physical education lessons for kindergarten

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The PE Specialist

Awesome Resources for Physical Education Teachers

How to Teach Kindergarten in PE

How to Teach Kindergarten PE ( Link to Podcast Episode )

Podcast below: ( itunes ), youtube show below:.

Resources/Links

Rules and procedures.

• Ease into activities, be aware of nervousness or fear
• Teacher is Talking What are We Doing?
• Have something to say what should you do?
• Hands and Feet Too…?
• Discover and practice personal space and moving within boundary lines.  I usually start with just simple move with the music and freeze when the music stops and then once they’ve got that we play an imagination and movement game that I call “I See” (video below)

• I usually wait until about the 3rd or 4th lesson to give my Home Base Spots in Kindy.  You can also see in the video below How I Teach My Kids their Home Base Spots through working on Open Space and Stopping Signal during PE class

• Read “ Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon ”
• Have patience with Kindergarten students
• Take pictures of each student in the class to help remember names, (students come to PE with name tags on) so the next time they come I have faces with names. Can also share with other teachers to help them learn names.
• Music is on you are free to go, music is off you can not go
• Strike 1 is a warning
• Strike 2 refocus area
• Strike 3 refocus area/note home to parent
• Overview of Ben’s PE Rules and Expectations

Instagram Live Question: How many K students do you have in a class? Do you Team Teaching?

• Ben – 20-25 students we have teamed taught in the past but now just single classes. 2 groups a day of 5K or 4K for 25 minutes

• Marcus – 23 – 24 students double classes everyday for 50 minutes (around 50 kids at a time normally)
• “When the teacher is talking you should be…Listening”
• “If you have something to say what should you do?… Raise your hand”
• “Keep your hands and feet too?…Yourself”
• Additional for Marcus’s school “Point to where you go if you need help with your shoes” Students point to designated area for help with shoes
• Team Teaching advantages – one teacher can teach the students while the other teacher is dealing with the issues (crying, injuries, no shoes, etc…)

Example of our Big 3 Rules Review in the video below (from COVID times as you can tell from the mask)

Kindergarten Mindset

• Put yourself in the students perspective, they have only been running for a couple of years yet alone trying to follow rules and procedures.  Patience is key.
• Do not get upset with yourself or them if they make a mistake.
• Do not take it personal.  They are learning everyday like we are. Being able to teach with another teacher gives me a chance to have one on one conversations with students if they do make a mistake.
• Play to learn mindset.  Kindergarten students are not ready for lots of progression tasks.  Giving them practice time with less structure by exposing them to content helps to keep students on task and allows them to be creative and explore skills and equipment.

Instagram live Question: Do you have any tips to learning all the names? Home Base Spots

• We take pictures of the students, at the beginning of the year, when they have name tags on.
• Making connections with the names helps to build relationship with students. (Siblings, roster sheet)

Mindset con’t

• Kindergarten students fears may seem silly to you but to them it’s a big deal.  Forcing students to do something they do not want to do or getting frustrated with them when they do not want to do something in PE class can have lasting effects on them.  Offer different options for those students.

Instagram Live Question: Starting my second year, how do you switch things up from year to year?

• Vertical Alignment helps to switch things up students.  What I do in Kindergarten will look different in first grade.  Hopefully as you get to learn your students you can progress the content as they get older.
• Because we see our students once a week, proficiency is difficult for us to achieve in four lessons.  So we typically teach the same content and progress the difficulty as the students get older in order to build the confidence for students to practice outside of class.
• Ben discuss the 4-Square progress as an example of vertical alignment.

Recommended Format for Kindergarten – Stations

• Stations for Kindergarten are a great way to take the content you’re teaching and break it down for easy learning.
• Stations are a great way to get student acclimated to the gym and sharing equipment.

Instagram Live Question: Stopping Signal

• Set up, play, clean up, point to next station, move (Here are some tips for teaching with Station Activities)
• Stations on one activity multiple different ways
• Stations with different activities in each station
• Breaking down content area (Basketball) into stations
• Gives practice time to each student, gets them ready for other activities i.e. Field Day , and allows for teacher feedback to students. You become the facilitator.

Instagram Live Question: Do you typically take attendance or get right into instant activity?

• Ben – I have a roster but do not have assigned seats with Kindergarten so I just check with the teacher to see who is here and if they’re absent I mark it down on my roster sheet.
• Marcus – Beginning of the year to help learn names we go down the roster call students name and have them tell us something about themselves (favorite food, color, dog or cat)

Timeline for Average Lesson

• Students come in and sit down on the line.  We review the three rules. (Refer above)
• We do walking (short lines)/ jogging (long lines) as a warm up.  After a while, we will switch up the locomotors on the line. PVC hurdles .  Can also set up cones and make a track around the gym for warmup.
• Students then come to the middle and we discuss the stations. The rotation is the same every time we just switch out the activities.

Instagram Live Question: How do you split the class up?

• With a single class we split them up by their name and sending them to a station.  With double classes, we usually split them up by gender and home room to a station.
• Team Shake (link), counting off 1-2-3-4, have students choose a station, colored wristband (Link to Amazon)

Practice Losing Before a Game

Anytime I do a competitive activity with my Kindergarten students (and any other classes that struggle with sportsmanship) I always give them a chance to “Practice Losing” before we play the game so my expectations are clear and it’s on the front of their minds before we start

Lesson Ideas and Activities

• Ability to move around in personal and open space while practicing locomotor skills. “I See” (Find link or video)
• “ Listen and Move ” Greg and Steve
• Call it Macaroni
• Hokey Pokey
• Freeze Dance
• Chicken Dance
• Place a beanbag on their head to keep them in control and slow down

Instagram Live Question: How do you close your class?

