Why Movement Matters - lieslmcconchie.com

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Why Movement Matters Physical activity benefits students’ cognition, emotional self-regulation, and health. Cognition Students who are physically active perform better academically.1 Engaging in some form of physical activity before a task improves attention.2 The impact doesn’t stop at attention. Physical activity enhances working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.3 Emotional Self-Regulation It is well known that a routine of physical activity boosts your mood and self-worth.4 Exercise builds stress resilience for the naturally occurring stressors in life. It also lessens the damaging impact of chronic stress. Why does this matter for classroom teachers? Because stress impacts behavior choices. Student behavior dramatically improves when they engage in regular physical activity.5 Health Physical activity boosts your immune system and protects against illness and disease.6 This translates to fewer days absent from school and overall improved health.7 Supporting students in making life-long healthy habits is a worthwhile goal. Each activity outlined below is designed to increase physical activity while students are learning. No instruction time is lost. Make it a goal to incorporate some form of movement every 15-20 minutes. _______________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Michael, S. L., Merlo, C. L., Basch, C. E., Wentzel, K. R., & Wechsler, H. (2015). Critical Connections: Health and Academics. Journal of School Health, 85(11), 740-758. 2 Greeff, J. W., Bosker, R. J., Oosterlaan, J., Visscher, C., & Hartman, E. (2018). Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention, and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 21(5), 501-507. 3 Chen, A. G., Zhu, L. N., Yan, J., & Yin, H. C. (2016). Neural basis of working memory enhancement after acute aerobic exercise: fMRI study of preadolescent children. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 1804. 4 Reddon, H., Meyre, D., & Cairney, J. (2017). Physical Activity and Global Self-worth in a Longitudinal Study of Children. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 49(8), 1606-1613. 5 Álvarez-Bueno, C., Pesce, C., Cavero-Redondo, I., Sánchez-López, M., Garrido-Miguel, M., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2017). Academic achievement and physical activity: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 140(6), e20171498. 6 Bermon, S., Petriz, B., Kajeniene, A., Prestes, J., Castell, L., & Franco, O. L. (2015). The microbiota: an exercise immunology perspective. Exerc Immunol Rev, 21(70), 9. 7 De Groot, R., Van Dijk, M., Savelberg, H., Van Acker, F., & Kirschner, P. (2017). Physical activity and school absenteeism due to illness in adolescents. Journal of School Health, 87(9), 658-664.


Table of Contents

1. 1-2-3 ……………………………………………4

2. 5-4-3-2-1 ……………………………………5

3. All My Neighbors ………………….5

4. Amoeba ……………………………………6

5. Blind Trust Walk ……………………6

6. Book Balance …………………………7

7. Bring it to Me …………………………7

8. Buggy Up ………………………………..8

9. Build a Machine ……………………8

10.Cat/Mouse ………………………………..9

11. Clapping Pattern (7s) …………..9

12. Cosmic Kids Yoga …………………9

13. Count to 10 ……………………………..10

14. Dance Party

(Choreographed) ……………………….10

15. Dance Party (Freestyle) ……..11

16. Drive-by Gratitude ……………….11

17. Elbow Tag ……………………………….12

18. Elephant, Palm Tree, Raft …12

19. Extreme Red Light, Green

Light ………………………………………………..13

20. Follow the Leader …………….…13

21. Friendship Four …………………….14

22. GoNoodle.com ………………….…..15

23. Gopher ……………………………….…….15

24. Great Barrier Reef ……………….16

25. Hop for the Day …………………….16

26. Hula Hoop Pass …………..…….…17

27. Lemonade ……………………..……….17

28. Look Down, Look Up ……..…..18

29. Magic Movement Hat …..……18

30. Obstacle Course …………..……...19

31. Paparazzi ………………………..………..19

32. Poke ………………………………..…………20

33. Push Back ……………………..………..20

34. Quick Draw ……………………………..21

35. Relay Charades ………………………21

36. Rock-Paper-Scissors Train ..22

37. Rock-Paper-Scissors

Transformers ……………………………..….22

38. Roll the Dice ……………………..……23

39. Samurai Sword ……………..………23

40. Sidewalk Chalk Adventure 23

41. Simon Says …………………..…………24

42. Speed Scavenger Hunt ..…..24

43. Tennis Bounce ………………………25

44. TikTok ……………………………………….26

45. Trash Ball ………………………………...26

46. Wall Squats …………………………….27

47. What are You Doing? ……..…27

48. Who’s the Leader? ………………27

49. Would You Rather? …………….28

50. Yoga ………………………………………...28


1. 1-2-3

Students stand face-to-face with a partner. To begin, the practice saying the numbers 1-2-3 in alternating turns. It would sound like this: Student A: “1” Student B: “2” Student A: “3” Student B: “1” … and so on. Let them practice this for a minute or two so they are comfortable. With each next level in the activity, one of the numbers is replaced with an action. Instead of saying the number “1”, the student will clap. It will sound like this: Student A: clap Student B: “2” Student A: “3” Student B: clap … and so on. For the next level, the number 2 is replaced with a jump. Student A: clap Student B: jump Student A: 3 Student B: clap … and so on. For the final level, the number 3 is replaced by spinning around. Student A: clap Student B: jump Student A: spin Student B: clap … and so on. *This is a great activity to enhance working memory, focus, and cooperation. Hot Tips: • You can create any actions you want. Clap, jump, spin are just suggestions.


