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Engage your students with the very best PE games and activities from the leaders in physical education equipment!
The right PE game can help you turn simple lesson goals and standards into the highlight of your students' day. When the activity fits your class objectives, students, space, class size, and available time, your life gets better! Great games are not only fun for your students, they require less time for you to set up, explain, and manage. Wouldn't it be great to choose a game that allows you to easily meet your objectives so you can spend more time helping students succeed?
That may sound great but in reality, picking the right games and activities to meet your class objectives can be challenging! This guide is intended to help you:
- Understand and compare common types of PE games
- Choose the right PE games for your class or program based upon your objectives. Whether you're trying to develop a specific skill, hit a specific activity threshold, or are you just looking for a fun PE game to please your students - this guide is here to help!
- Maximize activity and engagement in your PE gameplay and activity design
What makes a great PE game?
That's a question that would likely yield a different answer from every physical education teacher! While it's challenging to boil down great PE games to a single characteristic, you can use these questions to help you decide whether a given game deserves a place in your program:
- Can every student take part in a meaningful way?
- Does the format keep kids active and waiting or elimination time low?
- Can you adjust the challenge for different skill levels?
- Does the game support the physical, social, or cognitive skills you're aiming to develop?
- Can students understand the gameplay and begin safely without a long explanation?
- Will the activity fit your space, class size, schedule, and equipment?
- Can you use the equipment in more than one lesson or activity?
- Is the equipment built for repeated institutional use and practical to store?
No single game needs to check every box, but your best choices are the ones that successfully address as many as possible!
Find new and traditional PE games that work your class or program!
Gopher has carried games designed to engage large groups, develop fundamental skills, and withstand years of heavy use for over 75 years. Each game is backed by our industry-leading 100% satisfaction guarantee! If you'd like help identifying the best game for your class size, grade level, space, and objectives; we can help! Your Gopher sales rep has the expertise to help you identify a game that meets your needs and thrills your students. Find your sales rep or call 1-855-899-9560 to get started!.
Looking for more great games and activities content?
Visit our blog for more great PE game guides, recommendations, and beyond!
- Top 5 Active Indoor PE Games
- 4 Great PE Games for Middle School
- Schooling with Scooters: 6 Great Scooter Games for PE
- 5 Essential Games and Activities for Outdoor Recess
- 15 Spook-Tacular PE Games
- My 8 Favorite Field Day Activities
Compare common types of PE games
With the seemingly endless variety of PE games available, how do you go about choosing games that support your curriculum or program objectives?
While not as comprehensive an approach as what we detail in our buyers guide, reviewing games by game type or category can be a useful starting point! Below is a chart that identifies some of the more common types of PE games by the skills they develop. Also included are the key planning considerations for incorporating them in your curriculum, and examples of Gopher products that fit each category.
|
Game type |
Skills Developed |
Planning Considerations |
Gopher Example |
|
Invasion games |
Moving to open space, defending, passing, decision-making |
Usually need clear boundaries, roles defined within teams, and room to move. |
|
|
Throwing and catching games |
Throwing, catching, accuracy, tracking |
Adjust distances, ball types and sizes, targets, and rules for success based on skill level/age of students. |
|
|
Relay and agility games |
Reaction, change-of-direction |
Adjust gameplay and equipment quantities to suit your objectives and balance activity with rest |
|
|
Chasing and fleeing games |
Dodging, evading, spatial awareness |
Use safe boundaries and a quick return to play. Establish clear rules for contact. |
|
|
Net and wall games |
Striking, rallying, positioning, anticipation |
Match the court, net, ball, and group size to skill level. Evaluate play space to ensure you have suitable space and existing equipment (where required) for play. |
|
|
Rebounding games |
Throwing, catching, tactics, teamwork |
Familiarize students with rebounding before full gameplay. |
|
|
Striking and fielding games |
Striking, fielding, running, communication |
Provide additional time to provide proper instruction on striking/fielding. Consider small-sided formats to increase reps to gain competency faster. |
|
|
Target games |
Accuracy, defending, strategy |
Scale target size and distance to suit student skill level and age. |
|
|
Cooperative games |
Communication, planning, problem-solving |
Emphasize inclusivity when creating group or teams. |
Invasion games
Invasion games require students to move into a defended space, working as a team to achieve an objective by outmaneurvering the opposing team. They're incredibly fun to play (remember capture the flag as a kid?), but they're also great for keeping kids active and developing a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and social skills.
