Featured

Quadrant Ball

4 Way Dodgeball, quick, sneaky, and easily narrowed down to one winning team…

Start the game by dividing the space into 4 Equal Quadrants, using pylons, then you can start by dividing the group into 4 equal groups.

Here is where the game gets different.

It is 4-way dodgeball, but when you hit a member of the opposite team, that person joins your team. The more people that get hit the more players join that team. As the teams shrink, you close quadrants. As a quadrant closes the stakes get higher and soon the teams get bigger. The team with the most players is the winner.

The game can go rather fast, and the players are constantly switching sides. So being mindful of who is hitting who and getting strategic about who you target so that you can collect the most people the fastest

The Mods

Start with the dodgeballs along the wall, and all the players on the walls
Close the quadrants as the team members get below 5, instead of waiting for them to be picked off.
If someone is not being honest about getting hit, they must run a lap of the space before playing again.

Featured

Circle Dodgeball

This is an easy game that does not require a lot of set up, all you need is a few gym mats if you want to include safe zones, and a circle in the middle of the gym.

Circle Dodgeball is a highly popular game that can be as fast or as slow a pace as you and the players need. It does not require much work or effort, just a clear circle in the middle of the space (gym center circle or a circle of pylons.) In center of the circle, you will choose between 3-5 people to start with all the dodge balls.

While most of the group travel along the perimeter lines of the gym in one direction. They can stop on the mats and take breaks as the mats act as safe zones on the ends to catch their breath. A for a good size group you can start with two mats as safe zones. While players are on the mats they cannot be tagged by the ball, though they can only stay for a few seconds.

When the game begins, the people in the middle will throw the dodgeballs and try to hit those along the edge of the gym. Once a person is hit, they join the middle of the circle, and they can start throwing dodgeballs to hit others on the edge of the gym. Once they run out of dodgeballs, they can leave the circle to collect them, but can only throw them from the center of the gym.

Last few standings win the game!

The Mods

The people on the edge are only allowed to walk along the edge, no running, this means you do not need safe zones
Make it a running game, the people must run the edge of the gym and can take breaks on the safe zones.

Featured

Steal the Bacon

The entire point of this game is to get the “Bacon” back to your team’s side without getting tagged.

The “Bacon” can be anything…

Shoe
Dodgeball
Homebase
Pinnie
Goalie glove
Rugby ball
Football
ANYTHING….

How to Play

Create 2 teams and place the “Bacon” in the middle of the space, on each team you need to number the players 1-10 (or however many you have). Line them up across the space from one another and the “Bacon” in a hula-hoop in the dead center.

The leader then calls out a number and a person from each team with that number runs out and tries to get the bacon before the other person. They need to take that “Bacon” back to their team as fast as they can without getting tagged. Once tagged you drop the “Bacon”, and it returns to the middle for the next round.

You cannot touch the other player until one of you has touched the bacon, keep it fair people.

If one player gets the “Bacon” back to their side of the field without getting tagged the team gets a point. First team to 10 points wins. (Or 5 or 20, whatever works for your group), or all the numbers have had a turn.

The Mods

The Leader can call more than one number, in which case several players from each side participate.
In some games, players may tag any player on the opposing team, in others, a player may only tag the player on the other team that they share a number with.
in some games, points are scored by carrying it to the other team’s side or either team’s side
Once tagged the “bacon” must be dropped. Then the other team’s player can pick it up and run, only stopping when they get to the other side or are tagged.
Remove the “Bacon” and use Dodgeballs, the first person to hit the other player/players gets them out. Last person standing wins.
Use this as a hockey drill, sticks, one puck and a net. First player to score a goal, gets the point.

Featured

Huckle Buckle

This is a great goofy game! If you crave the random and you have a large group then you will have some fun. There is a lot of running and you can change it up as much as you need to tailor to your groups.

The Breakdown

Set up a space where you can have a wide space and a centre line, then get the group into pairs. (Yes, pairs if you need an extra person, guess what, you’re playing!)