• As you go throughout the year, you can consider adding a 4th action, or possibly a 5th. Be sure to give plenty of time to practice to ensure successful experiences.

• Write the actions on the board for quick visual reference.

2. 5-4-3-2-1 Write 5 actions in a list on the board (jumping jacks, pushups, jumps, squats, etc.). Students then do the first action 5 times, the second action 4 times, the third action 3 times, etc. until they get to one. Hot Tips: • You can change the order of the list or make a new list every time. • Change the activity so you do odd numbers (9-7-5-3-1), evens (10-8-6-4-2), or

even multiples of 3 (15-12-9-6-3).

3. All My Neighbors Students are seated in chairs in one large circle. One student begins by standing in the middle of the circle. The student makes a statement that is true about themselves following this prompt: "I love all my neighbors, especially those who …" The student can say something true about their physical appearance ("is wearing black shoes"), a hobby ("likes to play soccer"), life experience ("has been to the beach"), etc. Once the student makes their statement, everyone for whom the statement is also true stands up and quickly finds a new seat in a new chair that has become vacant. The person who made the statement is also trying to get one of the open seats, so a new student will end up in the middle. That student then makes a statement that is true about them. The game continues as long as you would like. *This is a great activity to enhance social connection. Hot Tips: • To maximize the physical activity, you can create a rule that students must

choose a new chair that is at least 3 seats away from the one they left.


• If you feel it is necessary, set guidelines for what is not appropriate to share during this kind of activity. For example, "please only share things that we would all be comfortable telling our grandmas."

4. Amoeba The teacher makes two statements. The first is a number, the second is something that other people may have in common with you. For example, "five" and "the color of your shirt". The goal then is for students to form an "amoeba" out of five people wearing the same color shirt. as you. Being an amoeba with just the right number of people sharing the same traits is the only way an amoeba can survive. The students who can’t form an amoeba do some bonus movement or pretend to shrivel up and fall to the ground. The next round continues with a new number and a new category. Examples could be: color of sweater, shoe brand, height, birth month, the same number of siblings, favorite color, etc. *This is a great activity to enhance the social connection amongst students. Hot Tips: • Keep the time short for them to form an amoeba. This will motivate them to

move faster. • Be willing to model what happens to an amoeba if it doesn’t have the correct

number of people.

5. Blind Trust Walk Students are in partnerships – one blindfolded, one not. The student with full sight uses verbal cues to guide their partner on a ___ minute blind trust walk. The goal is to practice communication skills while getting some physical exercise. A student can have a partner step over small objects, hop, skip, etc. Safety should be the #1 priority. Everything else comes second. *This is a great activity to build trust and cooperation. Hot Tips: • Based on what you know about your students, consider what rules would

need to be in place to keep students safe.


• Outline beforehand what is acceptable for a student to instruct their partner to do.

6. Book Balance Students walk around the room while trying to balance a book on their head. The teacher can call out cues to switch things up: slow walk, fast walk, backward, lunges, etc. If the book falls, let them continue trying. If you feel inclined to make it a competition, just have them keep track of how many times the book fell off. *This is a great activity for enhancing balance. Hot Tips: • Be careful to avoid having students “sit out” when they get out of the game.

Remember, the goal is to increase physical activity. Find ways to keep them in the activity for as long as possible.

7. Bring it to Me Students are placed in groups of 4-6 students. Students in each group number off so each is assigned to be #1, #2, etc. The teacher is standing in the middle of a large field. The groups are scattered around the field, equidistant from the teacher. The teacher calls out a number (ie. "number 4") and the #4s from each group all come running in toward the teacher. The teacher huddles up the #4s and gives them instructions to, "Bring me a black shoelace." The #4s rush back to the teams and frantically work to gather the requested item(s). The first team to return to the teacher with the item(s) earns a point for their team. The teacher then calls another number in, and the activity continues. *This is a great activity to enhance social connection and teamwork. Hot Tips: • Be ready with a list of items students can easily gather amongst themselves. • Not all items need to physical objects. The teacher can request students to

bring them 3 teammates singing a song, or a fact about their current unit of study. Be creative and have fun.