• Real quick and simple as they leave review the cues of the activity.

Have Fun and Teach On!

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Lesson Plan Sections

• Environmental (1)
• Science (1)

P.E. Lessons

Physical education prepares children for an active and healthy life while improving self discipline and reducing stress. This section includes PE lessons from kindergarten through high school spanning different skill levels and objectives. Lessons are categorized by grade for easy retrieval. These lessons were created by real teachers working in schools across the United States. The section will continue to grow as more teachers like you share your lesson plans. We encourage you! Share your lessons plans Teacher.org, contact us .

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P.e. environmental lesson plans, food chain tag.

Students will learn a brief background about energy transfer between the sun, producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. ½ of the students are primary consumers (plants) and ¼ of the students are primary consumers (rabbits) and ¼ of the students are secondary consumers (hawks).

P.E. P.E. Lesson Plans

Aces and exercise.

Using a deck of playing cards, the students will pick the number of reps for various exercises.  

And Freeze!

Students will practice listening skills and basic physical concepts as required in physical education class. Students will also work on balance and coordination.

Animal Laps

Combining information about the speed of animals, the students will run laps in the gym or outdoors.

Basketball Relay

Students will practice teamwork, dribbling, and shooting a basketball.

Bear Hunt Obstacle Course

This plan will combine reading with balance and coordination skills to allow students to navigate a simple obstacle course.

Boom Over Movement Game

Students will play a game in which they need to change direction quickly. Students are to pretend that they are on a sailboat that is in the middle of a storm. They will have to run and change direction based on verbal commands and duck quickly to avoid being hit by the imaginary boom.

Butterfly Stretches

This lesson is designed to help students learn the importance and reasons for exercise through multiple activities and discussions.

Coordination Course

This plan will allow students to practice coordination while staying physical.

Multi-Ball Basketball

The student will participate in a game of basketball using various sizes of available balls.

Music Movement

The students will move to the music based on its beat, words, tune, and other variables.

On Top of Spaghetti

Pe immigration.

The students will research games and activities from other countries to share during a PE class.

Pass It Off

This lesson will allow students to practice passing, dribbling, and bouncing skills using basketballs

Plate Aerobics

Students will practice basic aerobics moves while trying to stay positioned on paper plates, this aids in coordination.

Race to the Answer

This lesson will allow students to practice teamwork, basic math skills, and get exercise through a relay race. Note: Problems/difficulty level can be altered by grade

Ride ‘Em Cowboy/girl

This lesson will allow students to practice gross motor skills.  

Students will practice listening skills and basic physical concepts as required in physical education class.

Ski to the Finish Line

This plan will allow students to practice coordination while staying physical. Students will demonstrate moving straight, backwards, and in a zig-zag pattern.

The New PE Class

The students will create a PE activity to share and demonstrate to peers.

This lesson will allow students to practice teamwork and trust building, as well as working on directionality for younger students.

What Time is it FOX?

The students play a game where they practice different movements including jumping, galloping, skipping, running, jogging, leaping, and walking. Based on National Physical Education Standards, students should have been learning these skills for the last 4 years.

P.E. Science Lesson Plans

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46 Unique Phys Ed Games Your Students Will Love

Get your steps in!

There’s nothing kids need more to break up a day spent sitting still and listening than a fun PE class to let off some steam. In the old days, going to gym class probably included playing kickball or dodgeball after running a few laps. Since then, there have been countless reinventions of and variations on old classics as well as completely new games. Although there is no shortage of options, we love that the supplies required remain relatively minimal. You can transport to another galaxy using just a pool noodle or two or create a life-size game of Connect 4 using just Hula-Hoops. You’ll want to make sure to have some staples on hand like balls, beanbags, and parachutes. There are even PE games for kindergartners based on beloved children’s TV shows and party games. Regardless of your students’ athletic abilities, there is something for everyone on our list of elementary PE games!

1. Tic-Tac-Toe Relay

Elementary PE games that not only get students moving but also get them thinking are our favorites. Grab some Hula-Hoops and a few scarves or beanbags and get ready to watch the fun!

Learn more: Tic-Tac-Toe Relay at S&S Blog

2. Blob Tag

Pick two students to start as the Blob, then as they tag other kids, they will become part of the Blob. Be sure to demonstrate safe tagging, stressing the importance of soft touches.

Learn more: Blob Tag at Playworks

3. Cross the River

This fun game has multiple levels that students have to work through, including “get to the island,” “cross the river,” and “you lost a rock.”

Learn more: Cross the River at The PE Specialist

4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Cones

Line up cones, then have students pair up and stand on either side of a cone. Finally, call out head, shoulders, knees, or cones. If cones is called, students have to race to be the first to pick up their cone before their opponent.

Learn more: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Cones at S&S Blog

5. Spider Ball

Elementary PE games are often variations of dodgeball like this one. One or two players start with the ball and attempt to hit all of the runners as they run across the gym or field. If a player is hit, they can then join in and become a spider themselves.

Learn more: Spider Ball Game at Kid Activities

6. Crab Soccer

We love elementary PE games that require students to act like animals (and we think they will too). Similar to regular soccer, but students will need to play on all fours while maintaining a crab-like position.

Learn more: Crab Soccer at Playworks

7. Halloween Tag

This is the perfect PE game to play in October. It’s similar to tag, but there are witches, wizards, and blobs with no bones!