Line up the pairs with the partners facing each other on opposite sides of the centre line. then the leader (You) will call out “HUCKLE BUCKLE ___________ ” and you pick a body part they have to touch to their partners, i.e., “HUCKLE BUCKLE KNEES“. The partners must run to the centre line and touch their knees to the knees of their partner as fast as they can. Last pair to connect is out of the game and must go back and sit down.

Once everyone has connected, they run back to their line and the Leader (You) picks another thing for them to touch.

Elbows
Knees
Toes
Heels
Back
Shoulders
Right Hand
Left Foot

The Modifications

Here are some Modifications I use to keep the game going and shake up things.

Instead of having the pairs be eliminated, have them take a step back from the line, make them run a little further the next round.
Make up combos, Elbows to Knees, Foot to Hand, Foot to Knee
Have them run, connect, and run back to their line as fast as possible

Featured

Bench Ball

Dodgeball! | Annual Manual (Inlander) 2011 My POS light trig… | Flickr

A classic gym game in recent years, this version has been gaining a lot of momentum in recent years. There are so many different variations, so if you catch one, let me know!

Start it off by dividing the gym into two sections with pylons (if you have lines, I am jealous), place the dodgeballs either in the very centre, or between the pylons. Place one-three benches on either side of the gym of about 3 metres from the back walls.

Divide the group into 2 teams, each team gets a side of the gym. Place all the dodgeballs inside the hula-hoop in the centre of the gym. Players sit on the bench until the you say “Go”. Then they must race to get the dodgeballs and they throw the dodgeballs and try to hit players on the other team. If they hit a player that player then goes and stands on the opposite team’s bench. They can only get off the bench if they catch a ball from their team while being on the bench. Staff can call “Jailbreak” at any time to free the players from the benches.

If any player gets hit in the head with a ball the person that hit them goes to the other team’s bench and must catch a ball to get free.

The game goes until there is a winning team.

Rules/Variations/Challenges

· Kids cannot throw the ball until they tap the ball and their hand on the wall of the gym behind their bench.

· Kids can use balls as shields

· Kids can only hold one ball at a time

· If more than 2 people see a hit with a ball it counts

· If one team sinks a dodgeball into the basketball hoop, they free the whole bench.

· Use a special-coloured ball, and if it is caught by a person on the bench the whole team goes free.

Reverse It!

Another way to start the game is to have all the kids start on the opposite team’s bench and select 2 or 3 kids to start on their actual side tossing dodgeballs to the kids on the bench.

The goal then changes to the first team to free their entire team from the bench.

The if you get hit rule still applies, so if you get hit while you are tossing dodgeballs to free your teammates you must go to the bench. This makes the game more complex and more of a challenge to win.

Featured

MADBALL

Yes, this game is called Madball. I can not say as to why, either it’s the wacky rules, the highly competitive nature or you go mad trying to keep up with this style of Dodgeball game.

The best way I have found to play it is to set up as many Gym mats standing up as you can, spread them out so you have hiding places or ducking corners. The mats are up so players can hide, duck and avoid getting hit, making this a fun and sneaky game for everyone. This game goes WICKED fast. Players are out and in rapidly, dodgeballs are zooming through the air like snow in a blizzard. Be prepared to play and get involved, it is an amazingly fun game if you can keep up.

This is Everybody’s It Tag with Dodgeballs.

The Basic Rules:

You can hit anyone you want.
If you hit them they are out and need to sit down.
You can only get back up if the person that hit you with the dodgeball gets hit and sits down.
Or “Jailbreak” is called by the leader of the game.
There are NO teams
You can only hit from the shoulders down.
If you hit someone in the head, YOU ARE DOWN
You can only take 3 steps with the ball in your hand, then you have to throw it.
If you disagree about a hit/tag, you play Rock/Paper/Scissors winner gets their call.

There are no teams, there are no partners, it is everyone for themselves. You will be one of their main targets when you play. Yes, you should play.

I start with everyone on the walls of the room/gym and all the balls in the middle of the room. I go over the rules with the group, then step away from the dodgeballs and RUN! The minute you say GO, it becomes an intense, hilarious, and competitive game all at once.

