What! Kicked out again!
And you want me to double 2nd grade!
HELP!!!
Tia Ziegler
Chappelow K-8 Arts and Magnet School
Tziegler1@greeleyschools.org
2001 34th St. Evans, Co
970-348-1264
Meagan Reliford
Madison Elementary
Mbarnes1@greeleyschools.org
500 24th Street
970-348-1757
****This session will give you a variety of ideas for PE class when you are
unable to use your space due to picture day, health screening day, assemblies,
performances, and the list goes on! You will learn strategies and games for
classroom teaching, large group PE classes as well as integrated learning and
team teaching ideas to be used with your specials team.
Kicked out the gym locations:
 Outside (grass and playground)
 Classroom
 Cafeteria
 Music room/stage area.
Necessary Tool Box equipment to have in a pinch!!!!
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Scarves
Beanbags
Wristbands
Variety of throwing items: beanbag, football, chicken, etc
Dice
Balloons
Parachute
Classroom Games:
For winter months in Colorado when it is not possible to teach outside!
 Beanbags
 Scarves
 Speed stacks lessons
 Fitness
 Math/Dice Games
 Stations
 Giant Puzzles
 Silent Speedball
 Jacks
 Board Games
 Balloons
 Yarn/Fluff balls
 Knee Volleyball w/ beachball
 Puppets
 Nutrition Worksheets
 Fitness-weights-exercises
 Fit Spots
 Freeze Dance/Movement
Outside Games and Activities:
 Tag games- Bridge Tag-Frisbee Tag-Link Up Tag-Everlasting
Tag- Triangle Tag and any other kind of tag you like to play!
 Parachute
 Beanbags
 Flag Tag
 Throw and Go
 Capture the Flag
 Continuous Kickball
 Flag Sharks and minnows.
Large Group Games:
 High Five in the Middle
 Mix and Mingle
 Pringle Cans/Tennis Balls
 Stations-shooting, jump ropes, jacks, cups, hula hoops, giant
puzzles, ring toss, bowling.
 Sink The Ship
 Paradise Island
 Throw and Go
 Fitness variations in the gym
Classroom Games: Make sure it is okay to move desks/tables beforehand with the
classroom teacher. Go over safety rules for the classroom, being respectful and not acting like
we can in the gym for PE.
Silent Speedball: This game has been used by many of my classroom teachers over the years.
They even buy their own yarn balls to play. Get soft objects that won’t damage a classroom.
Spread students out around the room (this one you don’t have to move desks if you don’t want
too.) Students have to communicate without talking. Clapping, snapping, eye contact, sign
language, feet, and any way to get attention of others is how they should communicate. I start
with one object. They must throw underhand to another student and it must be a good throw.
If the student doesn’t catch it they sit down. If they don’t catch it because it was a bad throw
then the student who threw it sits down. It is fun to add objects as they get going. Giggling is a
mandatory part of this game! 
Beanbags: Toss and catch lightly (no ceiling tosses) toss clap catch, sit with a partner and play
steal the beanbag. Beanbag will be in the center of the partners hands behind the back then the
teacher calls out right, left or both, students have to try and hit the beanbag with the proper
hand for a point.
Scarf Juggling: Teach 1 scarf at a time: toss and catch, add two scarves, toss toss catch catch.
Allow students to create with scarfs and use their imaginations. (Could expand into a scarf unit)
Fitness: Fitness can be done a variety of ways in the classroom:
The students can be in good self – space. Jog in place, pushups, jacks, etc. I have made small
sheets with different fitness exercises for the intermediate students to do either as a class, with
partners, or on their own. Fit spots are also a quick alternative in the classroom. I have the
pilates, weights, and yoga spots. They work great in a classroom with students working on their
own. Dice Fitness can also be played. Simply borrow dice from a classroom teacher unless you
have a set of foam dice, then write up activities on the classroom whiteboard/smart board and
let students roll and exercise.
