Powerful Original Games - Howie Weiss

Powerful Original Games (POG) are designed to take the anxiety out of game play and the boredom out of drills. All games are based on NASPE's national standards. Students should be encouraged to explain how each game helps develop health and/or skill related fitness, helps develop proficiency in several movement forms, and helps develop socialization skills. Each game is open ended with many variations. Most games can be played at any grade level by modifying rules and/or equipment. Many of the games may be played either cooperatively or competitively. In the competitive form, competition is de-emphasized, insuring that the focus remains on the process (skill building and knowledge) and not the product (winning and losing). Since competition is not overtly visible, less physically gifted students will seek to participate. Using these game forms will help instructors develop their own original games. Students should also be encouraged to create their own variations and invent original games.

Warm -ups: 1. Far Away: Students move throughout general space looking for the big empty spaces. Use different locomotor skills. At the stop signal, pick the student who is furthest away from everyone else. That person then picks the next locomotor skill and chooses the next person who is furthest away. This game encourages the students to move to the open spaces. Variation: give one point to students who stop and have a large amount of personal space. 2. Don't Move a Muscle: Use different locomotor skills. When the music stops, the students freeze on balance. If they move, they receive a negative point. The idea is not to accumulate any or many points. This game encourages the students to stop on command. 3. High Five: The students move throughout general space attempting to give as many others a high five before the music stops. Count one point for every high five. If you gave someone a high five you can get an extra point the next time you meet that person by shaking hands. This game encourages the students to work with everyone. Variation: for all three games, use different kinds of equipment.

Pattern Fitness: Equipment: optional. Divide the class into groups of four to six students. Each group establishes its own fitness pattern. This pattern must be repeatable. Variations: 1. Use equipment. 2. Choose a particular health related fitness component.

No Relay Relay: Equipment: optional. Divide the class into short lines of three to five students. Instead of each player going once, play for a designated amount of points and/or a designated amount of time. For example, each team gets one beanbag and one tennis can. Set the tennis cans upright on one end of the play area. The first person on the line slides the beanbag toward his/her team's tennis can. If s/he knocks the can down, s/he runs to the can, sets it up, brings the beanbag back, and hands it to the next person. The team gets one point. If the tennis can is not knocked down, tag the next person. That person runs to the beanbag and slides it from that point. You may not run with the beanbag in your hand until the can is knocked down. Variation: Practice any skill using this format, with or without equipment.

Cranky Crab Tag: Equipment: one foam disc or foam ball for every four to six students. Begin with everyone in personal space in the crab position. The students practice moving with their stomachs facing the ceiling. They move on their hands and feet. Choose four to five students to become the cranky crabs. Give each cranky crab a foam disc or foam ball. Cranky crabs do not like to see happy crabs moving. When the music begins, they attempt to tag the happy crabs with their foam disc (freeze claw). If tagged, freeze in the sitting position with legs straight out. Another happy crab may unfreeze you by placing their feet against yours and pushing your feet up into the crab position. Play for two to three minutes and choose new cranky crabs. Variations: 1. Allow crabs to be safe in the pushup position. 2. Competitive: when the music stops, count the frozen crabs. See which cranky crab group froze the most happy crabs.

Titanic: Equipment: one ball or other manipulative for every four to seven students. The Titanic is sinking. How quickly can we save everyone by transporting all passengers across the ocean to shore? Designate a shore area on the opposite side of the play area. The balls are the life preservers. No more than two people can share a life preserver. No one may move in the water without a life preserver. Treading water is allowed. Move those arms and legs vigorously. Time the event. See if the class can beat their best time. Variations: 1. Life preservers may not be rolled. 2. Life preservers may never touch the water. If one does, the last passenger to touch the preserver goes back to the Titanic. 3. Use specific equipment and specific passes.

Chinese Checkers: Equipment: balls or other manipulative. Divide the class into four teams. Place one team in each corner of the play area. Each team sets themselves up in triangular formation as in the board game: Chinese Checkers. Give each team one manipulative for every three to four students. Players cross the play area diagonally from one corner to the other as quickly and efficiently as possible, and set up in the same triangular formation. Balls may not be shared. Only a player with a ball may move. Variations: 1. Change the amount of equipment. 2. Use different kinds of equipment. 3. Only players without a ball may move. Balls may not be dropped. A dropped ball causes both thrower and receiver to return to the start. 4. How many times can your team go back and forth in a designated amount of time?