8. Buggy Up Each student has a partner of a similar size. Students form two concentric circles (like a donut) with both students in a partnership facing the inside of the circle. There are four calls the leader of this activity can make: Buggy Up: The person in the outer circle places their hands on their partner's shoulders in front of them. Buggy Down: The person in the outer circle puts their hands down at their side. Buggy Switch: The person in the outer circle switches places with their partner in the inner circle. Go, Buggy, Go: The person in the outer circle runs around the outer circle until they return their partner and take the Buggy Up position. The teacher stands in the middle of the circles and randomly makes calls (Buggy Up, Buggy Down, Buggy Switch, Buggy Down, Buggy Up, Buggy Down, Go Buggy Go!) *This is a great activity for social connection. Hot Tips: • You can play were the last partnership to return to Buggy Up is out and sits

down. You can play 3 strikes and you’re out. You can play where everyone continues to play.

• Be sure to mix up your commands so the students cannot anticipate what you will say next.

9. Build a Machine Students work together in groups of 5-7 people to build a machine with their bodies. The teacher can provide a theme for what their machine will be used for (ie. an airplane, a toaster, a car, a machine to solve world hunger, a happiness machine, etc.). Students are given 2-3 minutes to build their machines before sharing their machines with the other groups. *This is a great activity to enhance cooperation and teamwork.


10. Cat/Mouse This activity is played with 4-6 players in a group. One player is the cat. One player is the mouse. All other players are the mouse’s bodyguards. The mouse and bodyguards all hold hands to form a circle. The mouse is outside of the circle. The goal of the activity is for the cat to catch the mouse. This is done by simply tagging the mouse. When the activity begins, the bodyguards (and mouse) work together to rotate their circle and move their arms to protect the mouse from the cat. Once the cat catches the mouse a new cat and mouse are selected and a new round begins. Hot Tips: • It can be fun to rename this activity based on a current celebrity and a crazy

fan. The crazy fan (cat) is trying to get to the celebrity (mouse), but the bodyguards are protecting him or her.

• This activity can get a bit rowdy, so consider setting some ground rules of no jumping over the circle to get to the mouse, etc.

11. Clapping Pattern (7s) This involves creating a pattern of slaps, claps, and other moves. Each round has seven moves. Each round is done twice. A simple video demonstration can be found here. Once you teach a new round, have the group practice it several times before adding a new round. *This is a great activity to enhance working memory, focus, and motor skills. Hot Tips: • Learn one new round at a time, and then go back and practice all the rounds

together. • Have students work with partners to create new rounds to add throughout

the year.

12. Cosmic Kids Yoga These videos take students through themed adventures while doing yoga. The videos are of varying lengths, with the average probably being around 15 minutes. Students will need a few feet of space to engage in yoga moves. This can be a fun


way to introduce students to the benefits of yoga. Simply search Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube to find tons of yoga adventures. *This is a great activity to enhance balance and reduce stress. Hot Tips: • It might be tricky for students to keep up with every move the first time

around, so be sure to keep coming back to a handful of favorites so students can build some familiarity and get all the benefits of the movement.

• Let students rate each one at the end (two thumbs up, one thumb up, one thumb down, etc.) so you can know whether to use that one again.

• Some have a more elementary feel to them, while others are better for older students. Preview a few and select ones that will be well received by your students.

13. Count to 10 The group stands shoulder to shoulder in a circle. Everyone is looking down at the ground in the center of the circle. The goal is for the group to count to ten, with only one person saying a number at a time. Someone will start by randomly saying, “One,” and then another person will say, “Two,” and so on. If two or more people try to say the next number at the same time, then the group does some predetermined action (ie. 10 jumping jacks). They must then start back at one. Make sure that the group knows that they can't just go around the circle in order or try to create any system to communicate with the group who should go next. Hot Tips: • Once a group makes it to 10, give them a new challenge to count to 15 or 20.

Or have them count to 30 by multiples of 3 (3, 6, 9, …30) • This activity can also be used to review spelling/vocab words. Students say the

next letter in a word (ie. M-E-T-A-P-H-O-R)

14. Dance Party (Choreographed) Several songs have specific dance moves already created. If your students already know the dance, you can simply play the song and they'll know what to do. Doing


the same dance moves together can be very unifying for a group of students. Here are a few dance songs your students might be familiar with:

- Cha Cha Slide - The Floss - Cupid Shuffle - Wobble Baby - Macarena - … and many more. Just ask your students.

*This is a great activity for enhancing listening skills and following instructions.

15. Dance Party (Freestyle) Have a collection of modern upbeat dance songs ready at a moment’s notice. Set a timer for 2-3 minutes and let the students dance. Students can even make song requests to add to your collection. Just be sure to check the lyrics first!