Primary students: Freeze Dance:
Most classrooms have a stereo or smart board for music. Simply plug in and let primary
students jam out when the music is on and freeze when it is off. Make sure they stay in 1 spot
so they aren’t moving around. This is also great in the Gym! You can also teach walking slowly
when the music is on then do a think, pair, share when it turns off-question them: What is your
favorite physical activity? Or have them practice finding partners and then do a fun handshake
and this becomes their handshake partner, then move again and find a new partner.
Puppets! Mrs. Ziegler’s 2nd choice for teaching! Puppetry!
I am at the arts school-so of course we promote theater and acting. My drama teacher is
awesome and taught me basics of puppetry. I use the “Know your body puppets” and borrow
his, however if you are stuck in the classroom you could make sock or sack puppets one day
then the next time you are kicked out use them! I teach health, personal and social
responsibility, playground rules, etc. I let the kids create 1 minute plays and then show the
class. We use desks or whatever we can find for the puppet stage! Try it you will have so much
fun!
Balloons: What can I say! Balloons are so fun! Allow the students to explore and create while
teaching some basic striking or partner striking. This is also one that you might have to shut
down if they get to crazy, however they love it!
Board Games: Simply borrow games from classroom teachers and set it up and go! I have
totally stole math game ideas and math card games as well as Guess Who and Apples to Apples.
This is the “Oh geez, it’s raining and my kicked out plan is ruined day” or the “oops we forgot to
tell you we need the gym afterschool plan”, bye bye intramurals!
Stations: For K-3 this works well. The older students need more movement and structure at
least in my experience. I will use a classroom space and use giant poly spot puzzles (I have the
skeleton and US puzzle), jacks, cups, My plate worksheets, dice fitness, puppets, Foot Bingo,
etc. The list goes on. Ask your classroom teachers what they do for “Friday Fun” they are a
wealth of knowledge for fun classroom games.
OUTSIDE GAMES IN A HURRY!
****Most days my staff is very good at planning ahead and I know when I am
“Kicked out of the gym” however there is that occasional day where I end up
outside last minute. These outside games are good when you need something fast
or will also work if you just are itching to be outside in that beautiful spring
weather! I have played some of these games with multiple grade levels at once!
Flag Tag is a 4th-8th grade favorite!
Tag Games are a must outside! They get the kids moving and there is so
much space to run! The primary students love to have that space to move faster
than skipping in the gym.
***Everlasting Tag – Everybody is it, when tagged sit down, watch the person
who tagged you, when they get tagged you are back in the game. If tagged at the
same time, rock paper scissors or both sit down and choose someone to watch.
K-2 Bridge Tag-When tagged make a bridge (tunnel) someone has to go under to
free the bridge. When I go outside last minute and have no objects or wristbands,
I choose taggers in a variety of ways: boys, girls, glasses, short sleeves, long
sleeves, pants, shorts, wearing blue, 8 years old, 9 years old, etc, etc, etc. 
4th-5th and middle school-Link Up Tag- Have students link elbows with a partner
or stand shoulder to shoulder. Students need to be spread out in space but not
too far away. Pick two students to play tag, when they are running the person
being chased can “link up” with someone else and then the person on the other
side takes off and is the new person being chased. I will add 2 more people
playing tag.
IT’S FLAG TAG TIME
Flag Tag 3rd-8th Grade: Safety: Buckle them in the front, grab and pull down not
up. Don’t tie or put flags through belt loops.
Mrs. Ziegler’s preference: Everybody wears a flag when the flag gets pulled kneel
down put it back on then you are up and back in the game.
3 Zone Flag Steal: Zone 1 is where everyone begins-when your flag is taken go to
zone 2, when it’s taken again go to zone 3, then to get back to zone 2 you must
take a flag. Attempt to move back up to zone 1.
Students favorite: Form color-teams and play alliances with teams. Blue against
yellow, etc, when out you lose your flag kneel down and put it back on and keep
playing.