The Mods

Sudden Death:

This is the hardest version as once the players are hit they are OUT. Like fully out. There is no return. The goal is to get a winner. I normally award the winner with a prize, bragging rights don’t always do it.

***I have allowed players to return if they complete a fitness challenge such as 5 jumping jacks, 5 push-ups, use your discretion taking in the physical ability of your players.

Alliances:

This allows for players to pick teams and work together in small groups. When you use this, try to make the alliances as fair as possible. There can be a lot of grief about this modification if the groupings are not fair. But it does allow for an upwards of 4 team groups playing at once.

Roadkill

This is Dodgeball meets Frogger, and if you do not know what Frogger is, I am sorry for you.
Cars

Start off this game you are going to need to divide your space, and create two lines opposite one another, either with pylons or with the side lines on the gym floor.

Next place your group into two teams.

Team 1 lineup on the pylon lines you marked with equal numbers of players on each side across the space from each other, creating what looks to be a gauntlet of players.

Each player on the sidelines gets armed with a dodgeball.

The other team, Team 2 lines up between the two lines of Team 1.

Team 2 has to run in down the gym between the armed Team 1 with the goal to get to the other end of the gym without being hit.

If a player on the Running team is hit, they need to sit down where they were hit and not move, they have become the “Roadkill”.

This repeats with players from Team 2 running back and forth between Team 1 till there are no players left standing on Team 2.

Then the teams switch places, Team 1 has to run the gauntlet of players from Team 2

How to Win

Each time players from running Team gets to the other end of the gym without being hit they get a 1 point.

Team with the most points by the end of 30 mins (or whatever time limit you give) wins the game.

SPUD

This is an easy, addictive, and low equipment game that has never left a group unhappy. I have no idea where this game came from, but SPUD is something that I find the easiest and the craziest to play. It takes some demonstration, but once you get the hang of it, it is fast paced.

How to Play

Easiest start to the game is have each player say their name to the group. After everyone is familiar with everyone’s name, have each player group together in a circle around the person holding the ball, placing 1 hand inside the circle. One person starts with the ball in the centre of the circle.

At the beginning of each round, the person with the ball (who is in the centre of the circle) throws the ball upwards to the sky while yelling the name of another player in the circle. Once the ball is in the air everyone runs away in all different directions away from the ball except for the person(s) whose name was called. That person whose name was called must catch the ball and then yells “Spud!” as fast as they can. When they yell “SPUD”, everyone in the room must freeze. The person with the ball then is allowed to take three giant steps toward any player. They then throw the ball and try to hit anyone they can. They can also roll the ball if that is going to work better for them.

Players frozen cannot dodge the hit.

If a player is hit the first time, he or she earns the letter “S”, eventually spelling the word S-P-U-D. The person who was hit becomes the new thrower; otherwise, the thrower who missed earns a letter. The next round begins, and play continues. Whoever spells the letter S-P-U-D is out of the game; alternatively, if you do not wish to eliminate players, you can set a time limit and whoever has the least number of letters when time expires is the winner.

The Mods

They are not allowed to move any part of their body when SPUD is called. If they do, they earn a letter.
If the person throwing the ball misses, they collect a letter. The person that collected the letter throws the next ball.
If more than 3 people see a person move, they collect a letter.

Colour Catch:

Instead of using kids’ names use the colour they are wearing, the “it” person must call one of the colours that are in the circle. Anyone wearing that colour can catch the ball and yell Spud. Kids wearing the same colours can team up and work together to get other colours out

War Ball/Knockout

You Need:

4 hula hoops
4 cones
4 volley balls
dodgeballs

How to Play:

Divide your space into 4 zones, or quadrants inside each quadrant you need to place a hula hoop and then the cone inside the hula hoop and then the volleyball on top of the cone. Place one of these insides each of the quadrants.