16. Drive-by Gratitude Give each student a post-it note as they enter the room. When they need a quick movement break, have them write a personalized message of gratitude to a person on the staff of your choosing (or they can nominate and vote). The movement comes as they all quickly run to that staff member's classroom or office and place all the post-its somewhere and then race back to their classroom. *This is a great activity to enhance the SEL skill of gratitude. Hot Tips: • Remind students of the benefits of gratitude. People who exercise gratitude

regularly do better academically, are happier, and healthier. • This can become a regular tradition. • Encourage students to seek out ways to express gratitude without expecting

anything in return. Sometimes the secret deliveries are the best.


17. Elbow Tag This variation of tag is great for encouraging students to look out for each other. Students partner up with another student and link arms. When two students are linked up in this manner they are “safe” and cannot be tagged. Have 1-3 students not linked up with other students, and one student who is “it”. The student who is it is running around trying to tag any of the students not safely linked to a partner. A student can join a linked partnership by linking arms with an existing linked partnership. If the student links up with the student on the left of the existing link, then the student on the right is bumped off. They are now trying to escape being tagged by the person who is “it”. If/when the person who is it tags a student, the tagged student is now “it”. Hot Tips: • To increase movement have more than 1 student be “it”. • To increase movement have 3-5 students not safely linked up at the

beginning.

18. Elephant, Palm Tree, Raft Students stand in a circle of 8-12 students. One leader is standing in the middle giving the cues. The leader points to a person in the circles and gives one of three cues: Elephant, palm tree, or raft. The person who the leader points at becomes the center of that object. The persons on the left and right of them also have a role to play. The challenge is to assume the correct position, or else you then become the leader. Here are the correct positions: Elephant Left: Both arms arched up and down to make the left ear, facing the middle. Middle: One arm flopping like a trunk. Right: Both arms arched up and down to make the right ear, facing the middle. Palm Tree Left: Crouched down in a ball to look like a coconut. Middle: Both arms up, swaying like palm tree leaves. Right: Crouched down in a ball to look like a coconut.


Raft Left: Rowing an oar away from the middle of the raft. Middle: Squat down with arms hinged down (like a scarecrow). Right: Rowing an oar away from the middle of the raft. *This is a great activity to enhance working memory, focus, and cooperation. Hot Tips: • Practice each position several times before beginning the activity. • It is up to the leader to keep this activity moving quickly. It is also a good

strategy to move quickly – people make more errors.

19. Extreme Red Light, Green Light This is a twist on the classic Red Light, Green Light game. Students line up on one side of the field. The person who is “it” is on the other side of the field with their back to the rest of the group. When the person who is “it” shouts “green light”, the students begin running toward the person who is “it”. When the person shouts “red light” and turns out, anyone still moving is called out by the person who is “it” and must go back to the starting line. Have an object placed behind the person who is "it" that eventually someone is close enough to pick up. From there on, every time the person who is "it" calls "red light" they also guess who has the object. During the "green light" times, people can be passing the object around to each other to keep it hidden. Each student is still on their own quest to make it to the "it" person and back to their home base. If the person who is “it” correctly guesses who has the object before it makes it safely back to home base, the game is over. The person caught with the object is now it for the next round. If the object makes it safely back to home base, randomly select a student to be it for the next round.

20. Follow the Leader Arrange students in groups of 5-7 people. The “leader” is randomly chosen to be the one to start the first activity. The leader begins some kind of physical activity (skipping, waving hands, high kicks) as they lead their group around a table or along


another path. At the end of their turn, the leader moves to the back of the line, and the 2nd person in line then becomes the new leader and begins a new movement for the group to mimic. *This is a great activity for students to have autonomy over their movement. Hot Tips: • You can predetermine how long the leader stays in that position (30 seconds –

1 minute) or you can let the leader move to the back of the line at any time they wish (after a minimum of 15 seconds).

• Play upbeat music in the background to create a positive and fun state in the room.

• One suggestion is to turn the volume down drastically for 1-2 seconds to indicate it is time for a new leader.

21. Friendship Four This four-minute physical activity meant to foster stronger connections between students in the class. When the students need a boost of energy, randomly assign partners for this quick power walk. As they walk out the door, each partnership selects a question out of a box of questions. That question is the foundation for their conversation for the next four minutes. Questions can be about their hobbies, family, food, or dreams. They can be serious or silly. Students set a timer to be sure they are back in four minutes, with a strengthened connection with a classmate. *This is a great activity for building social connections. Hot Tips: • Have students return their Friendship Four card to the box so it is fully stocked

for the next time you want to use this activity. • Students can contribute to the question pool as well. Just be sure to read

through them to ensure they are appropriate.


22. GoNoodle.com These fun, engaging movement videos can be accessed on their website www.GoNoodle.com or YouTube. There are tons of options, and most range from 2-4 minutes. They are easy to do right inside your classroom – all you have to do is press play. Hot Tips: • It might be tricky for students to keep up with every move the first time

around, so be sure to keep coming back to a handful of favorites so students can build some familiarity and get all the benefits of the movement.