Learn more: Halloween Tag at The Physical Educator

8. Crazy Caterpillars

We love that this game is not only fun but also works on students’ hand-eye coordination. Students will have fun pushing their balls around the gym with pool noodles while building their caterpillars.

9. Monster Ball

You’ll need a large exercise ball or something similar to act as the monster ball in the middle. Make a square around the monster ball, divide the class into teams on either side of the square, then task the teams with throwing small balls at the monster ball to move it into the other team’s area.

Learn more: Monster Ball at The PE Specialist

10. Striker Ball

Striker ball is an enjoyable game that will keep your students entertained while working on reaction time and strategic planning. We love that there is limited setup required before playing.

Learn more: Striker Ball at S&S Blog

11. Parachute Tug-of-War

What list of elementary PE games would be complete without some parachute fun? So simple yet so fun, all you will need is a large parachute and enough students to create two teams. Have students stand on opposite sides of the parachute, then let them compete to see which side comes out on top.

Learn more: Parachute Tug-of-War at Mom Junction

12. Fleas Off the Parachute

Another fun parachute game where one team needs to try to keep the balls (fleas) on the parachute and the other tries to get them off.

Learn more: Fleas Off the Parachute at Mom Junction

13. Crazy Ball

The setup for this fun game is similar to kickball, with three bases and a home base. Crazy ball really is so crazy as it combines elements of football, Frisbee, and kickball!

Learn more: Crazy Ball at Health Beet

14. Bridge Tag

This game starts as simple tag but evolves into something more fun once the tagging begins. Once tagged, kids must form a bridge with their body and they can’t be freed until someone crawls through.

Learn more: Bridge Tag at Great Camp Games

15. Star Wars Tag

Elementary PE games that allow you to be your favorite movie character are just way too much fun! You will need two different-colored pool noodles to stand in for lightsabers. The tagger will have one color pool noodle that they use to tag students while the healer will have the other color that they will use to free their friends.

Learn more: Star Wars Tag at Great Camp Games

16. Rob the Nest

Create an obstacle course that leads to a nest of eggs (balls) and then divide the students into teams. They will have to race relay-style through the obstacles to retrieve eggs and bring them back to their team.

17. Four Corners

We love this classic game since it engages students physically while also working on color recognition for younger students. Have your students stand on a corner, then close their eyes and call out a color. Students standing on that color earn a point.

Learn more: Four Corners at The Many Little Joys

18. Movement Dice

This is a perfect warm-up that requires only a die and a sheet with corresponding exercises.

Learn more: Roll the Dice Movement Break at Teaching Littles

19. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag

A fun spin on tag, children will tag one another and then play a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who has to sit and who gets to continue playing.

Learn more: Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag at Grade Onederful

20. Cornhole Cardio

This one is so fun but can be a little bit confusing, so be sure to leave plenty of time for instruction. Kids will be divided into teams before proceeding through a fun house that includes cornhole, running laps, and stacking cups.

Learn more: Cardio Cornhole at S&S Blog

21. Connect 4 Relay

This relay takes the game Connect 4 to a whole new level. Players must connect four dots either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

22. Zookeepers

Students will love imitating their favorite animals while playing this fun variation of Four Corners where the taggers are the zookeepers.

23. Racket Whack-It

Students stand with rackets in hand while balls are thrown at them—they must either dodge the balls or swat them away.

Learn more: Racket Whack-It via PEgames.org

24. Crazy Moves

Set mats out around the gym, then yell out a number. Students must race to the mat before it is already filled with the correct number of bodies.

Learn more: Crazy Moves at PEgames.org

25. Wheelbarrow Race

Sometimes the best elementary PE games are the simplest. An oldie but a goodie, wheelbarrow races require no equipment and are guaranteed to be a hit with your students.

Learn more: Wheelbarrow Race at wikiHow

26. Live-Action Pac-Man

Fans of retro video games like Pac-Man will get a kick out of this live-action version where students get to act out the characters.

27. Spaceship Tag

Give each of your students a Hula-Hoop (spaceship), then have them run around trying not to bump into anyone else’s spaceship or get tagged by the teacher (alien). Once your students get really good at it, you can add different levels of complexity.

28. Rock, Paper, Scissors Beanbag Balance

We love this spin on Rock, Paper, Scissors because it works on balance and coordination. Students walk around the gym until they find an opponent, then the winner collects a beanbag, which they must balance on their head!

Learn more: Rock, Paper, Scissors Beanbag Balance at PE Universe

29. Throwing, Catching, and Rolling

This is a fun activity but it will require a lot of preparation, including asking the school maintenance staff to collect industrial-sized paper towel rolls. We love this activity because it reminds us of the old-school arcade game Skee-Ball!

Learn more: Winter Activity at S&S Blog

30. Jenga Fitness

Although Jenga is fun enough on its own, combining it with fun physical challenges is sure to be a winner with young students.

Learn more: Jenga Fitness at S&S Blog

31. Volcanoes and Ice Cream Cones

Divide the class into two teams, then assign one team as volcanoes and the other as ice cream cones. Next, spread cones around the gym, half upside down and half right side up. Finally, have the teams race to flip as many cones as possible to either volcanoes or ice cream cones.

Learn more: Warm-Up Games at Prime Coaching Sport

This fun variation on dodgeball will have your students getting exercise while having a ton of fun! Begin with three balls on a basketball court. If you are hit by a ball, you are out. If you take a step while holding a ball, you are out. There are other rules surrounding getting out and also how to get back in, which can be found in this video.