What really sets invasion games apart are the tactics. Players need to strategize and react to what the opponents are doing in order successfully enter the opponent's defended area and achieve the game's objective!
Yuki-Ball shows how the style works. Based on the Japanese snowball game Yukigassen, offense works to capture a flag or eliminate opponents with coated-foam snowballs while defenders protect the flag and resupply teammates. Barriers give everyone cover to maneuver behind. Play runs in three 3-minute periods, which keeps rounds short enough to hold attention and lets you rotate students through quickly.
Throwing and catching games
Throwing and catching games build the fundamental motor skills that consistently appear in many activities across all levels of PE. They're a great option if you're looking to give kids a lot of reps practicing the throwing and catching skills you've developed during independent skill work!
The style suits mixed-ability groups well, since throwing and catching can be scaled by distance, ball size, and target size without changing the game. ACTION! Block 'Em has teams gathering foam cube blocks, building walls, and defending them while throwing at opponents' walls. The three-team version is worth knowing about, because adding a third team keeps group sizes smaller and pulls more students into active roles rather than waiting.
Relay and agility games
If you're looking to develop speed and an ability to change direction quickly, look no further than relay and agility games! These games get kids to move fast and develop these skills as they compete to achieve the game's objective.
Relay and agility games are typically very easy to implement, since most adapt to almost any group size and with a little creativity can be run in very little floor space.
They're also the relatively easy to explain, which makes them a strong choice for a short period, a substitute plan, or the first day of a unit.
ToppleTubes are one of Gopher's top relay and agility games! Teams race to flip two-color tubes so their color is on top. The game equipment is also very versatile as the same 24 tubes support agility drills, balance challenges, target practice, tower building, and fitness routines. The set ships with activity instructions covering multiple options, and the assortment includes Rainbow, XL, and Screamin' color versions if you want more team organization built in.
Chasing and fleeing games
Tag games for PE have withstood the test of time because they're fun, require little explanation, and generate continuous movement from every student! Many of Gopher's chasing and fleeing games eliminate common problems in tag such as students spending too much time stationary when tagged, and imbalances in speed across your group that can make the game unfair.
ACTION! StickIt has students collecting fleece balls and sticking them to hook-and-loop panels on the back of their pinnies while opponents try to steal them off. Nobody is ever out, everyone moves the entire time, and it works as a warm-up or a full activity.
Net and wall games
Net and wall games involve sending an object (a birdie, volleyball, handball, etc.) across a net or against a wall, forcing the opposing team or player to return the object in the same fashion. Think volleyball, handball, tennis and beyond! These games are unique in their ability to cultivate hand-eye coordination, communication skills, and the ability to react and change direction quickly.
Looking for a fun and exciting net and wall game that your students will love? 9 Square in the Air keeps students reacting and moving through a rotation, with elimination that lasts seconds rather than minutes. Our NitroBall™ PE game is easy to learn, fun to play, and keeps your students moving!requires players to hit, pass, and serve the nitro balls with a downward motion, ensuring they bounce on the ground before crossing over the net.
Rebounding games
Rebounding games combine the skills developed in throwing and catching games and net games! Tchoukball is the clearest example, combining elements team handball and basketball. Players throw at a rebounding frame and the opposing team catches the rebound before it lands. It's fast, encourages students to play hard, and is no-contact which makes it fun for all settings and skill levels! The set also supports variations including timed shooting challenges, accuracy drills, and capture-the-flag crossovers.
Striking and fielding games
Striking and fielding games teach players how to hit an object that may be moving or stationary as well as how to catch a moving object on the ground or in the air. Common striking and fielding games include baseball, cricket, kickball, softball and beyond!
A common challenge with traditional striking games like baseball, is that the gameplay can only involve a few players on any given play. ACTION! Qwick-Catch gets everyone involved by dividing the outfield into six zones with players from both teams in each. The ball moves through every zone with each player either receiving or intercepting the ball on every play! The gloves use hook-and-loop fasteners so the ball sticks, which means students who struggle to catch still succeed.
Target games
Target games develop throwing, tossing, and rolling accuracy as players send an object like a ball, dart, or even a horseshoe towards a target. Players learn to control the speed, direction, and trajectory of objects in a fun and competitive game!
