Active Stories are fun, entertaining and can be a unique way to get a large group moving. If in a large space, allow for greater freedom of movement, however, if you are in a classroom or in a smaller space, movements on the spot always work! Click the button below to find several Stories in Motion, courtesy of the Iowa Education Department:
December Newsletter 2018
Winter Bowling
Equipment: 10 Water bottles (fill with snow), small ball
Directions: Bottles are arranged in the ten-pin formation on a hard surface. One player rolls at the pins, another replaces them as they are knocked over and calls the score. Change roles after each turn.
Variations:
Toss the Bird
Equipment: Knotted towel or soft ball
Directions: This is a tag game with a twist. The “bird” can be a knotted towel or some other soft object suitable for throwing. You can have as many as you think are necessary. The point is that you can’t be tagged if you are holding a bird. People can toss the bird(s) to each other to help “protect” each other from being caught. Obviously, you will want to have fewer birds than you have people who are being chased. More than one person can be “it.”
November Newsletter 2018
Keep Moving
Equipment: Plastic bags or scarves
How to Play: Have each student get a plastic grocery bag as they enter class. Then have them find a partner and a safe space in the playing area. They are to stand facing their partner approximately 5 feet form each other. On the teachers signal, both partners toss their bag into the air by throwing the bags into the air using both handles. Their job is to move in a predetermined way (i.e. jog on the spot, do a jumping jack etc.) by their teacher and catch each other’s bag before it hits the ground. If they are successful then they start again, but this time they must each take a step back from where they originally started.
Variation:
Stand Alone
Equipment: None
How to Play: Players are arranged in a large circle, with each player in a hula hoop or on a tile square. One or two players are in the middle without a partner. They are “standing alone”, hence the name, “Stand Alone”. Players around the edge of the circle play ONE game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with their partner. The “losers” quickly race to find another hoop before the players in the middle take the empty ones. Players who are unable to find a hoop go to the centre and everyone plays again. The players who are “standing alone” in the centre receive a point against them. Keep playing in this manner trying not to collect points. This game is a little link musical chairs without the chairs and without the music.
Variation:
L.E.A.D. Newsletter October 2018
Cooperative Game - Keep it Clean
Equipment: 4 Beach Balls
See what team can keep the ball at play the longest.
Chicken Stretch (A great way to warm up)
It is best if you wait until you finish the instructions to tell them the name of the activity - it will be a great surprise for them to realize what they are doing.
L.E.A.D. Newsletter September 2018
Four Way Soccer
Equipment: 4 soccer balls and 6-8 cones/ground marker
** Compared to traditional soccer, this game allows more people to play and come in contact with the ball keeping everyone active.
L.E.A.D. Newsletter June 2018
Cooperative Game - Peoples Ball
Equipment: Ball
Directions:
Alien Invasion Tag
Equipment: 3 Dodgeballs, 3 Hula Hoops
Directions:
General Newsletter June 2018
Huckle Buckle
Equipment: None
L.E.A.D. Newsletter May 2018
Cooperative Game - Balance Tag
Equipment: 8-10 Hoops and bean bags
Directions:
Place 8-10 hula hoops in a scattered position about 10 feet apart. Assign two taggers to chase the class. The hoops are safe places, but the students must maintain a balance position with one hand inside the hoop and one foot outside the hoop. Any loss of balance will mean that they must leave and run away from the chasers. Anybody that is tagged must go to a sideline and do a set of exercises 10 times before re-entering the game. Change taggers and different balance positions often.
Do not have hoops? Use non-slip tape to mark the safe space
Pip, Squeak and Herman
Equipment: Bean bag
Objective: Work together to steal a bean bag from the middle.
Directions:
General Newsletter May 2018
Tic-Tac-Toe Relay
Equipment: 10 bean bags (5 in one colour, 5 in another colour); Skipping ropes (to make the tic-tac-toe grid)
Directions:
Variations
You can have the students moving in various ways: skipping, hopping, jumping, side shuffle, etc.
General Newsletter April 2018
Bad Egg
Equipment: Ball
Directions: Catch the ball, then try to hit
someone.
Variations
L.E.A.D. Newsletter April 2018
Cooperative Game - Jewels in the Crown
Equipment: 4 Hula Hoops and bean bags
Objective: Students are trying to collect as many bean bags as they can.
Directions: Four hoops are set up in the four corners of the activity area. At each hoop there are 3-4 students, and inside each hoop there are the same number of bean bags as there are students at that hoop.
Variations
Sabras
Equipment: Hula Hoops
Directions: Sabres is similar to capture the flag, but with hula hoops.
L.E.A.D. Newsletter March 2018
Cooperative Game - Keep it Clean
Equipment: Ball or several balls
Objective: Try to pass the ball between partners without letting the ball touch the ground. If the task is too difficult, then choose another ball that is easier to pass. If the task is too simple, then choose another ball that is harder to pass.
Directions: Form students into groups of three or four. The group chooses a ball they would like to pass to one another. One of the group members will start the activity by tossing the ball to a partner, who will then pass the ball to another player using any style of pass within their repertoire.
