understanding: ​
  • How can leaders better respond to situations that require quick answers? ​

Scroll to next game (Groove Movement)

• More dances like this available on Everybody Move https://www.gophersport.com/pe/movement/everybody-move?item=6202
• More Dance Samples https://www.pinterest.ca/canadago4sport/dance/
• Gopher Dance Resources https://www.gophersport.com/pe/dance?tg=1

Scroll to next game (Fair and Square)

• More instructions on teaching Groove movement (no wrong ways of doing it) at: https://www.ciraontario.com/product-page/teaching-groove-for-understanding
• More Dance Samples https://www.pinterest.ca/canadago4sport/dance/
• Gopher Dance Resources https://www.gophersport.com/pe/dance?tg=1