ACTION! SturTee has teams knocking beach balls off opponents' holders while defending their own, blending attacking and defending in one activity. The weighted base and rubber feet keep holders in place through vigorous play, and the ball holders work in other games and activities beyond the included ones.
Cooperative games
Cooperative PE games (also known as team-building games) put the whole group behind a shared objective, which develops communication and planning in a way that contrasts team-based competitive PE games. They're particularly useful early in a term, when a class is still learning to work together.
Many popular games from Gopher can be adapted to take on a cooperative approach to gameplay. For example ACTION! ToppleTubes can be altered to have all players working to flip tubes together. ACTION! Block 'Em can be cooperative by motivating all players to knock over the block wall together.
A note on contact and bombardment games
Contact and bombardment games like dodgeball remain popular although it's to each school or program to determine their place in the curriculum and day-to-day play.
If they work in your setting, ACTION! Dodgemania includes 15 variations along with grade-appropriate ball sizes, and the GoDark version adds glow-in-the-dark play with 10 variations.
How do you choose the right PE game for your class?
Now that you know what makes a great PE game and understand the key types of games, identifying the right game is easy. Getting clarity on the six simple questions below will help you quickly identify a game that meets all of your criteria!
1. What are your objectives?
It's likely that you have several objectives you're trying to fulfill with your game choice. Objectives you may be trying to meet could include the following:
- Motor skill development (throwing, catching, jumping, squatting, pressing, etc.)
- Fitness outcomes (cardiovascular improvements, musculoskeletal development, etc.)
- Social skills (cooperating, communicating, listening, sharing, etc.)
- Cognitive skills (problem solving, strategic planning, etc.)
- Emotional development (building confidence, dealing with failure, etc.)
- Use of specific equipment (scooters, racquets, hula hoops, etc.)
Clear objectives are the foundation in determining what games to consider for your daily activity. Isolate games that succeed in fulfilling your objectives and you've already got a great start! If you're focused on meeting national standards, consult SHAPE America's physical education standards for the group you're supervising, and choose a game that emphasizes the skills appropriate to that age!
2. Who are your players?
Characteristics like age, physical development, cognitive development need to be considered when choosing an appropriate PE game. These characteristics determine how complex the rules can be, what equipment should be used, and how much skill the game can assume.
Early Elementary - Choose games with simple rules, easy-to-handle equipment, and gameplay where success doesn't require as much technique, skill, or strategy. For social development, focus on games that emphasize communication, inclusion, or the achievement of a shared goal. Popular elementary PE games from Gopher include:
Upper elementary and middle school - Players at these ages have experience listening to, understanding, and implementing gameplay. They've also developed physical and cognitive skills that allow them to play multi-role games that incorporate simple strategies. Gameplay can become more competitive, although instructors should still avoid situations where players can be singled out or excluded. Popular upper-elementary and middle school PE games from Gopher include:
High school - Olderlayers can handle games with more tactical depth and complex gameplay, where added challenges come from problem solving and communication. Additional physical development means instructors can choose games with greater physical demands or skill-requirements. Popular high school PE games from Gopher include:
3. How many students need to participate?
One of the critical features of a great PE game is the ability to keep students active and developing skills throughout the class session. As the instructor, it's your responsibility to choose a game that allows the entire group to stay engaged!
For 10 students or fewer, stations, target games, and small-sided net or rebound games can create frequent turns. For groups of more than 30, choose games featuring equipment that allows all students to get plenty of chances to demonstrate the skills you're looking to develop, or games that can be altered to create stations that break up the class into smaller groups.
Class management becomes a challenge when numbers are above 25 students. Plan changes to space, task, equipment, rules, or grouping before play begins. Offer different challenge levels and meaningful roles so students can participate without being singled out. Gopher's games really stand out here as they're all made to include activity variations that accommodate classes with 25+ students!
4. What space and setting do you have?
While many games can be played in a variety of settings, it's important you consider where the game will be played before making a decision on what to play! Some common checks to perform in order to select an appropriate game include:
- Space - simple, but easy to overlook! Most games work in large spaces, but if you're operating in a confined space, you'll want to be sure to choose a game that works for the entire group. A few Gopher games that work in small spaces include ACTION! ToppleTubes, ACTION! StickIt, ACTION! ThreeQuence, and ACTION! ConeDrone
- Game boundaries - if your game doesn't come with them but requires them (eg. flag football), ensure you have the equipment you need to create them!