** This is a great winter game, have the students try and keep the ball(s) snow free!
Snowy Hopscotch
Equipment: Ball, food coloring, water bottle
Directions: Hopscotch is typically considered a summer game, however a snowy hopscotch game adds a winter twist. A few drops of food coloring added to water in a spray bottle creates a simple snow paint. Use the paint to draw the hopscotch grid in the snow. Use the ball instead of a rock.
The standard rules apply to snowy hopscotch. The squares are numbered from 1 to 10. The players take turns tossing the snowball into the first square, jumping over it to navigate down the grid and back. The ball is picked up on the way back. This continues with the players progressively throwing the ball into the higher-numbered squares.
**This is a great game for recess, phys ed or DPA as it allows youth to practice their hopping and jumping fundamental movement skills in a winter environment.
General Newsletter March 2018
Winter Pie
Equipment: None
Directions:
Winter Pie is a modified version of tag that can be played in the snow. Without your children nearby, head into the snow and stomp a large circle with your feet. The circle should be at least 10 feet in diameter. Then stomp lines from the outside of the circle into the center of the circle, as if you were cutting pieces of pie. When you're finished, you should have a large circle sectioned off like a pie. Invite the players outside and explain that they're going to play tag but that they must stay on the lines of the pie. The center area is "safe," but only one player can stand in the safe spot at a time. Then begin playing with regular tag rules, with someone being "it" and attempting to catch the other players.
L.E.A.D. Newsletter February 2018
Cooperative Game - Hold the Rope Relay
Directions:
Place all of the bean bags or other objects at one end of
the playing area. The teams will line up on the opposite end of the playing area. On the signal, the teams must race to the bean bags keeping all hands on the rope. Once each player from the team
has balanced a bean bag, the team must stop, and the person has to re-balance the bean bag before the whole team can continue. The first team to reach the finish line wins.
Variations:
Jump Rope Math
Equipment: small or large skipping rope depending on the number of players
Directions:
Give a math equation to solve, like 2+5. The jumper repeats the math equation and then jumps the answer (in this case, they would jump 7 times). Use more complicated equations to practice math
and jumping skills.
Variations:
General Newsletter February 2018
Copy the Fox
Directions: Try this skipping game during Phys Ed, recess or DPA to improve your heart health by having
fun.
General Newsletter January 2018
Spelling Bee Jive
Directions:
This is ideal if you are teaching children about words, to spell or helping the with their spelling test. Everyone can either walk on the spot, jump,
skip, or high step for all of the consonants.
For vowels, pick an action for each one. For example:
Have children spell out different words while doing the action connected to each letter. This game will keep your kids active indoors or outdoors while learning how to spell.
LEAD Newsletter January 2018
Cooperative Game - Pac Man Tag
Equipment: Cones for boundaries
Activity: This game is where the students have to stay on the lines of the gym floor or on a large outdoor playground stencil. Designate which colored lines are considered in bounds or that they must stay on. You can use all or some of the lines. The "it" person must stay on the lines also. Everyone moves around the gym on the designated lines trying not to get tagged. You can play it where the person who gets tagged becomes "it" or each additional person that is tagged joins the original "it" person and teams up to get the rest of the class.
**Remember all of the is done on the lines only. You can start out only letting the students walk and then work up to running.
Letters
Equipment: Paper and pencils
Activity: Find things beginning with the same letter as your name or letter your group has been assigned
Variations
LEAD Newsletter December 2017
Cooperative Games
Cooperative games give student L.E.A.D.ers the opportunity to build empathy and to understand what it feels like to be part of
a healthy team. Through unstructured play L.E.A.D.ers will pass on this knowledge and teach younger students the benefits of having a sense of community belonging and teamwork at
recess.
Try playing this game during your Monthly Meeting this month to increases teamwork and cooperation among your L.E.A.D.ers!
Toss the Bird
This is a tag game with a twist. The “bird” can be a knotted towel or some other soft object suitable for throwing. You can have as
many as you think are necessary. The point is that you can’t be tagged if you are holding a bird. People can toss the bird(s) to each other to help “protect” each other from being
caught. Obviously you will want to have fewer birds than you have people who are being chased. More than one person can be “it.”
General Newsletter December 2017
Winter Bowling
Equipment: 10 Water bottles (fill with snow), small ball
Directions:
Bottles are arranged in the ten-pin formation on a hard surface.
One player rolls at the pins, another replaces them as they are knocked over and calls the score. Change roles after each turn.
Variations
LEAD Newsletter November 2017
Fall Scavenger Hunt
General Newsletter November 2017
Chicken Basketball
Equipment: 2 baskets; Rubber chicken
Instead of a ball, it's a chicken. Build teamwork by passing the chicken rather than dribbling.
General Newsletter October 2017 - Halloween Game
Pumpkin Bean Bag Toss
Equipment: bean bags or balls (or use balls of scrap paper), paper, marker, tape, 4-6 pumpkin buckets from the dollar store (depending on the size of your group, no more then six children to one bucket)
This Halloween themed game could not be more simple! Using paper and a marker create signs with numbers on them to tape to the front of the bucket (i.e.
