Category Archives: Recess

School: Long Rope Jumping Activity

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 Long Rope Activity for All: School  

red polejump ropeThis activity works well with grades 1st to 5th.  It’s also a great recess activity.

Equipment: One long rope with one end attached to a wall or pole. At our school we like to attach the rope to a moveable post that can be easily moved around the gym or outside.

  • The teacher is the rope turner.
  • Students line up at one end behind a cone, facing the rope and the teacher begins to turn the rope.
  • Students take individual turns to see if they can pass the grades K-12.
  • One advantage in doing this with a large group of students is that the turns are fast at the start. This gets more involvement with everyone in the line, because they are not just standing and watching everyone else jump. You can certainly continue beyond 12th grade, if the line is shorter and there is time.
  • To pass Kindergarten: Students must run through the rope.
  • 1st Grade: Run into the middle and make one jump, then run out the other side, and run around to the end of the line.
  • Students continue to run in to the middle and make the number of jumps that corresponds to each grade level.
  • If you fail to make the jump for a certain grade, you may try that grade again on your next turn, though we usually give some leeway, so we create a more inclusive atmosphere..
  • It helps to put a line on the floor where the rope hits when you’re turning it. There is a tendency for many students to run past the best place to jump the rope, which is in the center of the rope.

Class Jumping Activity: Work together as a class and see if you can get everyone to run through the rope each time it circles around. The teacher will turn the rope with one full swing in between each turn. Students will really have to focus and run hard to do this. You can have the class do this activity a number of times until they are able to do it together.

Ultimate Class Jumping: Do the same activity as above, but this time work together as a class and see if you can get everyone through the swing of the rope with no extra swings between each student. This will be very challenging for any class to accomplish.

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Equality (Straddle) Ball

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Equality (Straddle) Ball Setup:

  • One soft small foam ball  or playground ball for a group of five to eight students.
  • The group sets up in a circle with legs wide apart and feet touching.
  • The space between each player’s feet is a goal that they defend by using their hands only.
  • Bend your knees and get low with the palms of your hands facing the middle of the circle and your fingers pointing down.
  • Ready, Begin…

The game starts when one player sets the ball in front of them and taps it with their hand in an attempt to get the ball through another player’s legs.

  • The ball may only be tapped with their hands. No stopping the ball and rolling it.
  • You may not reach over in front of another player’s “goal”.
  • If a ball travels outside of the circle, the player that touched it last should retrieve it and start a new game.

Variation One: Use two or even three balls if it is a larger group.

 Variation Two (Doggy Style): Turn around so you are facing out. Position your feet, so you have to hit the ball through your legs backwards.

 

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Recess Games and Activities

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Tetherball – You are out if you:

  • Touch the pole
  • Touch the rope
  • Cross the center line
  • Rope/ball is wrapped around pole
  • Server may only serve two times, then must go to the end of the line.

Four Square

  • Underhand only
  • Lines are in
  • For Disputed call – The “judge” is the next person in line
  • The “judge” makes all calls: overhand hit, ball out, line (redo called only if cause is interference)
  • Please, no teaming or arguing
  • When a player is out, they must go to the end of the line and players move up to fill vacated square.

Climbing Structure

  • Slide down the slide on your bottom.
  • Walking and climbing only-no running or chasing
  • Stay on the inside of the structure
  • No jumping from the top

Parallel Bars

  • Only 4 kids on at one time
  • No standing on top of or jumping off of the bars
  • 2 tricks each, then give someone else a turn

Swinging Gate

  • One person rides
  • One person pushes 20 spins equals a turn.
  • After completing 20 spins, the next person in line begins turn.
  • Stand in line on the blacktop until it is your turn.

Jump Rope

  • 2 misses is an out.
  • Rope turners turns for 2 people.
  • Jump ropes are for jumping only.

Hula Hoops

  • Each person should have their own hula hoop to play with.
  • Hoops are for spinning and balancing
  • No catching students by looping the hula hoop over someone’s head.

Dunk Basketball

  • 3 players VS. 3 players only
  • Practice shots O.K.
  • No hanging off the rim

Backboard Basketball

  • 5 players vs. 5 players maximum.
  • Even number of players on each team.
  • Follow official basketball rules

Wall Ball

  • One person is pitcher.
  • All other kids are on the wall between the lines.
  • Pitcher rolls the ball like you are bowling.
  • If you are hit with the ball-go out and stand at the side.
  • When 2 people are out, a new game starts
  • The pitcher chooses a new pitcher from the kids left on the wall.
  • Boy chooses girl or girl chooses boy.

Soccer, Football, and Kickball

  • Follow standard rules
  • Safety and Fairness must be maintained at all times.
  • Game will be discontinued if arguing replaces play.
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Hoop d’Jour

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Setup and Equipment:

  • Equipment: Hula Hoops and a sash or jersey for the “its”
  • Twenty five – thirty hula hoops are spread out across the floor.
  • Four – Six students are designated as “its” and stand in the middle of the gym. They will be kicking any of the hoops to try to get them to slide across the floor to hit the players that are running across the floor filled with hoops.
  • The rest of the class starts the game at one end of the gym.
  • This is a a tag game that lasts for one – two minutes for each set of taggers. It works best to make sure that everyone gets a turn. They really enjoy the way the hoops slide on the floor.

Rules:

  • The teacher starts the music and  the runners will try to navigate themselves through the hoops without stepping on or being being tagged by a sliding hula hoop.
  • Players that touch or are tagged on the feet by a moving hula hoop must stop running and stand frozen and balance on one foot inside of a hoop. They can be defrosted and return to playing when one of their classmates gives them a high-five.
  • When the runners have made it to the other side or are frozen and balancing on one foot the teacher stops the game. When everyone is standing on the end line, restart the music and the players will try to run back their original starting line.
  • Continue having students run back and fort for a couple of minutes, then choose new taggers to kick the hula hoops.
  • Repeat the same game format for each new set of taggers until everyone has a turn.
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