Sharks and Minnow Style: Have students begin on one end of the field or gym.
Pick 4 students to be the sharks, they do not have flags and stand in the center.
Put out about 4-5 hula hoops scattered in the playing space. On Go signal
students run to the other side, if they get their flag pulled they put the flag off to
the side and go to a hula hoop, then on the next round someone can rescue them
from the hoops with a high five or tag.
Elimination: middle school loves to play this, however if they get their flag pulled
they have to walk and talk the perimeter or else be doing a specified or choice
exercise on the sideline.
Triangle Tag: Groups of 4 people or 5. 3 people hold hands and travel in a circle, they choose to
protect somebody in the circle. The 4th person is the tagger, they move outside the circle trying to tag
on the shoulder the person being protected. They cannot put a hand through the circle. The groups
must stay traveling in a circle.
Capture the Flag: I know there are many version of this game. This is my basic
one. I play this a lot at the end of the year with large classes. At one time last
year, my dance teacher, orchestra teacher, music teacher and I all had our middle
school classes playing. Most students were moving. If it gets too big I have made
two games.
****Divide class into 2 teams: I use Team Shake for this, unless I have 60 kids
outside then I do partners and still don’t worry so much if teams aren’t “perfectly
even.” A lot of times I let the kids decide or put older students in the leadership
role of dividing as long as they don’t do captains.
Set up a large cone at each end of the field. Place a scarf or ball on the cone.
Divide the space in half with a long line of cones that the students can see easily.
Place 4 cones to make a jail in the center between the dividing cones and the
large cones with the scarves. There can be 2 guards that stand 2-3 feet away from
the scarf, no puppy guarding. Everybody else can stay on their side to tag people
or can go across to the other side to attempt to steal the opposing teams scarf. If
they grab the scarf and run they can’t hand off and must make it past the middle
cones to score, at that point they take the scarf back and the game never stops. If
they tagged they must go to jail. Two ways to get out of jail, they can run free
back to their side or to the flag when the teacher yells “jailbreak” or a teammate
can make it into jail without being tagged and take 1 or 2 people by the arm and
walk back to their side without being tagged.
Variations: I have used hula hoops with different objects to steal, we have hidden
objects low in trees, allowed only 1 guard, ideas are endless. Let students create
some variations.
CONTINUOUS KICKBALL
Equipment: 6 large nerf balls, 2 hula hoops, 1 poly spot, 3 spots/cones for bases.
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. There will be a kicking team and a fielding team.
The kicking team needs to stay on the line behind a cone to stay out the way. Pitcher (teacher)
will roll the nerf balls in a row so that the first 6 people are kicking. After they kick, they are to
run around the entire bases trying to get to the polyspot (not home base.) Meanwhile, the
fielding team is trying to gather/throw/catch the six nerf balls and place them in a hula hoop off
to the side. If the fielding team succeeds getting them all in the hoop before the kicking team
completes the bases they receive a point, if the kicking team makes it home before the nerfs
are in the hoop then they receive a point. Play until everyone kicks and then switch.
LARGE GROUP GAMES IN THE GYM!
High Five in the Middle/Meet and Greet!! Partners and they meet in the middle and perform exercise
tasks and silly tasks, you can use the long way or short way of the gym depending on the amount of kids.
Pushups, jacks, handshake, knuckles, partner situps, etc.
High five right hand
High five left hand
High Ten
Low Ten
Backwards Ten
10 Partner Pushups
10 Partner Situps
10 Jumping Jacks
Do Si Do
Swing your partner (elbows)
Low Five Right Hand
Low Five Left Hand
Make up your own or repeat or have the students repeat the whole sequence after you review it.
Mix and Mingle-3rd-5th-Finding partners appropriately, different ways to find partners, sit
feet to feet, back to back, sticky high five, etc. then teach firecracker, rollercoaster, give
them different tasks to do with their partner or questions, then they travel around gym
using different locomotors to music, when music stops find a partner, assign a different
task, then make them go back and find their raise the roof partner, or high five partner and
perform the task.