Now divide all your students into four equal teams each team is allowed 1 guard, that stands the (length of the hockey stick or a meter) away from the pylon and ball. The rest of the players do their best to knock the other teams ball off the pylon with the dodgeballs. Once the volleyball is knocked off that team loses, and their quadrant is closed. That team now stands on the side lines and the team that knocked down the ball takes over their quadrant. This continues until there is only 1 team remaining.

all four teams is also playing dodgeball as well. So, if you get hit with a dodgeball you need to stand on the sidelines till the person that hit you with a ball is hit. Or the Teacher/Leader calls “Jailbreak”

All shots are to be from the shoulders and down.
You can use the dodgeballs as shields.
If you catch someone else’s ball, they are out, and you are in.
You hit someone in the head you are out.

The Mods

Play so that the kids must only to hit the Volleyball. If they hit a player, they are out
Change out the Volleyball for a Dodgeball, then if that proves too easy, then shrink it down to a Tennis ball
If you hit someone with a dodgeball, they can join your team
If you catch someone else’s ball, you get yourself and another person back. and the person’s ball that you caught is not out.
Play to only knock down the ball, you are not down or out if you get hit.

Sneaky Strategies To Make it Work

Struggling to teach a game? Banging your head against a wall because the kids/students/teens are just not getting it?

Well you are not alone, I have stared down a group of about 60 kids all not interested in anything I had to say or any game I had to teach them. Did I get nervous, YUP! Did I stop and forget myself? Nope! And neither will you, they are just kids, yes, there are a lot of them, but you are not alone when you lead the group. And neither was I.

So here are some sneaky ways I got my games taught, the kids engaged and had so much fun I was sore from laughing and running.

PLAY!!!

I cannot stress this enough! Play the game. It doesn’t matter what game it is, or how easy and little and silly it is. Play it. Do you want your audience to play, then shake off your pride and your attitude and get playing. Fastest way to teach a game is to cover the rules, listen to their questions, and then play the game with them. The harder you engage and play and get into the game the more everyone will get involved.

10 Mins

This is not a guarantee to work all of the time, but it has helped me work with some really stuck in people that do not want to do anything, or listen to anything you have to say. I always just ask them to give me 10mins. You do not have to play every game or do everything, but you should try, honestly try for 10 mins. I even offer to place a timer on and when it goes off if they want to stop they can. Normally the timer goes off and they do not even notice, because they are playing and loving the games. For the ones that honestly don’t I do honour my 10 min promise and we find a solution for how they would like to spend the rest of the time.

Be the “IT”

Anytime I am teaching a new game or introducing a game to a new group, I always offer to be the first one “IT”. This engages the kids and it gets me playing, it also helps to iron out any issues that might happen the first few rounds. (There is always a little confusion or unclear play that can happen) But if I am in the thick of the game it is easy to sort out any disagreements or issues and keep the game rolling with less bumps.

Rock/Paper/Scissors

This is my quickest and easiest method to handing in game issues. If someone feels they were tagged unfairly, or if they did not feel the tag, they have an issue with a rule they did not understand, (or didn’t want to abide too) etc.. I listen to both sides of the situation and then I ask, do you want me to decide or would you like to do Rock/Paper/Scissors and get back to the game. Mostly they pick the Rock/Paper/Scissors so they can keep going. So I get them and the one calling them on it to do Rock/Paper/Scissors, winner is right, not winner accepts and moves on. It works for simple things like missed tags or people who are not clear on the rules, no one is mad, everyone is calm and you continue on. There will be times where it is a bigger issue and that I know, but for little disagreements it can be helpful.

Its not Wrong, its Learning

Kids have it pretty hard, and they get told they are wrong a lot. I am not against correcting someone, but there is a better way then just saying they are wrong. Just correct the person with, “They are not wrong, they are learning, so help them learn.” This can ease the defensive person, and calm the angry one, by just asking them both to explain, and learn the way it is meant, not about right and wrong.

Capture the Flag x 4

We have all played “Capture the Flag” at some point or another, so let’s have some fun with this version.

Divide the space, into 4 equal zones, add a section of space inside each zone that is going to act as your “Safe Zone” This can be done with a hula-hoop, or a box marked with pylons. Into each “Safe Zone” you need to place 2 of each of the opposing teams coloured items into the “Zone”, so there are 6 per “Safe Zone”. To win you need to be the first team must collect all 6 of their teams coloured items into their “Safe Zone”.

