Snowball Fight

Who doesn't like a good snowball fight? These games use fleeceballs as snowballs and they do not require students to throw balls at each other. You can find more throwing games that combine aerobic fitness in my book: Fun, Fitness, and Skills - The Powerful Original Games Approach. Powerful Original Games

Equipment: One fleeceball for each person. If you do not have fleecballs, substitute any soft type ball. Use polyspots or traffic cones for boundary markers. For Game 1, use three volleyball nets and sheets to cover them. You can also substitute long ropes tied at the height of volleyball nets. For Game 2, one bowling pin or tennis ball can for each participant.

A good preliminary game to use is Pass and Run because it will help the students learn not to move with a ball in their hand. See rule 5 in Game 1 and rule 6 in Game 2.

Game 1 - Grades 3 and up. The object of the game is to throw your snowballs into one of your opponents quadrants. When the round is over, be the team with the fewest amount of snowballs.

1. Divide the gym into four quardrants by using one net in the middle, one net perpendicular to the center net on one side of the gym and another net perpendicular to the center net on the other side of the gym. Hang sheets over the nets so that the students cannot see each other. If you do not have nets, tie ropes across the gymnasium.
2. Divide the class into four teams. Each team goes into one quadrant of the play area.
3. Give one fleeceball to each student. Alternately, if you do not have enough balls, you can give one ball to every two students.
4. Tell the students they are going to have a snowball fight, but instead of trying to hit people, they will be trying to get rid of all their snowballs as quickly as possible. On the go signal, for example holiday music, the students throw their snowballs attempting to throw them over the net or ropes into one of the other quadrants.
5. When a ball comes over the net into your quadrant, you may pick it up, but you may not move with it. If you are too far away to throw your ball over the net, you must find a teammate and throw it to her/him. If your teammate does not catch the ball, she/he may not pick up that ball. Someone else on the team will have to pick up that particular ball. This rule encourages the students to throw for distance and accuracy and not just run up to the net.
6. Play each round for about three minutes. When the music stops, no more balls may be thrown. If you see thrown balls after the stop signal, that team must take that ball back plus one other as a penalty.
7. While the game is playing, walk around the gym and check for proper throwing form and adherance to the rules. Play additional rounds.

Game 2 - Grades 3 and up. The object of the game is to throw your snowballs in an attempt to knock over the other team's bowling pins or tennis cans while protecting your own.

1. Tell the class they are going to have a snowball fight. But instead of trying to hit people, they are going to knock down their opposition's targets.
2. Divide the gym into four quadrants by using your lines or placing poly spots or traffic cones down the center of the gym widthwise and all the way across the center of the gym lengthwise. Make a small square or semi-circle out of poly spots in each corner of the play area.
3. Divide the class into four teams. Each team goes into one quadrant of the play area. One designated person from each team goes into an opponent's quadrant, but must stay in the corner semi-circle or square.
4. Begin the game by having each student set up his or her pin in self-space inside his/her team's quadrant. The pins must be spread out throughout the quadrants. They may not be placed next to each other or on the end or sidelines. You may find that some students are braver, and set their pins closer to the other team's quadrants. If a problem occurs in setting up the pins, you may place poly spots in the quadrants, and assign students to set up their pin on a particular spot.
5. On the go signal, for example holiday music, the students throw their balls, into their opponent's quadrants, attempting to knock over a pin or can. Knocked over pins or cans may not be picked up until the round is over.
6. Students may move to pick up balls, but may not move once they have a ball in their hands. After they throw or release the ball, they may move again. This rule encourages teamwork, passing and strategy.
7. The corner person (the only person without a pin or can and does not begin the game with a ball) may throw any ball that she/he can pick up without leaving her/his corner. As a variation, you can allow this person to leave the corner, but she/he must go back to the corner to throw the ball. If using this rule, only allow him/her to pick up one ball at a time.
8. Play for about three minutes. When the round is over, the team with the most cans remaining upright is the winning team. Play additional rounds. Change the corner person after each round.

The first game is somewhat like the old game "Clean Your Room." However, there are two major differences: the fact that there are four teams instead of two, and students are not allowed to run with the ball. When you play a game that divides your class in half, the class generally focuses more on winning and losing instead of playing the game to have fun and increase their skills. The more teams you have, the less emphasis is placed on winning and losing, especially because you are playing multiple rounds pretty much insuring mulitiple winners. By not allowing your students to move with the ball, they are better able to concentrate on proper throwing form and strategy.