Cruise the Gym:
Equipment: Lots of equipment, signs, numbered poly spots or whatever you have
Formation: Students can partner just have enough stations for everyone to go to. I used 25. Students
can rotate each minute, or can move wherever they want. I like the numbers because you could put
them in order so the kids can rotate or you can mix up the numbers all over the gym so the kids have to
run all over to find them and do them in order.
Stations: curlups, pushups, different weights exercises, exercise balls (if they can handle it), step ups on
a bench or box, pull ups with 2 people holding a dowel rod, jump rope, dot drills (like hopscotch),
exercise bands, exercise tubes (have if you want to borrow), hula hoops, balance boards, yoga poses,
back extensions, skip 1 lap, jog 1 lap, medicine ball toss, medicine ball abs (Russian twists), front plank,
side plank, Partner arm resistance, Back to back stand and sit, rock paper scissors with feet, walking
lunges, standing squats, balloons, partner push pull, thumb wars, etc….
Continuous Relay: Task cards with a fitness list. Cones for the task cards (Velcro works), jump ropes
enough for both endlines.
Formation: Groups of 3. One person at each endline and one person in the middle. Can go either
direction of the gym short or long.
Instructions: The student in the middle will begin with the first exercise and do 10 or whatever number
of reps you want, and then will run and take over for a jump roper and 1 end, that jumper runs all the
way across the gym and takes over for the other jumper, then that jumper moves to the middle to begin
exercising. Each person must do each exercise. Can substitute basketball dribbling instead of ropes or
toss and catch for variety.
Fitness Speedway (similar to Hexagon Hustle) : 6 cones, fitness poster or list on the board.
Formation: Partners, Set up an exercise square with 4 cones and a fit list on the board.
Instructions: 1 partner will start with the first exercise and perform the exercise the entire time the
other partner is running 2 laps, then they trade when they runner returns to the exercise area. If they
finish the fit list, then they can do it again, or choose their favorites to perform again.
Fitness 500: Equipment: hula hoops for equipment, jump ropes, task cards, yarn balls, nerf footballs, etc.
Formation: Hoops scattered with equipment in it. Cones for a running area around the gym
Instructions: The students will each have a partner. One partner will run for 2 minutes and the other will
choose something to play with (throwing and catching) for 2 minutes, then they walk for 30 seconds and
then trade and the other partner runs. Can also have them do it all together: run for 2 min and then
everybody walks for 30 seconds and they all get 2 min of explore time.
Jog and Jump: Jump ropes coned off area for running laps. Get partners and while music is
playing one partner jump ropes in the middle the other runs, then they switch.
Partner Fitness-Posters on 2 sides of the gym wall or fit lists. When the music is on they are doing the fit
list, when it stops they walk and talk. I set up cones in the corners to make a track. Fit list:
Thumb war, Knee tag, jacks, curlups, partner pushups, squats, lunges, jump rope, hot hands, mountain
climbers, etc. We usually go for about 15 to 20 minutes. This works well with multiple grade levels. I
have paired a 4th grader with a middle school student.
Pringle Cans and Tennis Balls:
I love Pringle cans and tennis balls. They are so fun to play with! There is a variety of tasks you
can do with the can and tennis ball. I always make sure that if I have 1st graders with middle
school students (which I happen to have together often) that the older students protect and are
careful with the little guys. Tennis balls can’t be thrown out of control or I take it.
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Bounce catch the ball in the can
Hit the ball with the bottom of the can (dribbling)
Toss bounce catch in can
Roll on the floor to the can on its side
Toss from the can to land in the can
Toss to the wall and bounce catch in the can
Catch in the air off the wall or a bounce
Partner toss bounce catch
Roll into can as a target
Set up multiple cans on one side of the gym, then contain
everybody on the other side and fire at the same time!