33. Musical Hula-Hoops

PE games for kindergartners that are similar to party games are some of our favorites! Think musical chairs but with Hula-Hoops! Lay enough Hula-Hoops around the edge of the gym minus five students since they will be in the muscle pot. Once the music starts, students walk around the gym. When the music stops, whoever doesn’t find a Hula-Hoop becomes the new muscle pot!

34. 10-Second Tag

This game is perfect to play at the beginning of the year since it helps with learning names and allows the teacher to get to know the first student in line.

35. The Border

This game is so fun and requires no equipment whatsoever. Divide the gym into two sides. One side can move freely while the other side must avoid letting their feet touch the floor by rolling around, crawling, etc.

36. Freedom Catch

This is a simple throwing, catching, and tag game that will certainly be a hit with your PE class. Captors attempt to tag players so they can send them to jail. You can be freed if someone on your team runs to a freedom cone while throwing a ball to the jailed person. If the ball is caught by the jailed person, they can rejoin the game.

37. Oscar’s Trashcan

As far as PE games for kindergartners goes, this one is a guaranteed winner since it is based on the show Sesame Street . You’ll need two large areas that can be sectioned off to use as trash cans and also a lot of medium-size balls. There are two teams who must compete to fill their opponent’s trash can while emptying their own. Once over, the trash will be counted and the team with the least amount of trash in their trash can wins!

38. 4-Way Frisbee

Divide your class into four separate teams, who will compete for points by catching a Frisbee inside one of the designated goal areas. Defenders are also able to go into the goal areas. There are a number of other rules that can be applied so you can modify the game in a way that’s best for your class.

39. Badminton King’s/Queen’s Court

This one is simple but fun since it is played rapid-fire with kids waiting their turn to take on the King or Queen of the court. Two players start and as soon as a point is earned, the loser swaps places with another player. The goal is to be the player that stays on the court the longest, consistently knocking out new opponents.

40. Jumping and Landing Stations

Kids love stations and they definitely love jumping, so why not combine those things into one super-fun gym class? They’ll have a blast challenging themselves with all the different obstacles presented in this video.

41. Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course

Regardless of whether you’ve ever seen an episode of American Ninja Warrior , you are probably familiar with the concept and so are your students. Plus, you’ll probably have just as much fun as your students setting up the obstacles and testing them out!

42. Balloon Tennis

Since kids love playing keepy-uppy with a balloon, they will love taking it a step further with balloon tag!

43. Indoor Putting Green

If your school can afford to invest in these unique putting green sets, you can introduce the game of golf to kids as young as kindergarten. Who knows, you might just have a future Masters winner in your class!

44. Scooter Activities

Let’s be honest, we all have fond memories of using scooters in gym class. Regardless of whether you do a scooter sleigh or scooter hockey, we think there is something for everyone in this fun video.

45. Pick It Up

This is the perfect PE game to play if you are stuck in a small space with a good-size group. Teams win by making all of their beanbag shots and then collecting all of their dots and stacking them into a nice neat pile.

46. Dodgeball Variations

Since not all kids love having balls thrown at them, why not try a dodgeball alternative that uses gym equipment as targets rather than fellow students? For example, have each student stand in front of a Hula-Hoop with a bowling ball inside of it. Students need to protect their hoop while attempting to knock over their opponents’ pins.

What are your favorite elementary PE games to play with your class? Come and share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group  on Facebook.

Plus, check out  our favorite recess games for the classroom ..

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Kindergarten

Music in PE and playlist idea

I’ve found that playing music adds a wonderful dimension to a PE class. I

Hopscotch and Making Recess Better!

New post found at https://healthbeet.org/3-classic-recess-games-filling-a-recess

Animal warm-up

  Add some fun and creativity to your warm-ups with this animal warm-up. &n

Warm-up dance for Christmastime

I am very insecure when it comes to teaching dances.  However, this particu

Using stations/centers/rotations in PE class

A popular day in my PE class is when we do “PE centers” (or rotation

Kindergarten and spatial awareness

One of my main objectives with my kindergarten classes is to teach them spatial

Fire and Ice Tag game

My first and second graders love tag games.  This is a fun spin on frozen tag.

Scoops and Balls

scoops and balls This post has permanently been moved here.

“UNO” warm-up game

I pulled out an old set of “UNO” cards this week and used them for a

“Frozen” tag

Does anyone else have young classes that are obsessed with the movie Frozen?  M

Privacy Overview

Rhythm & Mini-Moves

Prek & kindergarten physical education.

Kindergarten Physical Education

These are the rhythm and moves physical education lessons for kindergarten.  the concept or skill should remain the focus for the week.  if you see your children more than once per week there are additional lessons or “part 3” activities that you can use to reinforce the concept.  most of the concepts can be used across all three disciplines of movement; educational dance, educational games and educational gymnastics..

Week 02   Travel & Stop;  Travel & Stop (b)

Week 05 Locomotor Traveling

Week 07 Directions; Forward, Backward & Sideways

Week 08 Levels; Low, Medium & High

Week 10 Balance: Single Body Part s

Week 14 Ball Handling: Avoiding the opponent & Dribbling w/Feet

Week 17 Ball Handling: Overhand Throw

Week 19 Weight Transference: Rolling Sideways and Forward

Week 20 Exploring Jumping – Jumping, balance & rolling sequencing; Jumping over a moving Rope

Week 22  Striking; a stationary ball

Week 23  Striking with a Hockey Stick or Foam Stick

Week 24  Effort; Fast Vs Slow, Balloon Dance

Week 25 Galloping, Skipping, and Sliding to Music

Week 27  Ball Handling: Kicking

Week 28  Ball Handling: Kicking & Dribbling

Week 29  Ball Handling: Throwing to the Wall w/Hands

Week 30    Dribble Mania – Feet, Hands & Implement

Week 31   Ball Handling: Dribbling & Shooting a Basketball

Week 32 Ball Handling: in relation to Levels

Week 33 Parachute

Week 34 Parachute

Week 35 Playground & Park Games

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The World's Most Evidence-Based Physical Education & Physical Activity Programs!