• Let students rate each one at the end (two thumbs up, one thumb up, one thumb down, etc.) so you can know whether to use that one again.

• Some have a more elementary feel to them, while others are better for older students. Preview a few and select ones that will be well received by your students.

23. Gopher This is another quick activity that can be played in the classroom. Students form standing circles or one large standing circle. Everyone places their right hand out, palm facing up (as if someone were going to hand them change). Everyone places their left pointer finger (pointing down) in the palm of the person on their left. The flat palm represents a gopher trap. The pointed finger represents a gopher tail. The goal of the activity is to do two things at the same time: 1) trap your neighbor's gopher in your trap, 2) escape from being trapped yourself. The teacher gives a cue word (such as "gopher") to engage in the activity. Students typically enjoy playing 3-7 rounds of this at a time. *This is a great activity to enhance focus, listening, and social connection. Hot Tips: • Be on the lookout for traps that look half-closed when starting the game.

Remind students to keep their gopher traps flat. • Have fun with the cue word. If you choose “gopher”, throw in some words that

sound similar (grapefruit, golly gee, etc.) to keep them on their toes.


24. Great Barrier Reef All students begin by standing on the far side of a room or field. One student is selected to be the shark and stands on the opposite side of the field. The shark yells, “Fishy, fishy, it’s time to play!” and the fish begin walking across the field. Whenever the shark yells “Shark attack!” the shark runs towards the fish (other students) and tags as many as they can before the fish reach a safety line on the other side. All tagged fish freeze at the spot they were tagged. They become seaweed that can assist the shark in tagging the fish. Seaweed kneels on the ground and can use their waving arms to tag a fish passing by. For the second round, the shark and fish begin on the opposite sides as round 1. The shark uses the same cues as before. The shark and seaweed tag as many students as possible. The game continues until all fish are caught. A new shark can be chosen and the game can be played again. Hot Tips: • The width and length of the space play a significant role in how long the game

lasts, and how much physical activity students get. Consider both when selecting your location.

• You can also play with more than one shark.

25. Hop for the Day This is an activity that can happen throughout the day. At the beginning of class, inform students that (for today) they can only move by hopping on one foot. Anytime they need to turn in a paper, gather in groups, sharpen their pencil, etc., they must hop on one foot. You can, of course, use a different movement for them to do besides hopping on one foot. Think of anything that will get them moving while also being enjoyable. It could be different forms of transportation for the day (ride a bike, fly like an airplane, etc.). Hot Tips: • Create a wild and silly story that explains why they can only move in the way

you describe.


26. Hula Hoop Pass Students stand in a circle. A hula hoop is placed around a student's arm, and then all students hold hands. The object of the activity is for the hula hoop to make it around the circle as quickly as possible. Hot Tips: • Have the class set a time goal, and work towards that goal. • To maximize the movement, break students into 2 or 3 smaller groups with

their own hula hoop. Turn it into a competition to see which team can get the hula hoop around their team circle first.

27. Lemonade Students are divided into two teams and gather on opposite sides of a large open space. Team A will go first. Before play begins, Team A huddles up and determines two things: 1) What geographical location they want to be from, 2) What action they want to do. It could be brushing their teeth, mowing the lawn, surfing, etc. Here are the calls that are made (as the two teams are walking toward each other): Team A: Here we come. Team B: Where from? Team A: (answers with their pre-determined location) Team B: What’s your trade? Team A: Lemonade Team A then begins to do the motion they chose. Members of Team B begin to shout out guesses. As soon as someone guesses correctly, Team A shouts (ahhhhh!) and turns and runs back to their home base. Simultaneously, Team B tries to tag members of Team A. They can only tag after they have correctly guessed their motion. Whoever is tagged must freeze where they are. Team B gets a point for every person they tag from Team A. Everyone returns to their home base. For round 2, Team B selects their location and motion. Whichever team gets the most “tagging” points wins. Hot Tips: • Play as many rounds as you have time for.


• You may want to designate a neutral zone in the middle of the field that can’t be crossed until the motion is guessed.

28. Look Down, Look Up Arrange students in groups of 7-10 people. The group stands shoulder to shoulder in a circle. At first, everyone is looking down at the ground in the center of the circle. Then when you call out “Look up,” everyone looks up and into the eyes of one other person in the circle. Each person in the circle should be deciding on who they will look at while they are looking down, so that they can look directly at the person when, “Look up,” is called. If any pair ends up looking at one another, they step into the center of the circle and do a dance move before switching spots in the circle. Everyone then looks down again, and another round continues. *This activity is great for practicing the important skill of making eye contact. Hot Tips: • Instead of dancing through the middle of the circle, students can take 2 laps

around the outside of the circle and end up at the other person’s spot. • After several rounds, this can also be played as an elimination game where

those who look at each other must dance before taking a seat, and this continues until only one or two are left.