- Ceiling height - if your game features an object flying through the air (eg. pickleball, football, etc.), check to make sure your ceilings won't take damage from high-flying balls, arrows, or pucks!
- Floor surface - many games require smooth surfaces to achieve proper gameplay (eg. floor hockey), make sure you choose a game that can be played on your surface available.
- Outdoor conditions - perhaps obvious, but make sure the equipment included in your chosen game can stand up to the temperature, wind, rain, and sun-related conditions you'll be playing in!
- Shared-space limitations - do you need to be mindful of other groups using the space? Make sure to select a game that send a wayward ball or player into another group that's minding their own business!
5. How much time is available?
Include setup, instruction, transitions, and take-down in consideration process while choosing the best PE game for the day's activity. When time is short, choose familiar equipment, simple rules, and quick resets. For a full unit, you can introduce roles and tactics in stages.
While most games can be set up and facilitated in a standard class period, when you're short on time the options narrow significantly! Some of the top games from Gopher to consider if your short on time include:
These game options get the whole class involved and can all be played in less than 15 minutes!
6. What equipment is already available?
While Gopher builds its PE Team Games to include all of the equipment you'll need to play the game in most settings, some games do require existing equipment to be played successfully. These are some examples of existing equipment you may need to play many popular games:
- Volleyball standards and floor recepticals
- Basketball hoops
- Walls
- Wall mats
- Field marking
It goes without saying, be certain that you have the necessary equipment in place to successfully play your chosen game before showing up to class!
21 Tools to Maximize Engagement in PE Games
You've worked all summer, staying up nights and working weekends to develop the curriculum or program plan that achieves the objectives you have for your students. You show up on day 1, only to find that your students aren't quite as enthusiastic about your plans as you are! What do you do?
Getting kids to engage is one of the many great challenges faced by PE teachers, rec coordinators, and any other role responsible for molding young minds! While there aren't any silver bullets, below is a comprehensive list of tricks and tactics to consider to help you maximize kids' activity, attention, and fun in your gameplay!
- Run more than one game, station, or lane when space and supervision allow.
- Use small-sided teams so each student has more chances to touch the equipment and make decisions.
- Choose rules that return students to play quickly instead of removing them for long periods.
- Adjust distance, speed, target size, team size, or equipment so the challenge fits your learners.
- Give students clear roles when an activity includes builders, throwers, defenders, scorers, or observers.
- Use short rounds and quick resets when attention or time is limited.
- Add variety through new rules, themes, team structures, or safe equipment changes without losing the lesson goal.
- Use color to make teams, stations, and rotations easier to understand.
- Let students choose between two or three game variations that all support the same learning objective.
- Use themed storylines, missions, or challenges that give students a reason to stay invested in the activity.
- Incorporate cooperative goals where teams earn success by working together rather than eliminating opponents.
- Provide multiple ways to score so students with different strengths can contribute to their team's success.
- Use equipment that is easy to catch, strike, throw, or control to build confidence and early success.
- Rotate partners and teammates regularly so students interact with a wider group of classmates.
- Build progression into the activity by adding new challenges or responsibilities as students demonstrate readiness.
- Celebrate effort, improvement, teamwork, and creativity in addition to winning.
- Give students leadership opportunities such as officiating, coaching, demonstrating, or managing equipment.
- Use visual cues, signs, cones, floor markers, or colored equipment to reduce confusion and keep activities moving.
- Create team challenges that require every participant to contribute before a point can be scored.
- Introduce occasional surprise elements, bonus objectives, or special events to renew attention and excitement.
- End activities while engagement is still high and leave students wanting to play again next time.
Bonus Tactic: Use New and Unique Equipment and Games!
When it comes to capturing students' attention and getting their best effort, no tactic works as well as trying a new game! Some of the top games from Gopher that maximize fun and feature novel equipment include:
- ACTION! FlipTee
- ACTION! AIRmada
- ACTION! TargetTip
- ACTION! ColorCraze
- 9-Square in the Air
- ACTION! BarrierBattle
Beyond games, consider adding unique obstacles and equipment to level up traditional PE games!