Free Lesson Plans

Spark sample lesson plans, the following pages include a collection of free spark physical education and physical activity lesson plans. if you’re searching for lesson plans based on inclusive, fun pe-pa games or innovative new ideas, click on one of the links below..

Snakes and Lizards Lesson Plan

Field Day Activity

Centipede Pass

Manipulatives Lesson

Partner Hoop Rolling

Parachute Switcheroo Lesson Plan

Catching and Throwing

Catching and Throwing Circuit Lesson Plan

Skill Cards

Skill Cards (Spanish)

Back to School

Back to School (Spanish)

Social and Emotional Learning

Kindness Definition Card and Lesson

Fitness Circuits

Body Composition Circuit Lesson Plan

Mirror, Mirror Lesson Plan

Performance Rubric Assessment

Choice Count (Pedometer Activity)

Cross the Pond

3-Catch Basketball Lesson Plan

SEL Definition and T-Chart Card

Flying Disc

Durango Boot

Zone and Player-to-Player Defenses

Radio Control

Mini Soccer

Soccer Student Self-Assessments

Track and Field

Sprints and Jumps Circuit

Skill Cards (English & Spanish)

Task Cards (Spanish)

Cooperatives

Spartan Adventure Race 201

Spartan Adventure Race 101

Group Fitness

Yoga Basic Training Lesson Plan

Yoga Content Cards

Yoga Content Cards (Spanish)

Basic Training Peer Checklist

Basic Training Peer Checklist (Spanish)

SFI Certification Tracking Sheet

iGames Lesson

iStrike/Field

Boulder Runner

I Got Your Back Lesson Plan

Practice Plan

Practice Plan (Spanish)

Fitness Fun

Fun and Fitness Circuit Lesson Plan

Fitness Station Cards

Fitness Station Cards (Spanish)

Fun Station Cards

Fun Station Cards (Spanish)

Great Games

Balanced Breakfast

Flying Disc Group Challenge Lesson Plan

Task Card (Spanish)

Building Blocks

Starting and Stopping Lesson Plan

Family Fun Activities

Family Fun Activities (Spanish)

Beanbag Bonanza

Station Play Lesson Plan

Station Cards

Have a Ball

Bounce and Catch

Recess Activities

Social studies.

Social Studies Fitness Relay

State Lists

State Lists (Spanish)

Fitness Relay State Cards

STEM Fitness Training

STEM Fitness Training Cards (English & Spanish)

Me Activities

ME: INSIDE (K-2)

ME: OUTSIDE (3-5)

We Activities

WE: INSIDE (3-5)

WE: OUTSIDE (K-2)

3 Activities

3: INSIDE (3-5)

3: OUTSIDE (K-2)

Sample Resources

Group Juggling

Object Control Skills-Underhand Throwing

What Your PE Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder Wishes You Knew

Football Unit Inclusion Strategies 3-6

SPARK Holiday Lesson

Hearty Hoopla

Stop the Grinch!

Zombie Graveyard

Build a Turkey

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Whatever you thought of gym class, the current debate over childhood obesity has made physical education (PE) more relevant than ever. As the website for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign informs us, kids need “60 minutes of active and vigorous play every day to grow up to a healthy weight.” Some schools are even using video games to lure kids to the gym . In an ideal setting, PE doesn’t just improve fitness — it also reduces stress, strengthens friendships, and improves self-confidence and self-esteem, making even kindergarten physical education worthwhile.

Is your child getting the physical education he needs? Check out our grade-by-grade guidelines to see what kids should be learning in PE.

Valuing fitness

In kindergarten, children begin to learn the value of physical activity. They should practice fitness while learning new movements and working to develop key social skills, including good sportsmanship.

Kindergartners should also learn to try new types of activities. As physical education specialist Amy Kaiser explains, “There are skills to learn and games to play. Nothing can be accomplished unless the child feels safe enough to try something new.”

Kaiser likens PE to a science lab. “Physical education is the ‘laboratory of life,’” she says. “Children [should] challenge their bodies and brains to try new tasks, accept difficult challenges, and learn a different vocabulary. When students fall down, they have to stand up again. If they drop a ball, they pick it up again. And if they lose, they learn to say, ‘That was a great game. I want to play again.’”

Movin’ and groovin’

Kindergartners should be able to try new ways of moving, whether it’s galloping, hopping, walking, running, jumping, leaping, skipping, or sliding. Kids should practice these movements while experimenting with changes in speed and direction. And teachers can play music in the background to encourage children’s creative instincts.

Classic games like jump rope can also be a great way for children to improve their balance, coordination, and aerobic capabilities. “Jumping rope is a universal game that has skills rooted in many sports,” says Kaiser. “It’s also fun and inexpensive.”

Creating balance

In kindergarten PE kids should focus on activities that incorporate the abilities to, stretch, bend, twist, turn, push, and pull. Balance is an especially valuable skill, requiring both strength and concentration, and children can improve their balance by trying creative new poses. “Children have such great imaginations,” says Kaiser, “they can create their own balance positions — a lion pose, a cobra stretch, or a crab balance. Kindergartners [love] to form their bodies into the shapes of letters.”

