Outside the Box Fitness Stations
When you think of fitness stations, you usually think of the typical ones used over and over again. These might include a dumbbell station, jump rope station, resistance band station, medicine ball station, exercise ball station, etc.  Here are some of the most recent creative and integrated fitness stations that I have used. They have really motivated my students to be more physically active and get their sweat on. I mean their AWESOME SAUCE ON!!! I have included 4 creative, unique, and easy to use fitness stations. Just divide your gymnasium into 4 quadrants and you’re ready to go.

Station #1 -- Fidget Spinner PE Spin Boards As we all know fidget spinners are the bomb right now. So why not just jump on board and be the cool teacher that actually let’s them use them in class? I’m a firm believer in building relationships with students and this will help you do just that. While searching twitter, I came across these cool pre-made Fidget Spinner PE Spin Boards. All you need are a bunch of Fidget Spinners (I bought mine at the Dollar Store) and these awesome Fidget Spinner PE Spin boards created by Pete Charrette AKA @CapnPetesPE on twitter. Here’s the link to his awesome Teacher Pay Teacher store. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fidget-Spinner-PE-Spin-Boards-6-Set-Super-Bundle-3295565

Station #2 --- Fitness Puzzles
My next station combines teamwork, cooperation, fitness, and literacy all into one station. Fitness Puzzles! All you need to do is print, cut, laminate, and you are done. Put the puzzle pieces on the floor and let the students solve the fitness puzzles. When the group solves a puzzle, have them perform the exercise and how many it says until it’s time to rotate to the next station. I have attached the link to the ones I made or you can just create your own.  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fitness-Puzzles-2842863

Station #3 --- Darebee Workouts

If you’re looking for easy to use pre-made fitness, exercise, and fitness circuit ideas, then Darebee.com is for you. This website allows you to pick from a variety of fitness and exercise circuits and workout routines.  Just  print, laminate, and layout these awesome resources on the floor and let the fun begin. This website is absolutely free and is completely supported exclusively by user donations. I have attached the link here. Go there now and use these ideas tomorrow.  https://darebee.com/

Station #4 --- Fitness Tic Tac Toe
This activity can be used for 2 vs. 2 or 3 vs. 3. It all depends on how much wait time you want. Each player will have 1 scarf (or any object they can carry). On the signal, the first person in each group will run as fast as they can down to the tic tac toe board and place their object into one of the 9 hula hoops. After they place their object, they will run back to their line and high five the next player in line. The next player will then run down and place their object in an open hoop. The objective is to have your team get 3 in a row like it tic tac toe. If all the objects have been played and there is no tic tac toe, the next player in line will run down and move one of their own objects into an open hula hoop.  I have attached a youtube video that shows how to play here. Your students will absolutely love this game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRDp5HcZyVA

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Twitter: @PEberingmx

6 Engaging Scooter Activities

Lets all think back to when we had Physical Education in Elementary school. Do you remember wondering as you entered the gymnasium what you were going to do for the day? Then you would enter the gym and see the parachute laying out on the gym floor. The excitement of the parachute and being able to play with for a kid is like having your birthday and Christmas on the same day. The one and only piece of equipment that can even come close to this feeling in Physical Education class would have to be Scooters. Every time I bring out the scooters in my class my students go crazy. To the point where I have to have my classes use deep breathing techniques to calm them down. But like the parachute the scooter can be a difficult piece of equipment to manage in a class. Not every physical education teacher feels comfortable using and teaching with them.  Another reason is because of the lack of ideas of how to use them.  To help you become more comfortable with using scooters in your physical education program I have included 5 scooter activities that are easy to use and are sure to engage and excite your students.

Jellyfish Tag - Here is an awesome activity you can use as a asap/instant activity or you main activity on the days you decide to use scooters in your class. What make this awesome is that you can use this activity for any grade level. As the students enter the gymnasium hand a scooter to every student except for about ⅓ of the class. The jellyfish fish are 4 students holding a mini parachute. The object of the activity is for the students on the scooter to avoid being caught by the jellyfish. If this happens the student then pick up their scooter and exit the game. To re enter the student does a designated number of a certain exercise and re enters the game (what happens when they get caught is totally up to you). I have provide you with a link here:

Spaghetti & Meatballs - This activity is a lot like Jellyfish Tag. Instead of the chasers being jellyfish (parachutes) the chasers are now noodles the spaghetti and small Omkni balls (or any large ball) the Meatballs chasing the kids on their scooters. The noodles (Spaghetti) are carried by some of the students on their scooter while the meatballs (Small Omkni balls or any large ball) are being rolled by students around the gymnasium chasing the students. If tagged by either one the students exit the game a do a exercise 5 to 10 times and come back in. Play for a few minute and change the spaghetti and meatball taggers. Remember the amount of taggers you have depend of the size of your class. I have provide a link here:

Scooter Boats - This scooter activity is great for teamwork and cooperation. How many boats you can play with depends on how many gymnastic folding mats you have. I have seven and put between 4 or 5 students on each boat. To make mats move the students have to put two scooter boards under their mat and sit on it like they would a chair. The first challenge is to drive the boat around the gym without crashing into the walls or other boats. The second challenge is to play the game called Pirates. All the students on their boat help collect treasure from the center of the gym (yarn balls) by driving their boat by using their feet. Each boat can only collect one piece of treasure at a time. Play for a determined amount of time and see how many each pirate ship can collect. The third challenge is to have the students sit on top with their feet up while each student gets a turn to drive their boat around the gym without crashing. The last challenge is to play a game called Battleship. Scatter gator balls (cannonballs) throughout the gymnasium. Each battleship places a cone on top of their battleship. The captain then drives the battleship around the gym collecting gannon balls for their battleship to use for throwing. If your battleships cone gets knock over or down your battleship then switches drivers (captains). I have provided 2 links here:

