Your gym period is the best time to run your class around and expel some of that boundless energy they seem to have! Sometimes though, the same old games just don’t cut it and you find your students getting distracted or a bit bored, meaning it’s time to switch it up! Thankfully we’ve hunted high and low for the best fun and simple gym games for kids, whether they’re in preschool, elementary, or middle school! Our picks are easy to set up and don’t require too much equipment, making them perfect for shaking things up a little! Let’s dive in and discover what your kids will be doing at gym time this week!
Gym Games for Preschool
1. Balancing Bean Bags
Balancing is a key motor skill that’s important for youngsters to develop! A balancing game is a great way to help them build this skill while still having some fun! Have your kiddies use their bean bags in different ways practicing their balancing skills.
Learn More: Cliengage Family
2. Bean Bag Hula Hoops
This is a super easy activity that can be set up almost anywhere and is super easy to prep. Put down some hula hoops then have your kids try to throw the beanbags to have them land in the hoop. You could make it competitive by sorting your kiddies into teams!
Learn More: Erikson Institute
3. Four Colors, Four Corners
All you’ll need for this one is something to signal four different colors; you can use a colored cone or a piece of colored paper! Four Colors, Four Corners is a simple game where you have your kids pick a coroner to stand in while you cover your eyes. Once they’ve picked a coroner, call out a color and any kids in that coroner are out!
Learn More: The Many Little Joys
4. Animal Track Jump
This fun sidewalk game is a great way to take math learning outside! Draw animal tracks with chalk and then add numbers to each one. Next, have your kids jump along the track, calling out the numbers as they go. It’s a fun way to work on their number recognition while having them burn off some energy!
Learn More: Modern Preschool
5. Animal Yoga
Make your own cards or print some out for this fun yoga activity! Animal yoga is great for circle time or for PE class, simply show your kids a card, then challenge them to make the shape of that animal! The results are sure to be hilarious as your kids slither like snakes or stretch up all like a giraffe!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
6. Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a playground classic! This age-old game is a super way for kids to practice their gross motor and counting skills while having fun with their friends. Simply draw the grid on the ground and add numbers, or you could add instructions like “hop” or “jump” to make it even more interesting for your learners!
Learn More: Preschool Inspirations
7. Movement Dice
Need your kids to work independently on an activity for five minutes while you set the next lesson up? Movement dice are a great option for you! Not only do they get your kiddos moving, but they also provide picture-word association practice!
Learn More: Pinterest
8. Leap Frog Tag
This fun game makes for an exciting start to any P.E. lesson! It starts out like a normal game of tag, but when someone is tagged they must crouch down until someone who isn’t tagged leapfrogs over them!
Learn More: Phys Ed Games
Gym Games for Lower Elementary
9. Plant the Trees
Split your kiddos into teams for this fun warm-up gym game! Split the area into two sections and scatter some beanbags in each section. The goal is for your kids to run to the other team’s side and steal their bean bags, one at a time. When time’s up, the team that has the most beanbags wins!
Learn More: YouTube
10. Elf Express
Elf Express is considered a holiday-themed game but can really be played at any time of the year if you change its name to Caterpillar. The goal is for your kids to move their “sleighs” around the room and deliver a toy (beanbag) to each “chimney” in the room! To do this, they’ll need to move, one hoop at a time, with the team members passing the empty hoop up the line to place at the front.
Learn More: The Physical Educator
11. Yoga Freeze Dance
Who doesn’t love a dance party? Play the video and let your kids dance while the music plays; when the music stops, your kids will need to look at the screen and hold the yoga pose shown for ten seconds! This fun activity is great if you’ve got some time to kill or if your kids need a break between lessons.
Learn More: PE With Mr. G
12. Air Pong
Ready to get your students moving during gym time? Assign each student a partner, a mat, and a balloon for their pair. Explain to students that the object of this game is to hit the balloon without it landing out of bounds or onto your mat. Encourage students to keep the balloon going back and forth until someone scores.
Learn More: Be Well Played
13. Silly Bananas
Silly Bananas is one of those simple activities for kids that they will be begging to play! It’s another variation of tag where if tagged, your kiddies must stand still with their hands above their head, making the shape of a banana. Your other untagged players then have to try to free their teammates by putting their arms back down, or peeling the bananas!
Learn More: TPT
14. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag
Hands down a modern-day and old-school favorite is rock, paper, scissors. Most students will for sure know how to play this game and if not, it’s super easy to teach even the youngest learners! Have your kids run around then when tagged, they must face off in a game of rock, paper, scissors! If the tagger wins, then the person is out!