Balance is equally important as a building block for other exercises and relaxation techniques. “Balance [can be] a foundation for many sports and a good tool for stress-reduction activities like yoga,” Kaiser explains. “Young children who practice balance are also practicing focus and concentration, two very important skills for academic success.”

Eye on the ball

Kindergartners should learn how to throw Frisbees, small beanbags, and balls, learning the proper stance, steps, and follow-through moves. They should begin to develop their throwing, catching, and kicking skills, while practicing bouncing a ball using two hands and one hand. Kids should also practice their ball skills using their feet.

Children begin to learn to identify the parts of the body, learning how to move them during stretching and exercise. Playing games — like “Hokey Pokey” and “Simon Says” — is also great way to reinforce their new knowledge. They can use their body to show that they understand the concepts of “over,” “under,” “behind,” and “through.”

Learning social skills

Children should learn the importance of teamwork, as well. “Good sportsmanship in kindergarten is as simple and important as taking turns and recognizing others during a game,” says Kaiser. “Children at this age learn to work in pairs and small groups and can learn to appreciate others,” she adds. “It is very satisfying to hear children compliment each other when they’re trying out difficult tasks.”

Expect kids to learn how to follow the rules and procedures involved in various games and activities, including how to share and take turns. Finally, children should be taught safety. They should learn how to safely use and care for sports equipment and, more importantly, how to look out for themselves.

What to look for when you visit the classroom:

• Balls of various sizes
• Balance beam

Updated July 2010

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The Best Kinder PE Games

Kindergarteners are still developing important life skills. As a PE teacher, you have a unique opportunity to help your students develop gross motor skills and fine motor skills. However, planning a successful PE class can be stressful, especially when you're unsure what to expect. Here's what you need to know about planning kinder PE games.    

Establishing Appropriate Expectations for Kinder Kids 

The average kindergartener is five years old. Kindergarten classes are the first form of official schooling for most children, although some parents may choose to enroll their kids in preschool. A five-year-old child has not yet entered the more mature phases of childhood associated with advanced learning skills and may still struggle to move on from their toddler phase. Most five-year-old children have more self-control than a toddler and have the ability to successfully sit through a lesson from a teacher. However, they are still learning to control their emotions and are prone to emotional outbreaks. Five-year-old children may still cry about spilling their milk on the table or not getting the snack they wanted at lunchtime.  

The physical development of a five-year-old is vastly different from the teetering habits of a toddler. Most toddlers are still learning to walk and run and struggle with fine motor movements. A five-year-old child is learning to perfect their fine motor skills and can run and jump with better coordination. Some five-year-olds will begin losing their chubby cheeks and gain more muscle than fat. On this note, it's important to remember that all children grow and develop at different stages. Just because the average five-year-old child will begin losing their chubby cheeks doesn't mean that every child will develop at the same time. If your child seems to be behind the other children, do not remark on their developmental stage. Mentioning the child's differences can make the child develop deep-seated insecurities.  

Keeping in mind that each child is different and that you should regularly check with your local health provider to ensure that your child is healthy, here are typical health and growth milestones for kindergarteners: 

• Gaining four to five pounds 
• Growing two to three inches 
• Achieving 20/20 vision 

Additionally, most kindergarteners will achieve certain physical milestones that define locomotor skill. Mainly, kindergarteners will develop gross motor skills and fine motor skills. The typical milestones for five-year-old children are: 

• Gain better coordination in hopping, skipping, running, and jumping 
• Develop better balance 
• Gain ability to handle buttons and zippers 
• Gain ability to handle forks, knives, and spoons 
• Less dependent on parents   
• Stands on one foot for ten seconds 

The emotional development in a five-year-old child is also significant, though it might not be as obvious as the motor skills. Many five-year-old children are people pleasers and have a desire to be liked by the people around them. They are more likely to listen to their parents and complete tasks in exchange for praise and recognition. However, they are also still young children and are prone to extreme emotional outbursts. Tantrums are common in kindergarteners, and teachers should be ready to deal with emotional outbursts. Young children also learn to articulate themselves and their feelings (though this can sometimes be contradictory). Five-year-olds will also feel empathy for the people around them and might feel sad when they see someone else feeling sad. The common key emotional milestones are: 

• Separate from primary caregiver without feeling extreme anxiety 
• Play and share with other children 
• Attend to an adult-directed task for at least five minutes 
• Feel empathy for those around them 

Kinder kids will begin making social milestones. Five-year-old kids will begin initiating relationships with other children and make new friends. They will form relationships with those who are outside the immediate familial relationships. They will begin having independent relationships. However, some kids this age may begin bullying if the parents don't introduce bullying prevention. Additionally, kids who are being bullied will not know how to respond, meaning that parents should take an active role in their child's social life to ensure that they aren't being bullied by any of the other students. Teachers should also watch for signs of bullying in their classrooms and call out bullying before it becomes an issue in their classroom. The important social milestones are: 

• Desire to please family and friends 
• Desire to follow rules
• Desire to fit in with their friends 

Five-year-olds will begin making cognitive progress and learn the difference between "right" and "wrong." Although their understanding of right and wrong will not fully define until they are around eight years old, parents can expect their kindergarteners to know basic morality principles. They will expand their language and better understand ideas such as "something is on top of the box," compared to "something is next to the box." The most common cognitive milestones are: 

• Ability to count to ten 
• Expanded oral and vocal vocabulary 
• Enjoys singing, dancing, and playing 
• Enjoys playing alone with friends 
• Can tell what's real and what's pretend 

