Are you looking for group games and camp activities that you can play while social distancing?
Grade level: K-5 Equipment: None Game Description: Hilarious idea for a simple tag game: if a player gets tagged, he must turn over on his back and put arms and legs up in the air like a dead ant on its back. Warm-Up PE Games. Equipment: 2-5 evil red balls. Description: 2-5 people are it, and are given evil red balls. If you get tagged, you lie down and stick.
We are all in the same boat. So here is an attempt to answer to the question: What can we play while social distancing?
The games listed here were chosen because they do not require physical contact or can be easily modified to play while maintaining space between participants and without using shared equipment. Click on the game to go to the how-to-play page.
Games:
Modification: Instead of one ball, place two balls in the middle a few metres apart, one for each team. Instead of competing to score the same ball, the players will compete to score their assigned ball in their own net first to earn a point. Players may only ever touch the ball with their feet.
Here is a school in Quebec that created a giant Snakes and Ladders game on asphalt for the children to play while social distancing:
Circle Games:
The following circle games can be adapted for social distancing by spacing out the circle.
Modification: Choose the Poison Frog by name while the rest of the participants are watching (except the Detective) to avoid tapping heads.
Modification: Only the facilitator is in the middle as the Flinchmaster to avoid multiple players touching the ball. Players cross their legs. The Flinchmaster directs the ball (In a bowling fashion) at their feet. If they move their legs when the ball is not tossed, they are out. If the ball is tossed, they must kick it back to the Flinchmaster.
Gamegita for all made easygame. Feel free to browse the all the other games on the site and invent your own adaptions to suit your needs.
Team Swarm Tag is a simple, fun PE game that is perfect for introducing Chasing and Fleeing components to your students. This game also allows you to focus skills such as Deceiving An Opponent and Trapping An Opponent. It can be played indoors or outdoors.
If you are looking for information on how I use this game in my teaching, be sure to check out the Chasing & Fleeing Games Teacher Pack!
Quick Rules
Flappy bird online. Players get into a scattered formation.
Two players are given a ball each get a pinnie to wear.
These players will start off as IT.
The IT team attempts to tag other players by tagging them with the ball.
An IT players tagging another player must be holding onto the ball at the moment of the tag (they cannot throw the ball at other players).
When in possession of the ball, an IT player’s movement is restricted to pivoting.
IT players may make passes between each other in an attempt to get closer to players they wish to tag.
When a player is tagged, they go get a pinnie and rejoin the game as a member of the IT team.
The teacher may add additional balls to the game that the IT team can use.
The goal of the game, for the non-IT players, is to be the last non-IT player in the game.
The goal of the game, for the IT team, is to tag all of the non-IT players.
Builds
Build One: Avoiding Opponents
Players get into a scattered formation. On the teacher’s signal, all players begin moving about the playing are while avoiding contact with other players. This build exists to help students understand the limits of the game while helping them develop dodging skills.
Build Two: Team Swarm Tag
Players now play the game with the full version of the rules.
Build Three: Additional Movement
The teacher may allow the IT players to: a) take three steps with the ball, or b) move with the ball while dribbling.
Grade Level Outcomes
Fleeing
Chasing
Deceiving The Opponent
Trapping The Opponent
Discussion Questions
Where should you run when an IT player is close?
How can you get close to a non-IT player?
What tactics did you use to trap an elusive non-IT player?
Safety Information
Make sure students keep their head up when running.
Make sure no student throws the ball at another student (tagging must be done while holding onto the ball).
Dead Ant Tagelementary P.e. Games On