February 3, 2022 //  by Eileen Zajac

A balance game is important for your preschooler's fine motor development. Have students use their bean bags in different ways practicing their balancing skills.

This is a super easy activity that can be set up almost anywhere. Put down a hula hoop depending on the number of kiddos playing, add more where needed.

Four colors four corners is a simple game and it's not only great fine motor activities it also will help students work with their understanding and comprehension of colors.

Learn more: The Many Little Joys

Counting animal tracks will be very engaging to your kiddos. This is a great PE game that will help foster number recognition and development. Draw animal tracks with chalk and draw numbers inside.

Make your own cards or print some out! Animal yoga is great for a center circle, PE class, or just a whole class break. Pull a physical card or have a presentation set up for students and have them simply copy the animal poses.

Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers

Hopscotch is great for young learners! Practice gross motor and counting skills with fun playground games like this.

Movement dice are great for younger grades because they provide picture-word association, along with physical activity!

These popsicle sticks can be used at home or in the PE classroom!

Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers

In the crouch position, students work their way around the gymnasium without getting tagged.

Elf Express is considered a holiday-themed game but can really be played at any time of the year. This Hula Hoop PE game spotlights a variety of important elementary skills.

Learn more: The Physical Educator

Who doesn't love a dance party? Have you ever been left with extra time at the end of a PE class? Are your kiddos just not focused enough to play games today? Well, now is the time to become their favorite dance teacher!

Learn more: PE with Mr. G

Teaching body composition can be a little bit difficult with the littler kiddos. Activity cards are a great way to get kids up and moving independently during PE class.

Learn more: Prime Coaching Sport

Silly Bananas is one of those simple activities for kids that they will be begging to play! This falls under the equipment-free games category and really is a spin on the tag.

Hands down a modern-day and old-school favorite are Rock, paper, scissors. Most students will for sure know how to play this game and if not, it's super easy to teach even the youngest learners!

This simple physical game can be a fun challenge for students. By setting time limits the physical education teacher can help students master physical skills and strengthen their bodies.

Sometimes getting excited students to take a break and enjoy nature can be a daunting task. With Garden Yoga partner students up and let them choose a spot outside and enjoy the calmness for a bit!

Spot on is a great PE game that will challenge students with their overhand throwing. You'll need a bunch of hula hoops for indoor activities like this one.

Learn more: S&S Blog

This is definitely in my hat of favorite games. This is dodgeball with a twist. The game is played as typical dodge ball (use softballs) would be. EXCEPT students don't ever get fully 'out' of the game!

Cornhole cardio is hands down one of the most engaging games for kids! This game requires a few more materials than a standard PE classroom has, but if you've got the materials USE THEM.

Learn more: S&S Blog

Blog tag - two players can be played in groups, two players, or as a whole class activity. Students might already know what blob tag is, need a simple refresher or a little game introduction!

This is a great entire team activity, including you, the teacher! The teacher will stand on the island in the middle while students will stand around and catch the cones. Excited students will love this PE game.

Learn more: Prime Coaching Sport

Have students constantly switch corners. This is a great game because it's possible to be played without any equipment!

Throw archery will help with motor skill-building in upper elementary students. Using jump ropes set up five target areas. Students will throw material of their choice to try to get points!

This is one of my students' favorite ball games. This game fosters students' understanding and muscle memory of underhand throwing. Letting them practice softer and harder throws.

Learn more: The Physical Educator

There are definitely a few different versions of this fun chasing game. In this version, witches have stolen the children's candy and the children must work together to get it back!

This life-size Chutes and Ladders game is made with colored hula hoops and other materials you'll have laying around! Elementary school kids will absolutely love this game.

This partner team game can honestly be taught to upper or lower elementary students. Most elementary kiddos have played connect four before. Bring them a little friendly competition with this real-life connects four game! Use spot markers or hula hoops - hula!

Learn more: Elementary PE Teacher

Sometimes my students love "do your thing" centers. I have different options for them to do and they choose what they like.

Using a bunch of hula hoops, engage your students with this easy setup, gym class game. In a pushup position, students will continuously throw bean bags in the different hula hoops.

Learn more: S&S Blog

A basketball favorite! You and your students will love the friendly competition this game will foster. Students will be active throughout the entire game. It is a perfect game for an exciting elementary school gym class.

Tic - Tac - Throw is perfect for small groups, centers, or just small classes. Fostering healthy competition, students will be asking to play this game over and over.

Great for centers or small groups, you'll just need a ball and a bucket for this activity. The larger the ball, the larger bucket will be needed. Our class finds that basketballs bounce the best, but require a slightly larger bucket.

Learn more: Prime Coaching Sport

One of my absolute favorite ball games is backward soccer! Explain to students that the rules of this game are basically just the absolute opposite of regular soccer!

Setting up colored Hula Hoops in four corners and one in the middle is the only setup required for this gym class game.

Icebergs is a fun warm-up game. In a spin-off of musical chairs, students must sit on an iceberg (mat) in the number that teachers call out.

This is a mix between soccer and basketball (with no bounce passing). The ball starts in the air and once it hits the ground students switch to soccer.

Learn more: The Physical Educator

Challenge students to create their own PE activity. This is perfect for middle school students.

Learn more: The Physical Educator

Great for a short period of time just to get your students moving!

Learn more: Learning Zone Express

Your middle schoolers will love some yoga. Even though some might be over it, they will appreciate how relaxed they feel after a little meditation!

Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers

Keep your kids safely distanced this year with this kickball twist!

Learn more: American Coaching Academy

The classic game of archery with a social distancing twist that your students will absolutely love.

Exercise cards are great for in-school social distance and distance learning PE cards. Print them out or use them on a PowerPoint!

Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers

This game will be engaging for middle schoolers and upper elementary students.

Learn more: The PE Shed

A twist on the classic memory board game, playing with objects of different colors, frisbees, and testing your student's memories!