Is there a more difficult decision to make than that of a PE department when the weather is awful? Do you go outside and risk low effort and attainment, or stay inside and deliver an activity which moves away from the scheme of learning? Here we have a variety of activities you could use when the rain stops play…
1. Benchball
An absolute classic that the pupils will love. Standard bench ball can teach so many core skills including balance, coordination, tactics and teamwork. You could also introduce a smaller ball to really increase the focus on coordination.
Consider rule changes such as issuing a sanction if a pupil falls off or leaves the bench, a reset option to make the other team start again if a certain target is hit, and tactical nominations of who starts on the bench for the other team.
2. Dodgeball
Another classic game that can accommodate a large number of pupils in a relatively small space. To encourage all pupils to continue to take part and give pupils who are out a second chance, you can adapt the rules slightly:
– Put a row of benches behind each team.
– If a player is hit by a dodgeball, they must go and stand on the bench. To get back in to play, they must catch a ball from their teammates.
– If a player from the opposing team catches a ball you throw, you are out and must go to the bench.
– The team who ends up with all their team on the bench first, loses!
3. Four-square
A fast-paced game ideal for wet weather lessons. Very little space is required, a queue is formed by those waiting to play and 6 or 7 pupils can be entertained in a 2m x 2m area. The game is simple but addictive with one simple aim – to (briefly!) eliminate opponents from the game and advance to the fourth square.
All you will need is a ball which bounces moderately high (a dodgeball would be ideal) and tape/ throw down lines to form the playing area. – SquareFour
4) Relay Races
An activity which combines fitness with competitiveness, which can be played with a large number of pupils. For this to work, pupils will need to be separated into even groups. Challenge them to do a variety of tasks as quickly as they can.
– Cone stack – race to place a certain coloured cone on a traffic cone at the end of the space you are in. Give pupils a specific order to place coloured cones on to the traffic cone, for example, “red, yellow, green, then blue placed on by pupil number 1,3,4,6.
An extension could be a link to flag colours, for example, “pupil numbers 1, 2 and 3, take the three cones which make up the colours on the French flag”. Add a challenge by using hops, jumps and backwards running.
5) Changing room Olympics
Should you ever find yourself with no indoor space to teach in (think exam season), you could try this very grandly named game. Separate your class into small groups and set them several teamwork challenges to complete in the changing rooms:
– How many attempts does it take your team to each throw a quoit onto a peg?
– How long does it take your team to stack a set of cones on the stack?
– How long does it take your team to bounce 10 table tennis balls into a bucket from distance?
– Which team can build the highest tower from paper (no glue or Sellotape!) in 10 minutes?
Remember, it’s OK to deviate from the scheme of learning to a wet weather alternative if you feel that the students will gain more from it. Speak to other members of your department to come up with a plan that suits all students.
If you want to find some more information then be sure to check out PEOffice or enquire now for a free lesson plan. You can even book a free online demonstration here or call the team on 01909 776 900.
