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Active Gym Games for Children

One of the most important lessons children can learn is how to take good care of themselves and their bodies. As a gym teacher, you want to impart these lessons to your students through educational gym activities. Keep your students interested in what they're doing by having them play some active gym games.

Split the Pairs
- Get your students running with this game. Begin by selecting one player to be "It." Divide the rest of the players into pairs. The pairs all have to hold hands throughout the game. While the "It" student counts to 30, the pairs head away from him. Once he finishes counting, he chases the players, tagging any he can reach. If one of the partners of any pair gets tagged, both players get eliminated from the game. After "It" has eliminated all of the pairs, select another player to become "It" and continue with another round. Play for as many rounds as time permits.
Giant Squid
- To start this game, create a large square boundary within the gym by laying rope on the floor. Select one player to become the Giant Squid. He stands in the middle of the square. Instruct the rest of the players to line up side by side behind one of the sides of the square. When ready, the Giant Squid calls out "Swim fish, swim!" This prompts the players behind the line to run to the opposite side beyond the Giant Squid. While they race to the other side, they must avoid the Giant Squid as he tries to tag as many players as possible. If a player gets tagged, they freeze in place. All of the players who make it to the opposite side have to continue racing across the middle of the square every time the Giant Squid calls out "Swim fish, swim." The frozen players have to try and tag the other players as they race by; however, they have to stay in their places. The last player remaining who was never tagged wins the game.
Going Through the Tunnel
- Begin this energizing relay game by dividing the players into two teams. Line the teams up single-file. Tell the players to spread their legs about hip-distance apart. When you blow your whistle, the last player in each line has to crawl through his teammates' legs until he reaches the front of the line. The new last player in line does the same as soon as the player behind him has gone through his legs. This pattern continues until one of the lines has formed into its original line-up, with the original first player in the first position and the original last player in the last position in line. That team wins the game.

Kids Games