According to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , parents and teachers should be concerned if their five-year-old is exhibiting unusual behavior. Unusual behavior may be an early determiner for cognitive issues or the need for early professional counseling. Contact your local health provider if you see: 

• Doesn't show a wide range of emotions
• Shows extreme behavior (unusually fearful, aggressive, shy, or sad)
• Unusually withdrawn and not active
• Is easily distracted, has trouble focusing on one activity for more than 5 minutes
• Doesn't respond to people, or responds only superficially
• Can't tell what's real and what's make-believe
• Doesn't play a variety of games and activities
• Can't give first and last name
• Doesn't use plurals or past tense properly
• Doesn't talk about daily activities or experiences
• Doesn't draw pictures
• Can't brush teeth, wash and dry hands, or get undressed without help
• Loses skills they once had

Classroom teachers and physical education teachers should keep these important milestones in mind when creating lessons for their students. If a teacher tries to push their students further than reasonable, it could frustrate the kids and result in emotional outbursts. However, teachers should always push their students to help to develop future milestones.    

Kindergarten PE teachers have a unique ability to help their students form future milestones. The goal of kindergarten PE is to get the kids moving and enjoying themselves while they learn to love PE class. If a PE teacher can teach young kids to love exercise at an early age, the kids will have an easier time later in life. As a PE teacher, you help create the foundation of a healthy future for your students.  

PE teachers should not expect more than their students than the average milestone. If a child excels, be proud of the excelling student; however, do not tell the other children to act like the excelling student. Putting down other children can create insecurities that could follow them throughout the rest of their lives. Instead, PE teachers should focus on encouragement and help to make exercise as fun and entertaining as possible, ensuring that exercise becomes an important part of their lives. 

How to Have a Successful First Week

The first week of class for kindergarten PE teachers can often be the most difficult. Because kindergarteners are the youngest class that takes PE courses, teachers may have trouble navigating the new scene. During the first week, PE teachers should focus less on physical exercise and more on getting to know their students. The first week should include icebreakers,  get-to-know-you games for kindergarteners , and other activities that show your students' personalities and limitations.  

PE teachers should also focus on setting up their expectations for their students. This includes setting up assigned seating, clarifying gym rules, and establishing classroom behavior. For the first week, gym teachers should be very easy going and shouldn't push the rules too hard. Make it clear that you're both a teacher and a friend in order to encourage the students to trust and respect you. For some kindergarteners, kindergarten is their first exposure to a classroom. Studies have shown that 70 percent of four-year-olds attend preschool and 40 percent of three-year-olds attend preschool. This means that 30 percent of kids have no prior school exposure other than their kindergarten class. Because a child's background is not obvious, never assume that the kids should already know how a gym class should work.  

When exercising in the first week, make sure that all the exercises are focused on games that encourage creativity and friendship. Rather than making the five-year-old kids run and jump, focus more on low-impact activities. As the kids arrive at the gym, encourage them to participate in an instant activity like stretching. While stretching, allow the kids to talk to one another. When you call out "Home Base," have all the kids run to their assigned spot. This helps the kids to listen and socialize at the same time.  

Above all, remember that you're working with five-year-old children. Don't expect too much from them, and remember to be extremely patient. There will be many times where the kids don't listen or don't realize what you're asking of them. Work within reasonable expectations and never yell at them for doing something wrong. If you are having trouble with a child, talk to their parents rather than address it with the child. Your responsibility as a kindergarten PE teacher is to help the child love to exercise. If the child is yelled at or scolded in front of peers, it could cause the child to become withdrawn and upset during class, scaring their emotional growth. 

Top Ten Best Games for Kindergarten 

To make class fun and entertaining for young kids, PE teachers should encourage fun and exciting games. To help students get the most out of the experience, try introducing these ten activities to your class. Of course, monitor your students and use your personal discretion to determine which activities are right for your class. Here are ten activities that will make your students love coming to PE class. 

• Funny Running

One of the best games for kindergarten kids is Funny Running. Funny Running is an easy game to play that is similar to Simon Says but requires more exercise. To play, line up the students on one side of the gym and point out a destination (the other side of the gymnasium). Then, give the instruction to run. The first to make it to the other side of the gym wins. However, there's one important twist; they have to run in a specific way. The PE teacher calls out, "Run like a robot!" or "Run like a turtle!" and the kids must immediately change their run to act like that thing. You can also take out the competitive edge to the game so that no one wins when they reach the other side of the gym. Taking out the competitive edge helps the kids focus more on running as you specify rather than being the fastest.   

While playing Funny Running, make sure to point out kids who are doing well in their form. Rather than saying, "Good job!" compliment their form. Say, "Jessica's robot-run looks just like a robot!" Complementing the kids will help them to try harder and enjoy themselves better. They will feel proud of their effort. 

• Simon Says  

Simon Says is a great PE game for when you have limited space. Additionally, not every lesson plan should involve heavy activity. If every PE class exhausts the students, they might not enjoy it as much as you want them to. In order to encourage a balanced physical education, include games that aren't as physically demanding. Simon Says is the perfect game for an off-day that lets the kids rest from running, jumping, and playing since young kids might not understand their bodies' limitations yet.  

Here's  how to play Simon Says : 

"One person is designated Simon, and the others are the players. Standing in front of the group, Simon tells players what they must do. However, the players must only obey commands that begin with the words 'Simon Says.' If Simon says, 'Simon says touch your nose,' then players must touch their nose. But, if Simon simply says, 'jump,' without first saying 'Simon says,' players must not jump. Those that do jump are out." 

