Jan 19, 2017

Having a bank of ideas to challenge children’s Physical Development can be challenging sometimes. Especially if you’re not a PE specialist.

So, I want to take an important skill that children need to develop, like, spatial awareness, and give you three simple games that you can start using today.

Game 1 – Stuck In The Mud

This game is an old favourite. Nominate two or three people to be taggers and their job is to tag the other children. If a child gets tagged by the taggers they must stand still, as they are ‘stuck in the mud’. Other children that haven’t been tagged can free them by going underneath their arms.

To make the game harder you can: reduce the area size the children are in or increase the number of taggers.

To make the game easier you can: increase the area size or have fewer taggers

Game 2 – Sharks & Fishes

Mark out your area and inside the space you’re using, add three gym mats. The gym mats are safe zones for the children. Nominate two people to be the sharks and their job is to tag the children (fish) as they cross the sea. The children must get across to the dry land (gym mat), as the shark can’t tag them when they’re on the mat – but they can only stay on the mat for 5 seconds, then they need to go back into the sea. If the children get tagged they turn into sea weed and are then able to tag the other children, but they are not allowed to move. The last person left is the winner.

To make the game harder you can: reduce the area size or number of mats (safe zones). You can also increase the number of taggers.

To make the game easier you can: increase the area size, include more mats (safe zones) or have fewer taggers

Game 3 – Spiderman Tag

Nominate two or three children to be Spiderman. They need a bib and they’ll use the bib as their web and must throw the bib at the other children to catch them. When the children are caught, they stand still for 10 seconds and are then free to join back in.

To make the game harder you can: reduce the area size the children are in or increase the number of taggers.

To make the game easier you can: increase the area size or have fewer taggers

Playing these games will improve children’s spatial awareness, random agility and improve their ability to change direction.

The importance of developing children’s spatial awareness is crucial, as it is a skill that they will transfer into all the activities and sports they play as they get older.

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