29. Magic Movement Hat Toward the beginning of the year, have students write down a physical activity all students can do on a small card. Ideas could be jumping jacks, lunges, dance party, run in place, etc. All cards get folded up and placed in a hat or box. Whenever there is a need for a boost of energy, pull a card out of the hat and that is the movement activity for the moment. Place the card back in the hat for the next opportunity for movement. *This is a great activity to encourage students to take ownership of their movement by allowing them to decide how they move.


Hot Tips: • You can roll a dice to determine how many sets of the activity students

complete. • You can have a different hat filled with numbers that represent either a length

of time in seconds/minutes or how many repetitions students complete.

30. Obstacle Course Design an outdoor obstacle course using equipment and supplies already outside. Five different “activities” is plenty for students to remember and participate in. Create space in between each activity so students are encouraged to run between activities. Students can time each other, and they can attempt to beat their own time. *This is a great activity for goal setting and working memory. Hot Tips: • Have students work in groups of five people to create their own obstacle

course for other students to try.

31. Paparazzi This is a fast-past game that students can play standing up with a partner. There are three motions that a student can choose: Block a photo op: cross arms on chest Take a photo: Motion of taking a photo Charge the camera: Point the camera up the sky, while looking up (it's solar-powered) The goal of the game is to take more pictures of your celebrity partner than they take of you (another celebrity). Your camera is solar-powered and can only take one picture before needing to be recharged. So, after every photo is taken, the camera must be charged before taking another photo. The activity is played like this: two students stand facing each other. In unison, they both pat their thighs two times and then choose one of the three motions above.


Without a pause, they path their thighs two times again and chose another motion. Your picture only counts as a point if your partner is NOT blocking (but doing something else). *This is a great activity to enhance focus and working memory. Hot Tips: • The first time they play this, let them do a few slow-motion rounds without

points. • One way to play is for students to play until someone gets 5 successful

photos. Then they switch and find a new partner.

32. Poke Two students play against each other to score points by poking their opponent with their pointer finger. The two students clasp right hands, interlocking in the space between the thumb and pointer finger. Both players extend their pointer fingers. Without the support of any other parts of the body, each player tries to poke their opponent with their right pointer finger. Hot Tips: • You can play such that the first person who touches their opponent with their

pointer finger wins OR whoever touches their opponent the most within ___ seconds wins.

33. Push Back This is a quick activity that can be played in the classroom that focuses on student balance. Students play with a partner. The two students stand an arm's length apart from each other. The key is for each student to have both feet together. The goal is for a student to knock their partner off balance enough that they have to take a step. Students use both hands (in an open position) to push against their partner's hands, similar to giving a high 10. The first person to lose their balance enough to take a step loses the round. *This is a great activity to enhance balance.


Hot Tips: • Students can play “first one to ____ points” or they can find a new partner after

every round. • Be sure it is clear that students can only push against each other’s hands for a

safe and fun activity.

34. Quick Draw This energizer also has some math built into it. Students roam around the room and choose an opponent to face off with. Both players have their hands behind their backs. On the count of three, they simultaneously reveal both hands in front of each other, showing a certain number of fingers (2-10). The first person to correctly multiply their number with their opponent's number wins. They take a victory lap around their opponent, and the loser does 5 jumping jacks (or something). They two players then part ways and seek out new opponents. Hot Tips: • This activity can be done with just one hand behind the back for smaller

numbers at first. • This activity can be done with addition as well (single-handed or double-

handed) • You might consider making 0 illegal for addition and 1 illegal for multiplication.

35. Relay Charades Students are in groups of 4-5 people. Each group is gathered equidistant from a central location, ideally 10-20 ft. away. All groups will be playing charades simultaneously, competing to be the first group done. One person from each group runs into the center and pulls a card from a box. They then run back to their group and begin acting out (without words) whatever is written on the card. As soon as someone guesses correctly, another person in the group runs toward the center and grabs a new card. They return to their group and begin acting it out. The first group to have all members complete their charade wins. Hot Tips: • To keep the game active, have the charade clues be fairly easy.


• If time allows, you can alter the game so that all students must go twice or even three times. Just be sure you have enough charade cards.

36. Rock-Paper-Scissors Train This activity involves the students getting into pairs and playing one round of rock-paper-scissors. After each game, the losing player moves behind their opponent and places their hands on their shoulders to make a “train”. The winner then moves around the room (with their defeated opponent attached to their shoulders) to find another person to play. Each time a person wins, the loser (and their train) are added to the back of the winner’s train. Eventually, there will be two long trains with two players facing off. You can encourage students to cheer on whoever is at the front of their train. Once someone wins, start over with everyone disconnected. Hot Tips: • Clarify the rules of rock, paper, scissors. Specifically, if students will show their

move on the 3rd word (“rock, paper, SCISSORS” or after the third word, “rock, paper, scissors, SHOW).