Now divide up the group into 4 equal teams, and if you have pinnies great, if not coloured flagging tape, bandana, ribbon, or something to indicate who belongs where a must is.

How to Play:

Students are only safe in their colour’s quadrant, or in a “Safe Zone”. Anywhere else in the game space they can be tagged. Once tagged the player sits down in the spot they were tagged, and they can only get up if one of their teammates runs up and tags them. Then both teammates take a “free walk” back to their own Zone.

If you get tagged with an item in your hand, you hand it off to your tagger and sit down. That flag is then returned to the “Safe Zone” and the game continues.

The Mods

Once tagged the person must run to the side lines and can only be released if someone tags the person that tagged them.
Sudden Death—Once tagged you are out of the game, till 1 team wins.
If a player gets tagged, they can join their taggers team, till there is no one left and then you close the quadrant, and it becomes a race. To be the last team standing.
Instead of 2 items, increase the number to 3 to make it harder or decrease it to 1 for a quicker game.

Rob the Nest

This is a great game for those looking to have some fun with Basketball skills and to get kids moving about and getting comfortable with dribbling.

In a basketball court or a gym, set up 4 hula-hoops in each of the 4 corners of the court/gym. Place an upwards of 10 basketballs in the center of the court/ gym. Divide the students into 4 equal teams. The hula-hoops are the “nests”, the teams send one student at a time to the middle to dribble the ball back and place it in the nest. Once all the balls are gone from the middle, then students can steal basketballs from the other teams. The team with the most basketballs wins the round.

How to Play

On “GO” one player from each team runs to the balls
They pick up a ball then dribble it back to their teams’ hula-hoop.
Then the next player in the team goes (1 at a time)
When all the balls are gone from the middle, students can rob the nest! (Everyone runs around to steal the other teams’ balls).
They must get the ball from the nest and dribble it back without having the team tag them.
When time is up, the team with the most balls safe wins

The Mods

Choose 2 players to become defenders, who can try to knock other peoples’ balls away to stop them.
Students can no longer tag the attacking players to get them to release the stolen ball, they need to dribble it away from them.

Circle Dodgeball

Got a few kiddos that love to gang up and say, “Us vs Everyone Else” Oh I have heard this chant so many times in sports and it tends to make things competitive and leave little room for inclusion. Here is a game to switch it up and give everyone a little something. It’s called Circle Dodgeball.

This is a very fast version of dodgeball where no one is out. In this game, the goal is to get all the players in the centre of the gym as fast as you can.

When I set this game up, I create a good size circle in the middle of the space, with cones or using the lines in the gym. Then I select 2-3 people to start in the middle with all the dodgeballs I can find, their goal is to get everyone in the circle with them by hitting the other kids with the ball. I have everyone else run in the same direction along the walls of the gym. Leaving only 2 mats as “Safe Zones”. These Safe Zones are only active for each person for a set amount of time. You can have the group decide the time limit on the mats or you can choose. I tend to say 20-30 seconds.

Game Play

Create a Circle in the centre of the space with pylons
Set up the 2 gym mats or pylon boxes as “Safe Zones” on either side of the space with a time limit. (20-30 Seconds)
Select 2-3 kids to start in the middle of your circle with all the dodgeballs
Have the rest of the kids run along the walls of the gym in the same direction, trying to avoid getting hit with a dodgeball.
Kids in the middle throw the balls at the runners trying to hit them. If they hit them below the shoulders the runner now joins the middle and starts throwing the ball at the other runners.
Kids throwing are only allowed out of the circle to get a ball, they cannot throw that ball until they are standing inside the circle.
If there is a headshot, the kid that was hit switches places with the kid that hit them.
Last kiddos standing win and are in the middle for the next round

The Mods

Remove 1 or all the “Safe Zones”.
Teachers’ vs students (this is a love it or hate it option)
If a Runner catches the ball in their hands, the person throwing it becomes a runner.