Hungry Hungry Hippos - Divide your class into groups of three. Place these groups on the baselines of your gymnasium.  Each group should get a scooter board and a bucket. Place yarn balls, wiffle balls, bean bags, and yarn balls down the middle of your the gym.. To play one student lays down on their belly on the scooter board. The second player is the driver and holds both feet of the scooter board player (Hippo). On the go signal the driver pushes and pulls the hippo out to the center to collect as many objects (marbles) as you can using the bucket until all the objects are gone or the predetermined time is up. Have the third player count the objects as they are being collected. Play until each player gets a turn to be the driver, collector, and counter. I have provided a link here:

Scooter Board Sports - Throughout the 19 years of teaching Physical Education I have played many different sports and activities with scooter boards. It doesn't matter what sport or activity you play if it's with scooter boards they all absolutely love it! I've played scooter board basketball, soccer, hockey, and football. As long as you have enough scooter boards for everyone in class all these activities are possible. What I love about playing these sports with scooter boards is that it evens out the playing field. It doesn't allow the most athletic students to take over and allows other students to each evolved. I have provided links here:

Fitness 500 - Make a oval around the gym using comes. Place 3 students behind each cone with a scooter board. In the middle of the oval have a list of exercise for the students to do. I usually have 10 listed. On the go signal one student stays behind the come and performs the 1st exercise listed. While that student is exercises the other 2 students using the scooter board to drive around the oval. Have one student sit with their legs crossed on the scooter whole the other student drives it by putting their hands behind the back of their partner and drives them around the oval. When they return the teammate that was exercising becomes the driver, the driver becomes the rider, and the does exercise number one until they come all the way around the oval. Play for time or until they do all 10 exercises. I have provided a link here:

Twitter: @PEberingmx

PE Blog - 5 Skill-Based Floor Hockey Games

5 Skill-Based Floor Hockey Games

Floor hockey is a fun and active sport that’s also great for physical education! Below, I’ve compiled 6 floor hockey games that I love using in my physical education classes.

Gates & Gate Keepers

Gates is a great activity for floor hockey stick handling skills, especially dribbling skills. First, place 10 to 15 sets of cones scattered throughout the gymnasium creating hockey goals. Second, hand each student a hockey stick. Third, set a time limit and challenge the students to see how many gates they can dribble their puck through during a predetermined time. Have them use hockey pucks, then coated-foam balls, and then whiffle balls. Check out a video example by Craig Bleess!

Gate Keepers is an extension of Gates. Keep the setup the same, but now have half of the class become goalies and protect the gates (goals). Set a time limited and allow them to see how many goals they can make until the time is up. Then have the students switch roles. Again, start with hockey pucks, then coated-foam balls, and then whiffle balls. Check out a video example by Craig Bleess!

Pirate Floor Hockey

This activity is an excellent hockey activity to practice stick handling and dribbling. Start by giving every student a puck (treasure/gold) and a hockey stick. Then have a few students put their pucks away so they can be the pirates. The pirate’s job is to try to “steal” a puck from someone who has one. If a pirate steals a puck, he/she gets to keep it and the person who lost it is now a pirate. The goal is to end the game without becoming a pirate. Again, have them use a hockey puck, then a coated-foam ball, and then a whiffle ball. Checkout this video example from Traci Behnke!

“M” Floor Hockey

This hockey activity is a fantastic way to have students practice their puck dribbling, striking, and passing skills. First, set-up 4 M formations using poly spots. I usually have one M formation set up in each quadrant of my gym. Then divide your class into 4 equal groups. Have the students work through the M shaped pattern on the gym floor using their hockey passing skills. The students will pass and then follow their pass to the next poly spot. It will take 4 passes until they get to the end of the M shaped formation. When this happens, they will attempt a shot on the goal at the end of the pattern. Checkout this video example from Tim Misavage!

Floor Hockey Mania

Dribbling and stick handling are the two main hockey skills used in this activity. The object of this floor hockey game is to collect as many pucks as you can before the time is up.

To play, divide your class in half and have students partner up. Arrange students so that the same number of teams are on each baseline. Place a cone about 3 feet in front of the baseline. Then place all the pucks that you have down the middle of the gymnasium.

On the signal, the first person on each team runs out with his/her hockey stick to get a puck. The player dribbles it back to the cone that is 3 feet in front of his/her team and dribble around it. When finished, the next person on the team takes a turn. This keeps going until all the pucks in the middle are gone. When this happens, each team can then run across the gym and take a puck from a team and dribble it back to their team. Have the students continue until the time is up. Then have all the teams add up their points. You can also use coated-foam balls and whiffle balls, which could be worth different point values. Here is a video example from Greg Schmitz

Floor Hockey Knockout

This activity comes from the popular basketball dribbling activity called Dribble Knockout. To start, give every student in class a hockey stick and a puck. On the signal, students have to keep control of their puck and try to knock someone else’s puck away. If they knock someone else’s puck away, that student has to do an exercise to return to the game. Or you can have the winner do an exercise to celebrate his/her win. This video from Traci Behnke gives a great example.

I hope your students enjoy these activities as much as my students do.

@PEberingmx