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Exercise Tag

This activity will help students improve motor and fitness skills. You will need to provide three or four foam balls for the activity. Have students scatter around the classroom or gym and sit in their own personal space. Pass out the foam balls. On your signal, students should get up and perform a movement such as lunging, high knee walking, etc. Students holding the foam balls should try to tag (not throw) the other children with the ball. When a student is tagged, he or she will go to a designated area and do a specified exercise a specified number of times (e.g., 10 sit ups, 15 toe touches, etc.). When finished, the students return to the game. Repeat the game with different movements and exercises.

Jump Rope Bingo

This activity is a good way to integrate math skills and fitness skills. You will need to provide enough jump ropes for the class, or break up the class into small groups or pairs. Ask the math department what students are currently learning in math class. Create or use pre-made math flashcards of the material you want to review with students (such as addition, subtraction, fractions, etc.). Students should take out a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil.

Hold up the flashcard and ask students to write the answer on their paper. Once students have the answer, they jump rope that number of times. After they finish, they sit down and wait for the next flashcard. After all the flashcards are given, go over answers as a group.

Triangle Tag

This activity will provide aerobic exercise and will help students work together as a team. Divide the class into groups of four students. One student from the group is "it." The other three students hold hands and designate who will be chased. The student who is "it" tries to tag that designated person by getting around the other two team members. The two team members can protect their team member by spinning, dodging, or turning to keep the person from getting tagged. Once a student is tagged, the tagged person becomes "it."

Flying Disk

This is a great activity to use indoors, during inclement weather. Students will try to advance a flying disk beyond the end line of a basketball court by throwing it to their teammates. You will need to provide a flying disk to complete this activity. Divide the class into two teams, and position each team at opposite ends of the gymnasium. Students will throw the disk to their team members with the goal of throwing it down the court and across the baseline of the gym. As the game progresses, students will scatter across the gym floor to protect their goal or to score a goal. Each time the disk crosses the baseline, the scoring team receives one point. The person throwing the disk cannot be guarded, but the rest of his teammates can be. If the disk is dropped, the defense takes possession of the disk. The game can be played for a certain amount of time, or until teams score a designated number of points.