Field Day

Philosophy

Make a day for ALL students to shine and fall in love with physical activity (not just the athletes).

Give opportunity for multiple turns at events. Once and done is not fun.

Focus away from failures as exercise and fitness is about doing.

Sportsmanship is a big part of everyone's day.

To participate as an individual is easy. Being part of a team is hard. Team events bring students and teachers together. I prefer team events because everyone has an opportunity to share and do their part.

Field day can include a mix of individual, small group and large team events to suit various tastes. Intergenerational teams can work.

Games

Pipeline

You'll need 6 different size PVC pipes for each team and one dice. I have found that dice roll slower than marbles. Students stand side by side hooking their pipes. The first person lets the dice run through their pipe and then runs and hooks on to the end. The pipeline moves forward to the end. The pipeline is a timed event. How many times can you move the dice from one end to the other in 5 minutes. Then switch groups of 6.

South American field day

Games students enjoy

Chicken fight

In a large circle there are 2 players, one from each team, or you can make lots of circles and have 2 players in each. Each person has a scarf tucked into their belt. Facing each other, players act like chickens. Object is to grab the other persons scarf. Can play standing on one foot also or having one of their arms folded across their chest.

Peteca

Use a badminton birdie. Standing in a circle, the players toss the peteca (birdie) into the air and keep it aloft by striking it with the palm of one hand. Players take turns hitting it to the player next to them, proceeding in order around the circle. Often the players call out the alphabet or numbers as they are striking the peteca. When it falls to the ground, play starts over, beginning with the player who last hit the peteca.

You could also have anyone hit it, instead of going in the circle. Or have several small circles.

Cat and Rat

Single circle facing center (hands clasped) with cat outside circle and rat inside. Choose one player to be the cat and one player to be the rat. The cat taps one of the players in the circle on the back.

The circle player and the cat have the following conversation:

player - "What do you want?"

cat - " I want to see the rat."

player - "You cannot see him or her now"

cat - "When can I see him or her?"

player - "At ten o'clock" (the player can say anytime he or she desires)

Immediately, the circle players begin moving CCW in rhythm as they count off the hours by saying, "One o'clock, tick-tock, two o'clock, tick-tock, and so on until they reach the announced time. At this point, the circle stops moving. The cat steps up again to the player he or she originally tapped.

player- "What do you want?"

cat- "I want to see the rat."

player-"What time is it?"

cat- "Ten o'clock"

player- "Alright, come in"

The cat ducks inside under the circle players' clasped hands to try to tag the rat. The rat tries to elude the cat by getting outside the circle. The circle players help the rat by raising their arms and letting him or her pass out of the circle, but hinder the cat by lowering their arms. When the cat catches the rat, the rat selects another cat, and the former cat becomes the new rat. You can also play each round for a certain time limit, and then call time, and say its a draw.

Chile

Hit the Penny

A stick is put standing straight up in the middle of a circle. A penny is put on the top of the stick. Players stand outside the circle and try to knock the penny off the stick with their own penny. A point is scored if penny is knocked off the stick and out of the circle. Can play that you get a point if knock off stick.

El Pullmatun

Divide the group into two teams. All standing inside a circle. Object is to roll the ball under one leg and hit a person from the other team. Opposing players try to avoid being hit, but they also try to catch the ball with their hands so they can throw it at the other team. The rolling team scores one point for each opposing player they hit. If a player steps out of bounds-other then to retrieve the ball- subtract one point from that player's team score even if the scoring enters negative numbers.

Peru-

Bola

Set up 3 pins in a triangle with the head pin toward the players, 25 to 30 feet from bowling line. (line can be moved closer depending on age). The players roll the ball toward the pins, trying to knock them down. The head pin is worth 12 points and the others are worth 6 points.

Reloj

Two players turn a rope. The others form a line of jumpers. Object is to give the time, 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock, by running in, jumping the correct number of times and running out- without missing or getting hit by the rope. Players continue with the numbers of jumps, increasing from to 12.

4 goal soccer

4 goals, 2 teams- each team attacks and defends 2 goals. Played just like regular soccer. Team A's goals are on the north and west side of the field (to defend). Team B's are on the east and south. Can play with or without goalies. No offsides or corner kicks. Ball goes out of bounds to throw ins.

Bolivia

Juego De Panuelo

4 lines (facing forward) forming a cross. A player (IT) circles the group and drops a handkerchief behind a player who is at the end of one of the lines. When the handkerchief is dropped, all players in that particular line must run in a circle around the group and return to their space in the exact order in which they were originally at. In the meantime, IT takes one of the vacated spots. The last player to return to position will be without a seat and is the new IT.

More at PE Central

http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/fielddays/fielddaysindex.asp

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