STATIONS: If I know ahead of time that I am going to double classes depending on the age I
typically will start with a game of Roadblock walking on the lines then move into stations.
These stations will also work with multiple grade levels. To control large classes I use a head
set mic or my trusty gym drum. 1 drum beat means stop and clean the station, 2 drum beats
means rotate.
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Hula hoops
Basket shooting
Long jump ropes
Jacks
Cupstacks
Beach balls
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Magic carpet ride (turn carpet squares upside down and pull students with ropes)
*special station that only comes once in a while at Christmas or with big kids pulling
little kids.
Bowling
Short Jump Ropes
Yoga
Traverse Wall (Pre requisite: At least 2 lessons previous on the wall)
Hippity Hops (*special station that comes out once a while.)
Helicopter with a short rope
Puzzles
Sink the Ship: This game is great if you have a large class size and you don’t
want students to be moving as fast as in a tag game and everyone is more
contained to a specific space. It is a 1st grade with 7th and 8th grade favorite!!!!!!
The normal game has 3-4 students per mat. When Chappelow PE plays it’s on! We have teams
ranging from 6 players to 10. I make sure I borrow mats from another school if I don’t have
enough. Each mat is spread out around the general space, 3 bowling pins are set up on three
sides of the mat on the floor not the mat. Then I throw out as many nerf balls large and small
that I can find. The mini nerf balls are to challenge older students to catch. Students can throw
only from their “ship” but they can leave their ship to go and get a nerf ball. If all pins get
knocked down the team sits down. I never wait for the game to end-I YELL PINS UP! And then
the game begins again.
Variations: Alliance begin to form when teams realize if they put their mats together they can
have more pins, a bigger ship and are farther away from other ships. Students will problem
solve this on their own, but occasionally I will tell them to play this way.
KEEP YOUR CAN
EQUIPMENT: pringle can and ball for each person
FORMATION: everyone sets up their own can in their own space anywhere in the gym but INSIDE the
red basketball line. On the start signal students ROLL the ball at other peoples cans to knock them down.
If the can is knocked down they may move around anywhere outside the red line and roll a ball at the
remaining cans. They may go inside the red line to pick up a ball but MUST BE OUTSIDE the red line to
roll it.
RULES: 1. you must remain upright, not on knees or bent over protecting can
2. No holding the can with your feet
3. if you knock your own can over – to bad so sad
AIR RAID
2ND-
GRADE LEVEL:
5TH
EQUIPMENT: PRINGLE CANS OR BOWLING PINS –1 PER STUDENT, NERF BALLS, 1 PER STUDENT
TO START.
FORMATION: THE OUTSIDE BOUNDRY LINE AROUND THE GYM.
INSTRUCTIONS: Everybody will have 1 pringle can or bowling pin and 1 ball. They set up their can
anywhere in the gym within the boundry line (outside line). The object is to knock down other people’s
pringle cans by rolling or throwing the ball. Once your can is knocked over, you are out. I designate an
area for that. The person who is out must take their can with them and hand it to the first person in line,
then go to the end of the line. Once you get a can you can go set up again and get a ball. In the
beginning of the game, I take cans from the 1st two people in line so there is usually about 2 people
standing in line at once.
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You can’t move your can once it is set up.
You can leave your can to get a ball, but must check to see if your can is knocked down.
You can have up to 2 balls in your hand at once.
You can’t kick a ball at someone’s can.
No puppy guarding, or touching your can with hands or feet.
If you knock your own can down, you are out.
Cans’ must be set up inside the line and not against the wall.
Paradise Island: This game is great when you don’t want to have kids throwing things. It is
not as active as some other choices, but on a Friday afternoon before a break when you have all
of 5th grade…it works like a charm and they love it. This game is actually in my sub plans.
