Physical education classes provides school-age children with physical activity and offer many health benefits, including strengthening muscles and bones, maintaining healthy weight and warding off cardiovascular trouble and high blood pressure. Choosing to go outdoors for P.E. class can also boost vitamin D levels, reduce stress and, in some cases, lessen symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
Capture The Flag
The objective in this game is to find and seize the opposing team's flag. To start, divide students into two teams, and assign each team a side of the field or play area. Each team gets a set amount of time to hide its flag on its side of the field. Once ready, team members have to get to their opponent's side of the field, find the opponent's flag and bring it back to their side of the field. Students can tag opponents and take them to jail, where they have to wait to be freed by a teammate tagging them. The first team to capture the flag wins.
Human Chain
Human chain is a modified version of tag. To start, one person is "it " and chases the other students until she catches someone. Those two then hold hands and, as a team, have to chase fellow students until they catch another person. The trio must then hold hands, making a longer human chain, and continue to tag more students, the Indian Child website explains. The chain can be broken once enough students have been tagged to split into equal groups --- for example, a six-students chain can break off into two groups of three. This continues until everyone is tagged.
Hoops
All you need for this game is a hula hoop. With the class in a circle, one student starts out with his arm stuck through a hula hoop, then joins hands with everyone else. The student with the hoop must pass through the hula hoop until it reaches the next person, who then tries to pass through the hoop. This continues on until the hoop has made it back to the starting point. The key to this activity, according to the Primary Resources website: The students can't let go of their neighbors' hands while getting through the hula hoop.
Obstacle Course
Setting up an obstacle course lets you modify the activity for any age group. While it may take some preparation, it's fun way to challenge the children. You can even set up two identical courses and have the kids race. Examples of obstacles: hula hoops to jump through, boxes to jump over, cones to weave in and out of, and anything else that can be run under, over or around, such as playground equipment.
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