Learn More: Grade Onederful
15. Coin Exercise
This simple physical game can be a fun challenge for your students. Have them flip a coin and then whichever side it lands on will determine the exercise they do! This is a fun way to vary up the usual P.E. warm-up games!
Learn More: Pinterest
16. Garden Yoga
Sometimes getting excited students to take a break is exactly what they need to help them regain their focus. If it’s a nice day out, then why not take your kiddos outside for a bit of garden yoga? Let them stretch out and enjoy this calming activity as they take in their surroundings. They’ll return to the class calm and ready for whatever is next!
Learn More: Childhood 101
17. Spot On
Spot on is a great PE game that will challenge your students to perfect their overhand throwing technique! Sort your class into teams and set each team up with a throwing area, designated by a hula hoop and a catching area. The person in the catching area must be able to catch the ball while keeping at least one foot on a spot or in a hoop on the ground! Each successful catch is a point scored for their team!
Learn More: S&S Blog
18. Spider Ball
This game is dodgeball with a twist and can be played in teams or as individual players. The game is played as typical dodgeball (use softballs) would be except when your kids are hit they become spiders! The spiders can throw balls to get other players out but must keep one foot or hand on the boundary of the playing area. The game continues until all players are turned into spiders then you can start over!
Learn More: Kid Activities
19. Cornhole Cardio
Cornhole cardio is hands down one of the most engaging games for kids! This relay race game combines the hand-eye coordination required for cornhole with the speed and agility needed for a relay race. Your teams must race to be the first to get all their players around the course and back to home base to win!
Learn More: S&S Blog
20. Blob Tag
Blob tag can be played in groups or as a whole class making it a perfect game to have in your wheelhouse! As players get tagged they must join hands with the person who tagged them to create a big blob of kids. The task of tagging new kids falls to the newest members of the blob at each end!
Learn More: Choose PT
21. Catch the Cones
This is a fun gym game that you can get involved in too! You’ll stand on the island (an upturned box or a chair) in the middle and throw out cones while your kids move around trying to catch them. The student with the most cones at the end is the winner!
Learn More: Prime Coaching Sport
22. Dog Catcher
This super game combines dodgeball and corners! Pick a couple of students to be dog catchers and tell the rest of the class that they are going to be the “dogs”. The “dogs” must get themselves safely into a coroner without being caught by one of the dog catchers by being hit with a ball. You’ll call out when it’s time for the “dogs” to change which coroner they’re in and watch as they try to evade capture!
Learn More: PE Games
23. Monster Trap
Monster trap is a fun game for younger students to play during gym class. Explain to your kiddos that they have become monsters and a select few catchers who’ll use pool noodle “traps” to catch the monsters and turn them back into humans!
Learn More: YouTube
Gym Games for Upper Elementary
24. Space Invaders
This super interesting game has a few different versions and lets your kids practice their physical skills while also reflecting on their performance. The task is to throw a ball to knock down the other team’s “space towers”, but after each attempt, players will get feedback from their team on whether they demonstrated the correct technique or skill.
Learn More: The Physical Educator
25. Witches Candy
There are definitely a few different versions of this fun chasing game! In this version, witches have stolen the children’s candy and the children must work together to get it back to their base without getting caught and getting sent to prison!
Learn More: PE Games
26. Chutes and Ladders
This life-size chutes and ladders game is made with colored hula hoops and other materials you’ll have lying around in your P.E. store room! Your elementary school kids will absolutely love this game and will have a blast not just playing, but also creating the life-sized board!
Learn More: Pekins Learning
27. Connect Four
This partner team game can honestly be taught to upper or lower elementary students. Most elementary kiddos have played Connect Four before but you can really bring it to life and add a little friendly competition with this real-life Connect Four game! Split your class into teams and use spot markers or hula hoops to get started!
Learn More: CBC
28. Throw Archery
Ready, aim, throw! To set up a game of throw archery, use jump ropes to designate five target areas and mark your points system; put the highest number of points in the middle section! Your students will then throw a beanbag to try to score points!
Learn More: Choose PT
29. Simple Dance Routine
Let your kids have some fun and dance it out for your next gym lesson. You could have them come up with their own dances or let them learn this simple routine.
