I never play dodgeball in my PE classes. I see no point in it as it doesn’t teach any skill or get all the kids moving. It is also dangerous and can promote bullying behaviors. However, my students still ask to play it on a […]
Heart rate lesson plan
My main goal in PE class is to keep the kids moving while they are with me. In addition, I am trying to fit in some mini lessons this year that help my students gain an understanding of fitness and give them tools to pursue […]
Warm-up circuits
I have been doing more circuit work this year and the kids really like it. Warm-up circuits are great because they give my students some autonomy (they choose where to start), are fast paced, and get everyone moving. When my students enter on circuit day, […]
Muscle mini lesson
This year in PE we are focusing on a different muscle every month. Since I don’t want to spend any movement time having my students sit and listen, I talk about our muscle as we do our stretches. Here is an example of a mini lesson […]
Fire and Ice Tag game
My first and second graders love tag games. This is a fun spin on frozen tag. 4-5 blue yarn balls 3 red yarn balls The blue yarn balls represent “ice”. Students with ice are “it” and try and tag others. If you are tagged by […]
Visual aids for PE
I am working this year to add some science into my PE classes so I decided to focus on learning the names of major muscle groups. I made this fun bulletin board to add interest and add a fun visual image to my gym. As […]
How was your summer?
School is back in session and at my school PE specialty starts the very first day. I like to get the kids moving in between some talking about rules and expectations. This is a game I played on the first day, very first thing as […]
organizing teams
I teach over 800 students every week, 30 minute classes, about 30 students per class. I need efficient ways to divide my students into different size groups for different activities. Sometimes I want like abilities together and sometimes I like to mix skill levels. Here […]
Pass the Pig
I like games that disguise that we are working on fitness. In other words, I like to get them moving in a fun way so that they don’t realize they are working out. This is a fun and easy game that targets core fitness. Divide […]
Builders and bulldozers
This is a commonly played game with many different names, including “wreck-it-ralph”. If you haven’t tried it, the game is very active and always a favorite with my littlest students. Set-up cones and/or bowling pins randomly around the play space. Assign about one-third of the […]