Mystery Tag: Equipment: optional. Begin with everyone in personal space. Everyone chooses only one person to tag. When the music begins, walk, skip or gallop, and try to sneak up behind that person and tag him/her lightly on the shoulder. If you are tagged freeze with your right hand out. Others may free you by shaking your hand. You cannot be tagged while helping another student. Play for two to four minutes. Begin a new round. Each new round requires picking someone different to tag. Variations: 1. Use equipment. For example, everyone dribbles a ball. 2. Choose two or more different people to tag. 3. Vary the locomotor skills. 4. Vary the way students are freed.

America On Line Ball: Equipment: one tennis ball for each student. Partners, each with a ball, devise a way to move and pass a ball(s). When the music stops, move to a new partner. Teach your unique way (your AOL screen name) of moving and passing the ball(s) to your new partner and have her/him teach you. Each time the music stops, move to a new partner and exchange your AOL methods with each other. Variations: 1. Use different kinds of manipulatives. 2. Create a game with your partner and teach your game to each new partner.

Multiple Partners: Equipment: one tennis ball for each student. Begin by jogging in general space while tossing and catching your ball. When the music stops, quickly find a partner who is standing nearby. This is partner number one. Create a central meeting place for students who cannot find a partner. An odd student may join any pair. Each time the students form a pair, they stand next to each other and wait for instructions. Partner number one is your toss ball partner. When the music begins, can you toss underhanded to each other using one or both balls while continuously moving? When the music stops, find a new partner. This is partner number two. Partner number two is your hit the ball partner. When the music starts, place one ball down on the floor between you. Try to toss the ball up underhanded and make your ball hit the ball on the floor. Partners keep moving in a circular fashion while tossing the ball at the target. When the music stops, find partner number three. This is your knock hockey pushup position partner. Using one ball, face each other in pushup position. Place the ball on the floor between you and your partner. Alternately touch your partner's right hand and the floor three times. After touching hands for the third time, try to be the first to grab the tennis ball. When the music stops, find partner number four. This is your throw and move partner. When the music starts, see how many times you and your partner can move back and forth between two points without dropping the ball. If the ball drops go back to your last starting point. Only the person without the ball may move. When the music stops, find partner number five. This is your Curl up partner. Can you curl up at the same time and exchange balls by tossing them to each other? When the music starts, call either partner number one, two, three four or five. The students find that particular partner and perform the activity associated with that partner. Keep the game moving by constantly calling a different number. Variations: 1. Increase the number of partners and create more ways to manipulate the equipment. 2. Partners count successful catches and try increase the number of catches each time they meet. 3. Use other kinds of equipment or no equipment all. If not using equipment, create activities that the partners can do together. Some examples: follow the leader, alternate pushups or curl ups, partner tag, teach a dance step and toe fencing.

Follow the Leader: Equipment: optional. The students practice various locomotor skills. Choose one student to the lead. Everyone moves as the leader does, but not near the leader! Encourage the leader to change movements often. Variations: 1. Use equipment. 2. One student hides his/her eyes. Choose a leader. After the movement begins, the student who hid his/her eyes tries to guess the leader. 3. When the music stops, pick the student who is furthest away from everyone else. S/he becomes the new leader. 4. The leader may move like an animal or machine. 5. Combine any of these variations.

Scrabble Fitness: Equipment: seventy or more tennis balls with letters written on them and one hoop for each team. Divide class into teams of two to six students. Scatter tennis balls throughout the play area. When the music begins, each student may pick up only one ball at a time. S/he places that ball inside his/her team's hoop before searching for a new ball. When all the tennis balls are in the hoops, students are given two to three minutes to form as many words as possible. Teams receive one point for each word, or extra points depending on the word's length. Play competitive: team vs. team, or play cooperative: total all points. Repeat, and try to beat previous score. Variations: 1. Use cardboard letters. 2. Play in relay fashion. 3. Find words and construct sentences. 4. Find numbers and formulate math examples.