Learn More: YouTube
30. Four Square Hula Hoop
Test your kiddos’ strength and coordination with this fun game! Split your class into groups of four and lay out four hula hoops and bean bags. Challenge your kiddies to hold a plank position as they throw the bean bags into another person’s hula hoop! The winner is the person with the least amount of beanbags in their hoop by the end!
Learn More: S&S Blog
31. Hungry Turkeys
Hungry Turkeys is a fun game that will be sure to get your students moving! Set up a cone with a turkey on it then place hula hoops in the corners of the room or playing field. Throw some balls into the middle of the room around the turkey and let your kids race to collect the balls and bring them back to their team’s hoop one at a time! This is a super fun warm-up game that your kids are sure to love!
Learn More: PE Universe
32. Tic – Tac – Throw
Tic-TacThrow is perfect for small groups, centers, or just small classes. Set up nine hula hoops and have your kids stand one at each side. They’ll then need to throw their colored beanbags to try and get three in a row to win the game!
Learn More: Pinterest
33. Bounce the Bucket
This is another game that’s perfect for a circuit of activities or if you’re working in small groups. All you’ll need to get set up is a ball and a bucket! Your kids can work in teams or individuals to be the first to bounce their ball into the bucket successfully; it sounds simple but they’ll definitely find this harder than you think!
Learn More: Prime Coaching Sport
34. Backwards Soccer
You may not have heard of backward soccer before, but we’re sure it’s going to be one of your kids’ favorites! Explain to your students that the rules of this game are basically just the absolute opposite of regular soccer; they’ll use their hands to move the ball, goalies can’t use their hands, and even the goals are backward.
Learn More: YouTube
35. Keepers of the Castle
This fun team game is sure to get your kids’ heart rates up and encourage some excellent teamwork! Split your kids into four teams and designate each a different color. In the middle of the room place a load of different colored objects or beanbags and designate a few students to guard these items. Your teams must work to steal items in their team’s color and get them safely back to their hula hoop without being caught!
Learn More: YouTube
36. Icebergs
Icebergs is a fun warm-up game that just requires a few gym mats. Instruct your kids to run around the room but when the teacher calls out a number they must get onto an iceberg (mat) with the same number of students that teachers call out. Anyone not on an iceberg or with the wrong number of students is out!
Learn More: YouTube
37. Hoop Hop Showdown
Your students will LOVE to play the Hoop Hop Showdown during their gym time! Set some hula hoops in the shape of a star, and let your kiddies compete in teams to get across to the other side! When they meet a player from another team they’ll need to play a round of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to stay in the game! When a student makes it all the way to the end of the line, they can drop their ball into the bucket. The team with the most full buckets wins.
Learn More: SS & Blog
Gym Games for Middle School
38. Create your Own
Let your P.E. students’ creativity and ingenuity be the star players! Challenge them to create their own PE activity using any of the equipment that you have available. They’ll need to create rules and work together to make the game fun and linked to practicing an essential skill!
Learn More: The Picture Book Teachers Edition
39. Speed Ball
This is a mix of soccer and basketball that your kids will love. The ball starts in the air, being thrown between players, but as soon as it hits the ground, your students must switch to soccer!
Learn More: The Physical Educator
40. Roll a Yoga Pose
Your middle schoolers love some yoga to chill out with. This game leaves their workout up to the roll of a die as their next pose is determined by the number rolled!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
41. Team Memory
How good are your kids’ memories? Lay out some different colored beanbags and assign a color to each team. Give them a short while to try to remember where the beanbags are then cover them with buckets or bowls; you could even mix them all up if you want to really challenge them! They’ll then need to take turns as a member from each team goes to try to find a beanbag in their team’s color.
Learn More: Phys Ed Games
42. Noodle Archery
Here’s another twist on archery for your kids. Mark some lines on the ground as different levels of difficulty then have another student stand further away with a hula hoop. Each student must pick their level of difficulty and attempt to throw a pool noodle through the hula hoop!
Learn More: YouTube
43. Submarine Tag
This game is a mix of tag and dodgeball and will be fun for all involved! Pick a few of your kiddos to be boats (taggers) and load them with cannonballs (soft balls), tasking them with sinking all the submarines. Your other kids will be the submarines and if hit, must lie down with a leg in the air!
Learn More: The PE Shed
44. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Cone
All you need to have for this game is a cone! Have your students line up facing each other with a cone in the middle of them. You’ll then call out “head”, “shoulders” or “knees”, and your kids must put their hands on whichever you call out. If you call out “cone”, the students must race to be the first to pick the cone up in order to win!
Learn More: SS & Blog
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