Equipment needed: 5 ropes and scooters, 3 hoops per team. Refer to the drawing of this activity. Saul
Arce is also a good source on how to set up this activity. He can set up the hoops. This activity will be a
challenge for them. Have them group with their team. The purpose of this activity is to get your team
from the Coast of California to the Island of Paradise (other endline of the gym.) They only have a rope
and a scooter to use. They can’t touch any body part to the water (carpet or floor.) The teacher can be
the coast guard and retrieve ropes or scooters that are in the middle of the water between two islands.
The teacher also monitors students to make sure that if they fall off of an island or scooter they move
back one island. If they are at the first island and touch the water they go back to California.
**Emphasize teamwork, strategies, encouragement of other team members,
listening to ideas, cheering for your team.
Safety Concerns: Keep fingers away from wheels of scooters. Don’t allow
standing on the scooters.
Throw and Go: This game is not an MVPA game however it is great for large classes inside or out, and
works well with a sub.
-Have the students divide into teams and sit behind a spot in relay line style. Give each team a different
object to throw. When the teacher says GO, the person at the front of the line throws and then goes and
picks up a different object and runs back to their team. Then they hand the object to the next person
and wait for the GO signal. Make sure they are not running into tables or each other to get an object.
Objects used: rubber animals (chicken, pig, etc), tennis ball, nerf ball, nerf football, bouncy ball,
beanbag, ring, Frisbee, etc. whatever is fun to throw! This basket of goodies goes with me everywhere.
Variation: Use bouncy balls and take one out, then the teacher throws them and whoever doesn’t get
one gets a point.
*****Integrated ideas for teaming with art and music teachers:
My specials teams over the years have been excellent in being team players. A few ideas for you to
explore…I don’t have all the resources for all the wonderful things we have done together, however, go
and ask your art or music teacher about combining and brainstorm some ideas, I promise you they will
have excellent ideas.
Let’s Make a Deal: My art teacher will take older kids for 1-2 extra days for clay, my music teacher will
take 3rd-5th for a few extra rehearsals for our big performance, and I will take all grade levels together for
Jump Rope For Heart or other events I have going on.
Music and PE:
My music teacher is fabulous at movement! A few things we do together:
Parachute routine to a specific piece of music. We put the music up on the screen in the gym
and away we go learning about beat, rests, and repeats.
***Music teachers also have a variety of quick, fun movement games. I can’t recite to
you exactly how to play but I am sure you can google or ask your music teacher about them.
We play Chicken on the Fencepost, multiple folk/circle dances, rhythm stick patterns, tinikling,
and many more.
If we have a large set up for a grade level performance or assembly we will divide our time and
combine our classes. I will play roadblock and a few other games for 25 minutes while my music
teacher is setting up, and then we will switch and she will sing with them the next 25 minutes. It
provides a nice break if needed for you and gets the students to get both specials in one day!
They also love to see the two of you playing off of each other on how important both areas are.
I must say I love singing Schoolhouse Rock in music class!!!!
PE and Art:
We are the arts school so we integrate the arts into all content areas. For
assessment I will do drawing. It provides a fun way for me to assess learning and
the drawings usually make it to the PE bulletin board. I can use art vocabulary
along with PE vocabulary for drawings.
We have had opportunities in my building to combine classes a lot. One project
we did with 5th graders was for them to create a structure out of PE equipment
and then draw it with their toes. We later allowed them to use pencils, but it was
really fun. We did art in the gym!
We have also watched with our 4th grade classes a professional artist create a
piece of artwork for our school then later brought the piece to life through
creative movement, emotions, and routines.
There are times when for earned game time my art teacher will bring her class
down and we play a “large group game” together. It is fun for us to team teach
(yes I do most of the game teaching) but she is there to help monitor and enjoys
seeing the students interact in PE.
Our next goal as Chappelow specialists is to do one big project integrating all of
our content areas. Stay tuned!
I hope this handout is helpful to you in teaching PE! Email me anytime!!!!