• Play music to encourage students to move to the music as they choo-choo around the room.

37. Rock-Paper-Scissors Transformers This is a variation of the classic rock-paper-scissors activity. There are 4 different stages students “transform” in and out of during this activity. 1) an egg (squatting down, waddling around to find a partner) 2) a chicken (hands under arms, flapping like a chicken) 3) a dinosaur (t-rex hands clawing and roaring like a t-rex) 4) Elvis (playing the guitar and swaying your hips) Everyone begins as an egg. Two eggs waddle toward each other and engage in a game of rock-paper-scissors. The winner transforms into the next level of chicken. The egg remains an egg. They depart and go off in search of a new partner that matches their current stage. When two chickens meet up to play rock-paper-scissors, the winner advances to a dinosaur. The loser moves down a level to become an egg. The goal is to reach the highest level – Elvis. Once someone becomes Elvis they can gather up with other Elvis impersonators and sing their hearts out.


Hot Tips: • One variation is for the loser to transform back down to an egg. This version

takes longer to play. • Another variation is for the loser to simply remain at the level they are at. This

version takes a shorter amount of time to play. • As you explain the game, let yourself be silly as you model the different levels.

That gives students permission to loosen up a bit, laugh, and have fun.

38. Roll the Dice Create a list of either 6 or 12 pre-determined activities, such as running around the building or freestyle dancing to the last song you listened to. Post that list where the group can see it, then have someone in the group roll one or two dice. Explain that the group will do whatever activity corresponds with the number that is rolled.

39. Samurai Sword Students stand in a circle of 5-7 people, with one person in the middle. The student in the middle is the Samurai. With their imaginary sword, they can attempt to swipe the feet or head of anyone in the circle. If the Samurai is aiming for the feet, the person must jump up to avoid the imaginary sword. If the Samurai aims for the head, the student ducks/squats to avoid the sword. The idea is for the Samurai to move very fast to keep everyone moving quickly. When someone responds incorrectly (ie. jumps instead of squats) or not at all, they become the next Samurai. *This is a great activity to enhance focus. Hot Tips: • To add another element, place two Samurais in the circle.

40. Sidewalk Chalk Adventure Students work together in groups of 2-3 to create their section of the sidewalk chalk adventure. Each group is given a piece of sidewalk chalk. Their task is to find a section of the walking path to claim as their section. In their section, they write


instructions for some type of physical activity. They could write: hop 3 times; 10 jumping jacks; bear crawl to the blue line; etc. Give the students two minutes to design their section. In the end, have each group travel through the sidewalk chalk adventure, engaging in every group's activity. Hot Tips: • Give groups a very short amount of time to create their section. That part of

the activity is simply meant to make increase student ownership for the activity, and create less prep work for the teacher.

• Remind students to design activities that all students in the class can do. (50 pushups is probably not a great option!)

41. Simon Says This is an activity that everyone knows and that can easily get the group moving. Ensure everyone knows the rules (If you start a statement with, “Simon says…”, the class should do whatever motion you say; if you just say to do a motion without starting with, “Simon says…”, the class should not do that motion), and then jump right in. *This is a great activity for enhancing listening skills, following instructions, and working memory. Hot Tips: • Make sure you play with everyone standing up, and make statements that

include a lot of motion (wave your arms, jump up and down, etc.). • You can either try to get everyone out until there is a winner, or you can just

restart once most of the group has gotten out. • Try not to spend too much time trying to get the last few out, since the rest of

the group will just be sitting there watching. •

42. Speed Scavenger Hunt When you're short on time, but students need a burst of energy, lead the class in a speedy scavenger hunt. Post a list of four items they can find in the classroom


room. On your cue, they jump out of their seat and touch four items that meet the description. Then they race back to their seat. Ideas could include: - Something red - Someone who’s name starts with D. - Something round - An animal *This is a great activity for enhancing working memory. Flash the list up for 5-10 seconds before saying “Go!” Students will be challenged to remember all the items on the list. At the beginning of the year have only three items on the list. After a few rounds (on different days), bump it up to four items, and then five. Hot Tips: • To help students have a successful experience you can flash the list up on the

board again after a minute of students searching. • Another option is to encourage students to help each other remember all the

items on the list. • Encourage them to use gestures to memorize the list or a peg memory

system.

