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Top 5 Ways to Increase Fun & Fitness in PE

 

# 1.  Remove FEAR

Did you know that the number one reason kids don't want to participate in physical education is fear of embarrassment? How do you remove fear? One of the easiest and quickest ways is to play with equipment that they aren't afraid of. Substitute the ball for a Fluffilo and kids will be begging to play! Fluffilos have just the right amount of fluff to make sure they don't hurt your fingers OR your face if you happen to get hit! 

 

 

#2. Keep it SIMPLE

Did you know that the number one reason teachers gave for not doing PE was the amount of time it takes to prep and set up? Reduce your prep time by keeping games simple and engaging. For example - play a tag game every day with a twist on the rules. Try shadow tag on a sunny day - you're it if someone steps on your shadow. Shade is "safe" but you can only stay there for a few seconds at a time. No "guarding" the shade. Have 20% of the players be "it" for maximum fun and engagement. Another tag idea? Play with Fluffilos! You can throw them at each other and it never hurts! So awesome!! Give 20% of the players (1 out of every 5 students - so if you have 20 players, FOUR of them are "it") a Fluffilo and off you go!! Play a number of short rounds. Tag is generally good for just a few minutes. Don't try to stretch it to 20 minutes. 3-5 should do ya. For more quick and easy game ideas, click the LEARN MORE button right there... 
 

#3. Get their little hearts a-pumping!

Guess what - kids LOVE to run! But NOT when they HAVE to. When you start doing "timed miles" and "running laps" all of the enjoyment is removed. Let them blast off to the fence and back "just for fun" and they're all over it! Use physical activity as a way for kids to experience the JOY of movement! Try this one  on for size: 

  1. Establish a distance you want your kids to travel. Let's say about 10 yards per grade level - so 10 yards for 1st graders, 20 yards for 2nd graders, etc. 

  2.  Challenge them with ways to cross the space. If your method of moving is too tough for the distance, have them do it to the halfway mark then run to the other end. For example, frog hops or bear crawls might be tough to do for 30 yards!

  3. Select some moves. Feel free to pick some from this list: 

    • speed walk​

    • jog

    • run

    • sprint

    • back-pedal

    • gallop

    • shuffle

    • bear crawl

    • crab walk

    • lunge walk

    • frog hop

    • skip

    • high knee skips

    • heel-to-tush run

    • ask the kids for suggestions

    • try some different types of animal walks

  4. Do you have a lot of kids? Divide them into two or three "waves" and have them start with staggered starts, but going almost continuously. No need to wait for group one to get across before group 2 starts. Simply give them a bit of a head-start and then signal the next group to go. Keep things moving! This activity should keep 'em busy for about 10 minutes while increasing their fitness AND getting those wiggles out! 

  5. Try a memory game. Tell them the moves to do and see if they can do two in a row, or three in a row!

#4. Build Confidence 

Kids need to feel safe and successful to enjoy physical activity. The best way to build self-confidence is to create an environment where every single student feels confident and secure. How do you that when there is such a huge range of abilities? Select activities where EVERYone is busy and engaged in the activity so that they don't have the chance to stand around and watch (make fun of) anyone else. One way to make kids feel really bad about themselves is to play games where they get humiliated by getting "out" first. Another sure-fire way to destroy confidence is allowing kids to pick teams. So the first order of business is to eliminate "elimination" games, and to never allow kids to pick their own teams. Yes, we have some great suggestions for you at Tandalay.com for quick and easy ways to set up teams, and tons of alternative games to make sure you never play games where kids get "out." But the easiest and quickest way to build confidence? Simply switch your equipment to Fluffilos. They have been field tested and scientifically designed to be easy to catch and easy to throw so that kids can play catch instead of having to chase after the ball every time they miss. And yes - safe for fingers and face!

PE time should not only be super fun for the kids, but should be enjoyable and refreshing for YOU!! If you're ready for stress-free PE, check out Tandalay's amazing ready-to-teach easy-to-play curriculum! Just POINT-CLICK-PLAY! Point to a lesson, click on it, and go play! Minimal set-up, no prep, just a whole lot of fun without all the headache! 

For example, instead of spending hours looking for activities, then going to get a bunch of equipment from storage and spending time setting up the field, why not play games that just use your little bag of Fluffilos? Why not let someone else do the heavy lifting and tedious planning so that YOU can quite literally just go out to PLAY? We did just that (the heavy lifting and planning) at Tandalay. Ready to simplify your life, add fun and success and laughter and joy and sheer delight to your day - every day? Now you can - with Tandalay!  

# 5.  Make sure YOU are having fun!

** to see a Tandalay Unit with free games and activities, click here​ **

The Chariot Relay

Here's one more quick and easy game for you - with NO equipment needed. 

The Chariot Relay: 

  • Teams of 5 players

  • Teammates form a square with one player in the center

  • Establish your starting line and your destination line

  • Before "go" have players form their chariot. Front players can be hands free, but must remain in FRONT of the rider. Back players link hands BEHIND the rider and place their outside hands on the shoulders of the two players in FRONT of the rider. The rider is in charge of driving the chariot and places hands on the inside shoulders of the two front players. 

  • In order to cross the field, players must remain in this formation. Players who break formation by letting go or by letting the rider get ahead of the two front players must go back to the beginning that lap. 

  • After each lap, players trade the center player until each of the players has had a turn in the center. If you have to have a couple of teams of 6 players, add a player to the front center position with the front two outside players placing their hands on his/her shoulders. Have EVERY team add a lap to make it even. 

  • Winners are the teams that not only finish first, but who SHOW THE BEST TEAMWORK!

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