GAMES FOR A MAT SURFACE

These games provide variety in your program, as long as your school has the required mat surface. These games can be used as warm up activities for a gymnastics unit or wrestling unit. In all situations, be sure that students remove shoes.

Steal the Bacon

Partners of own choosing. Remove jewelry if possible. Kneel diagonally opposite one another across the mat surface. Make sure toes on the floor, or on a line, indicating appropriate starting position. Each pair is numbered. Medicine ball in middle of playing surface. When number is called, both partners crawl forward and attempt to carry/roll ball back to their side. Once the ball touches the floor, or crosses the line, point is scored for that side. Be sure that students stay on knees, not on feet. Must roll ball within arms length of body, cannot roll it far ahead. No kicking, punching, etc., but “wrestling for the ball is OK. Can call two, three numbers at a time, or “steal the bacon”, where all students are in to get the ball. I usually play this game on a Friday, so students have the weekend to rest their knees!

Pip, Squeek, Wilbur

Teams of three, sitting beside one another in a circle formed by whole group. Each person is given a name – PIP, SQUEEK OR WILBUR. Teacher calls one of the names; that person (one from each group) stands up and runs counterclockwise around circle. While that person is running, the other two get up on knees facing one another, forming an arch. Runner runs/dives under arch to grab a beanbag in the middle. One or two fewer bean bags than the number of groups means that those groups not getting bean bags get a reward, e.g. 10 jumping jacks or 10 crunches for example, then they rejoin game.
All three must do the reward task. You can decrease the number of bean bags if you wish.

Sticky Popcorn Tag

Partners, back to back, interlock elbows. One pair is IT, all partners hop around together to avoid getting tagged. If tagged that pair becomes IT and so on. Safety – be sure that students hop sideways and that they work together so shoulders are not pulled!

Crab tag

All players in crab position. Regular tag. IT must tag with hand, not foot.

Rooster fights

All players standing on mat surface, holding one ankle. Goal is to push others off balance. If two feet touch at the same time, that player is eliminated, and goes to side of playing area to perform jumping jacks or something similar while waiting. Can work in pairs

Roll tag

All players lying on mat surface, one person is IT. Others avoid being tagged by rolling (e.g. log roll, shoulder roll, etc.). If tagged, that person becomes IT. This game works well if the person who is IT has a pool noodle (cut in half lengthwise).

Dive tag

Similar to frozen tag. If tagged, stand still with feet apart. Player can be unfrozen by having someone dive under legs. Can have two players IT, depending on size of class.

Musical Mats

This game uses separated mats. Similar to musical chairs. Start with one mat for every player, scattered about playing area. Begin music; reduce the number of mats by one or two. All players must move in some way (change the type of locomotion) around a designated area around the mats. When music stops, players must find a mat. One person per mat. You may have to be the judge! Those who are eliminated can stand off to the side and stretch while waiting for others to finish. Continue until one or two players left.

Samurai

Form a circle, one person in the middle is the Samurai Warrior, and he/she has a noodle. Emphasize the importance of fair play and respect with this game. The Warrior moves around the inside of the circle waving his/her sword, then strikes someone below the waist with the noodle. The Warrior quickly takes the noodle to the centre and places the noodle on the centre marker and ruches to take the place of the person he/she just hit. Simultaneously, the person who was hit chases the Warrior into the circle, picks up the noodle, and attempts to strike the Warrior before he/she gets to the circle. You may add that other players may shift positions if one becomes open, or they may enter the circle, kneel down and pay homage to the great Samurai by touching the forehead to the centre marker and running back to the circle before being hit by the Warrior.

Pizza

Similar idea to Pip, Squeek, Wilbur, except players stand one behind the other within their group, front person forming a circle with those of other groups. Teams should radiate outward, similar to slices of pizza. Assign pizza topping to each person in line, e.g. first person in each group is “mushrooms”, second is “pepperoni”, etc. Bean Bags in the middle, one for each group. Call a topping, that person cuts out of line and runs around behind the entire group in a counterclockwise direction, then cuts into the middle once the lap is complete, grabs a bean bag and goes back to his/her place in line. First team to sit in a straight line wins. Continue until all players are warmed up.

Fruit Basket

Sitting is a circle, each person is assigned a fruit. One person standing in middle, calls a fruit. Those fruits must change positions, and person in the middle takes a vacant spot. Person who does not get a spot stands in the middle and calls the next fruit, and so on. If a person calls “Fruit Basket”, all players switch places.

Dragon’s Tail

4 students line up with their hands on the waist of the person in front of them. The first person in line is the dragon’s head, the last is the tail. The remainder of the class forms a circle around the dragon. Students forming the circle throw a nerf ball at the dragon’s tail, attempting to hit the “tail” person. The dragon tries to protect his tail by shielding it with his other body parts. The dragon must always stay joined at the waist. If the tail is hit, the “tail” person joins the circle and the successful thrower becomes the dragon’s head, or some other variation.

“Body Slam” Tag

Partners, lying on stomachs side by side around a circle, heads towards middle of circle. There should be sufficient space between pairs to allow students to take one or two steps in between. One person standing is IT, the other person standing is being chased. To get safe, that player must lie beside another pair. When that occurs, the person on the other side must get up and be chased. Players can run in either direction, and both must jump across the bodies lying in the circle.

Partner Challenges:

Knee Boxing – on a signal, partners try to tap opponents’ knees; highest number of taps wins. Can also use toe stepping or head tapping.

Feet Up, Mother Brown – one person lying on back, feet up; partner straddles head of lying partner, grasps ankles, and on signal, attempts to push legs down while partner resists.

Turn the Turtle – One student curls up into a ball, holding knees tightly. face down, partner tries to turn that person over.

Tip the Canoe – partners seated facing each other, knees bent, one with toes under the others’ toes. Clasp knees. Person with toes on the bottom tries to tip the other person, partner resists.

Duck Fighting – Squat facing each other, palms together (“patty-cake” position). On a signal, partners try to push the other off balance. Can hop about.

Danish Wrestling – Right hips to right hip, ½ meter apart, right hands clasped, feet planted together in a straight line. On signal, try to unbalance the other. Can switch arms, or allow back leg to move , etc.

“Animal Walks”

These are variations of locomotion that are suited to a softer surface. They can be incorporated into relays or warm up games, or whatever your needs!

Bear walk – all fours, straight limbs
Lame Dog walk – one leg straight back, use other three limbs to move
Bunny Hops – start in squat, full extension of legs, arms and bodies
Cricket walk – crab position, hop an all fours to move
Chicken walk – bend over, holding back of ankles, walk with tiny steps
Crocodile walk – lie on floor (stomachs), support off floor by bending limbs, move right arm and leg together, then left.
Seal walk – cross ankles, drag their “tails” using arms only
Walrus – seal walk position, spring forward with both arms simultaneously
Inch Worm – legs straight, hands on floor, walk out to full extension, walk feet to hands and repeat
Crab walk – crab position, walk sideways
Cat Spring – stretch body during flight (cheetah vs. domestic cat)
Mouse run – on all fours, weight distributed equally, run forward quickly (keep tuck position)
Donkey Kicks – Kick both legs up behind while hands on floor
Piggy Back walk – one person rides on the back of the other

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