43. Tennis Bounce Students work with a partner to see how far they can bounce a tennis ball to each other. The two students begin by standing very close to each other (3 ft. apart). One student bounces the tennis ball toward their partner. The partner’s goal is to catch the tennis ball after one bounce. If successful, the partners take one small step away from each other and try again. If/when they are unsuccessful in catching the ball after one bounce, they return the first position of 3 ft. apart and begin again. *This is a great activity for enhancing goal setting, tracking progress, communication, and motor skills. Hot Tips: • Mark off measurements of 5ft. or 10ft. increments with painter’s tape or

sidewalk chalk. This will help students keep track of their progress. • Depending on the space available, you can have only one partner take a step

back.


44. TikTok

Students work in groups of 2-4 to create their own TikTok dance. Create certain parameters for how long the dance should be. Students can share it with another group and teach each other their dance, or they can be shared with the whole class. Hot Tips: • This is a higher gradient activity. Be sure students feel safe to dance in front of

each other before giving this activity a try. • Create a tradition of huge cheers and celebration after each TikTok. Knowing

exactly how to respond after a performance like this calms anxiety and reduces the possibility of laughing.

45. Trash Ball This is a great activity to get one last use out of all those papers sitting in your recycling box. Crumple up papers to make balls, and scatter them around the ground. You'll want a few fewer balls than you have players. When the game begins, students rush to grab a trash ball and start throwing them at anyone nearby. When a student gets hit by a trash ball they are temporarily out, and they sit down. When the person that hit them gets hit by someone else, they are back in the game. This is the only rule students need to understand: "When the person that hits you gets hit by someone else, you are back in the game." Hot Tips: • The key to this activity working is remembering who hit you with a trash ball. If

a student is uncertain, have them randomly pick a student to blame for hitting them.

• If you want, you can divide the students into two large teams or play against another class.

• No hoarding trash balls. • If you play outside (highly recommended), ensure students know what the

physical boundaries are for play.


46. Wall Squats Each student finds their own space with their back up against a wall. They slowly slide down until their knees form a 90-degree angle. The goal is for them to hold that position as long as possible. *This is a great activity for enhancing goal setting and tracking progress toward goals. Hot Tips: • Instead of it being a competition with their classmates, turn it into a

competition with themselves. Each time the class does this activity, challenge them to stay in the squat for at least a couple seconds longer than last time.

• Display a large digital second timer on your screen (there are many available online – just google digital timer) for students to track their time.

• Have students privately contribute their time and the teacher adds them all up. You can then set up class-wide competitions of total class times (adjusting for differing class size).

47. What Are You Doing? Two students engage in a fast-paced charade-type improv activity. The two students are facing each other. Partner A begins doing a motion (ie. brushing her teeth). Partner B asks, "What are you doing?" Partner A responds by describing something DIFFERENT than what she is doing (ie. I’m dancing.) Partner B then pretends to be mowing his lawn. Partner A then asks, “What are you doing?” Partner B responds by describing a new motion that his partner will do. Hot Tips: • Encourage students to use activities that get students moving. • This activity can be done in small groups as well. Students “pass” the activity

around the circle.

48. Who’s the Leader? Stand in a circle as a group. Choose someone in the group to be “it.” That person then leaves the circle, and the rest of the group silently picks a leader. That leader


will start doing a move (jumping jacks, dancing, etc.) and the rest of the group will copy that person. After the leader starts the first move, the person who is "it" returns to the group and stands in the center of the circle. The leader will keep switching moves, with the rest of the group copying, and the person who is "it" must try to guess who the leader is. That person gets three guesses, and then another person is "it" and a new leader is chosen. Hot Tips: • One easy rotation is for the person who was the leader to become the person

who is “it” in the next round. • Set guidelines with the class for what motions are best for this activity (for

example, the goal is to increase your heart rate) so they don’t just scratch their head.

49. Would you Rather? Set up space so that it is clear that there are two sides that the group can choose from (i.e., the left wall and the right wall in a classroom). Then explain that you will describe two choices, and each person will decide which option they would rather do. They will run to the side of the room that corresponds with the option they would rather do. As you say a statement, make sure that you are indicating which side of the space is associated with that option. After you make a statement, you can have the group return to the middle of the room or just make another statement. It is fun if the options are a little bit silly or gross, such as, "Would you rather eat (point to one side) a bowl of fried ants in a peanut butter sauce, or (point to the other side) a stick of cotton candy dipped in moldy cheese." You can also let students contribute options if you think it will be appropriate. *This is a great activity to enhance social connection.

50. Yoga Some yoga poses are more calming by nature, while others are more energizing. Here are over 10 yoga poses that can bring more energy to your students. Whenever a boost of energy is needed, guide students through one (or more) of these poses.


*This activity is great for enhancing balance, core body strength, and reducing stress. Hot Tips: • Students can research and share their favorite yoga pose and teach it to the

class. • Students can create their own yoga pose – name it, and teach the rest of the

class.

Why Movement Matters - lieslmcconchie.com

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