Below you will find Physical Education games that can be used to promote student collaboration between both students of the same grade level and/or different grade levels within elementary school.
- Island Movers: For this game, the teacher divides students into groups of any size and gives each of them the same equipment. Students need to work together and use the equipment to move everyone in their group from one end of the gym to the other without touching the "shark-infested" waters (also known as the gym floor). Equipment could include, jump ropes, scooters, cardboard, etc. It is a good idea to start with smaller groups then make them larger and more challenging as the rounds go on. At the end of the game, the entire class could discuss what worked and what didn't. That way, students can learn from each other!
- Relay Races: There are all sorts of relay races that can be designed for students. Regardless of the type, relay races build community as students work together to be the quickest team while cheering each other on along the way. To ensure that all students feel it it is fair, mixing up the groups regularly helps so that students get the opportunity to work with everyone!
- Caterpillar Riot: This game focuses on collaboration and teamwork. Students are divided into teams of 5-6. Each students stands in a hula-hoop and forms a line with their teammates. These lines are now referred to as caterpillars. Students try to collect as many objects off the ground as they can by moving their caterpillar forward. In order to move forward, the last player in line steps into the player in front of them's hoop, picks up their empty hoop and passes it to the front. Every player then shifts forward making the caterpillar move. Only the front player may pick up objects, but it is the team's job to carry collected objects throughout the game. The game ends when there are no more objects on the ground.
- Snowman Blitz: This is the perfect game to play outside in the snow! The class is divided into six teams and given the following material: 3 hoops, 2 foamies, 2 tennis balls, 1 small cone, 1 large cone, and one jump rope. Working in relay fashion, teams attempt to build a snowman on the other side of the field as quickly as they can. The catch is players can only carry one piece of equipment to the other end of the field at a time. The first team to successfully build their snowman and use all of their equipment wins!
- All Aboard: This game focuses on balance and cooperation. Across the gymnasium floor the teacher places different sized "platforms". This could be hoops, news paper, etc. The class is divided into teams. When the teacher says all aboard, students must find a platform to stand on for ten seconds. At the end of each round, the teacher removes platforms or makes them smaller to make the game more challenging. At the end, the team with the most players still in the game wins!
- Human Knot: This is a simple game that requires students to communicate and collaborate to untangle their knot. Students are typically divided into two or three groups. Each group forms a circle and they grab hands with two different people on other ends of the circle (they can not grab hands with people right next to them). Without letting go of each others hands they must find a way to unravel their knot.
Resources Used:
- Gemberling, Jason, et al. “4 Team Building Activities for Students: Gopher PE Blog.” PE Blog – Read & Discuss Current PE Topics, 5 June 2019, www.gophersport.com/blog/team-building-activities-for-students/.
- ThePhysicalEducator.com. (2017, December 12). Cooperation Games Archives. Retrieved from https://thephysicaleducator.com/game_category/cooperation/
- (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mrgym.com/CooperativeGames.htm