1-10, or 100, 200, 300 etc.) Place buckets 1-2 meters away from the throwing spot. You can arrange them in a line, triangle or spread them out for more of a challenge. Take turns having everyone
try and throw bean bags or balls into the bucket. As you play have everyone keep track of their points, at the end of the game the player with the highest score wins!
HAPPY
HALLOWEEN!!
Lead Newsletter October 2017 - Family Activity Game of the Month
Got Ya!
LEAD Newsletter June 2017 - Summer Fun Games
Summer Fun Games
Broom and Balloon: Each participant stick handles a balloon through a designated course.
Cookie on the Face Challenge: Start with a cookie on your forehead – using only your face muscles (no hands!) move the cookie down to your mouth
Pool Noodle Javelin: Suspend a hula hoop from a tree. Using pool noodles as javelins, see how many the kids can get through the hoop.
3-legged Race: Use a scarf to tie legs together, and long skipping rope for starting and finish line.
Beach Ball Sandwich Relay: Give each team a beach ball. From behind the starting line, the first two runners sandwich the ball between them, run to the other end of the field and back and pass the ball to the next two runners. If the ball drops, they must pick it up and resume.
Scoops and Balls: Have 2 teams with a scoop each, and a pile of items that can fit in the scoops (balls, beanbags, small items) for each team. Create a target at the opposite end of play space for each team (can use chalk, tape or hula hoop to make target). Using the scoops, launch items to other end, each item that lands within the target gets point. You can assign points a variety of ways – one point if it lands in but rolls out, 2 points if it stays in, etc. Each person launches once then goes to the back of the line.
Variation: Could also play this game reverse – instead of launching items, you must catch them, the team that catches the most wins!
Scoops and Small Water Balloons: Played in partners (best to play outside!). Stand with space between and toss water balloon back and forth between scoops until it breaks. Try scooping different ways - overhand, underhand, standing sideways, standing backwards, overhead, ect.
Popcorn!
Equipment: Plastic cups, elastics, push pins and paper clips (to make shoe cups), large amount of popped popcorn in basket at start line, 2 baskets at the end line
1. First, you'll need to make two pairs of shoe cups. To do this, use a pushpin to poke holes in the bottom of plastic cups. Push a wide rubber band through the holes, and secure it inside the cup with a paper clip. Divide group into 2 teams.
2. The first player from each team straps cups on their shoes and fills them with popcorn from a bag at the starting line. They then run to the other end and empty the popcorn into a basket at the other end (assuming that they didn’t spill it ALL on their way there!) After they dump out the popcorn in the basket they race back, the next player follows suit.
Towel and Ball Volleyball:
Equipment: Towel
1. Pair children up and give them one towel, each grab one end of the towel – have an opposing pair of children also with a towel between them.
2. Using a soft ball, have them whip the towel to shoot the ball to the opposing team – how many times can they pass it back and forth? For a little more excitement, use a water balloon instead of the ball.
Volcano's and Ice Cream Cones
1. Using ground markers as volcano's and ice cream cones spread around the room, some upright (as volcano's) and some upside down (as ice cream cones).
2. Split children into 2 groups – one volcano's and one ice cream cones. On “go” have the kids run around and flip the ground markers to their team cone type.
3. Markers can be switched back and forth many times during the designated time. After 2-3 minutes, call time. The team with the most of their cone types flipped over at the end is the winner.
LEAD Newsletter May 2017
1. Have players pair up and decide on a wacky way to move (hopping on one foot, crawling, skipping, bumping hips, clapping hands).
2. While the twosomes are moving around performing their actions, the Leader yells, "Double bubble!" At this point the pairs must join another group to make a foursome and again decide on a wacky way to move.
3. This pattern continues with the groups getting progressively larger upon each "Double bubble" command. When the group is finally in one large circle, it's time to see if everyone can move together in a wacky way.
4. To end the game, the leader yells, "Pop!" and everyone sits down.
Team Trivia Challenge
Equipment: bucket/basket, bean bags and tape to create a designated “throw from line”
1. Each team starts with 10 "X's" - keep track on blackboard, whiteboard or a sheet of paper.
2. Split group into 5 or 6 teams, depending on how fast you want the game to go.
3. Each group gets a question- as a team they come up with one answer. If they get it right they automatically get to erase two of their opponent’s X's from the board. They can take it from one team or split it between teams. If they get it wrong, move on to the next team.
4. Before they take off these X's, though, they have a chance to increase their ability to earn more points to take from the other the other teams. They get 3 bean bags - standing at the designated “throw from line”, they try to throw the bean bags (one at a time) into the bucket. For each one that they get in, they get to take an additional point from an opposing team.
5. Once a team has all of their points removed, they still take turns answering questions, to get back on the board they need to get the question right and get bean bags in the basket. If they do this they can earn up to 3 points back on the board.
Playocracy Inc.
Tel: (905) 741 3378
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