Simon Says helps the young kids to learn listening skills and pick up on small verbal cues. It's a great game that combines movement, listening, and intelligence. When one of the kids wins the game, you can keep playing by having them host the next round of Simon Says. 

The game Jump Jump is a combination between Simon Says and Funny Running. The game's goal is to get to the other side of the gymnasium as quickly as possible; however, the steps and movements are limited by the PE teacher. The PE teacher can shout, "One Jump!" and all the kinder kids take one jump towards the opposite wall. If a kid tries to do several jumps when you specified "one," they are out of the game (which helps to keep the young kids honest).  

There's a twist to the game that helps keep the kids from becoming too eager as they cross the gymnasium. If the PE teacher shouts, "Monster!" all the kids have to turn around and run back to the safe wall. If the PE teacher can tag any of the kids, they are out. This twist makes the game slightly more challenging because the kids want to make it to the winning wall, but every step takes them closer to the monster. 

The game called "Monster" has several different names. It is also called Sharks and Minnows, and Zombie Tag. For a kinder PE lesson, the name "Monster" is the most fitting. To play Monster, line up all the kids on one side of the gymnasium. Tell them that the goal is to make it to the opposite side and choose one kid to start as the monster. The monster will stand in the middle of the gym and wait. The PE teacher blows the whistle, and all the kids will run straight towards the monster. As the kids run by, the monster will try to tag as many people as possible (which can be harder than it sounds). After everyone who wasn't tagged makes it to the winning wall, the tagged kids become new monsters, joining the original monster in the middle of the gym. Then, the round starts again. With every round, the line of monsters increases until there are more monsters than kids. When the final person is tagged, the game is over. 

Monster is a fun game for kindergarten kids because it encourages them to run and have fun. It introduces them to the idea of running back and forth across the gym, but they don't realize that they are running. Monster is one of the best games to introduce physical exercise without overdoing it. 

• Simple Sports 

You can entertain young kids by getting out a variety of simple sports . In different areas of the gym, set up a variety of easy sports. Some great sport ideas for young kids are: 

• Hacky Sack. The game hacky sack only needs a few hacky sacks. The kids can practice throwing them back and forth or hitting them on their shoes and try to juggle them like a soccer ball.  
• 9 Square. 9 Square is a variation of four square but allows more kids to participate. The court can be modified to fit the scenario, making it a perfect game for kinder kids.  
• Tag. At the end of the day, tag is a classic game that you can always introduce to your kindergarten class. Most kids already have a concept of how to play tag and will be excited when you mentioned playing tag during class. 
•  Hula Hoop. Young kids love to hula hoop. Hula hoop helps young kids to develop essential motor skills and build muscle memory. It's a great physical activity for kinder PE. 
• Frisbee. Not all kinder-age kids will be able to play frisbee successfully. However, learning how to throw a frisbee at a young age can ensure that kids learn to build muscle memory that will help them later in life.   
• Jump Rope. Jump rope is an active way to get the kids running, jumping, and having fun with each other. 

When teaching how to play sports, your goal should be teaching each child a new skill. Sports in kindergarten shouldn't be competitive or difficult. PE teachers should focus on the needs and abilities of their students. If students are having problems with a game, don't force it. Instead, introduce an easier way to play. 

• Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses are a fun way to get the kids engaged in an activity. An obstacle course is when the kids have to navigate a series of obstacles to get to the other side. Here are some ideas for your obstacle course: 

• Crawl under or over a row of chairs.
• Jump into hula hoops that are set up in a line. 
• Walk on a balance beam. 
• Climb over a large bean bag. 
• Throw a beanbag into a basket. 
• Somersault from one point to another.  

Obstacle courses ensure that kids have fun and use their imagination. Obstacle courses are fun because you can repeat them several times and have them walk through the course in different ways. For example, you could tell them, "Run through the obstacle course like a mouse."

• Scavenger Hunt 

For an easy activity, set up a scavenger hunt during the PE class. Before class starts, place a bunch of items around the gymnasium. Then, write on a board which items the kids need to find. This reminds the kids of Easter egg hunts and ensures that they're engaged and running around the gym without realizing that they're engaging in quality physical education. Scavenger hunts are fairly easy to set up and are the perfect activity for keeping the students happy. 

• Sidewalk Chalk  

All kinder students love playing with chalk. Chalk can be used on sidewalks and easily washed off at the end of the day. As an easy off-day for the students, hand out buckets of chalk and lead them to an empty sidewalk within the school grounds. Then, have the kids have fun writing and drawing on the sidewalk, letting their imaginations run wild. Most kindergarten-age kids can draw on the sidewalk for hours.  

Drawing with chalk has a wide variety of  benefits for young kids : 

• While playing with sidewalk chalk, kids develop color recognition, sorting, and matching skills. 
• Playing with sidewalk chalk can be one of your child's first experiences with coloring and writing.
• By allowing them to color and create their own designs with sidewalk chalk, they begin to love art and appreciate its importance. 

Introduce chalk drawing to your PE class to help them learn important skills. Sidewalk chalk gets the kids out into the air and out of the gymnasium. 

• Secret Spy 

Secret Spy involves physical activity and memory, which helps the kids to practice remembering details about the room that they are in. Learning this skill can help them later in life. Here's how to play Secret Spy. First, secretly choose one child to be the secret spy. Then, have all the kids run to a corner of the room. After everyone is in a corner, tell the kids to turn around and look at the other corners of the room. The kids should try and remember who is in the other corners of the room. After 30 seconds, the PE teacher blows the whistle, and the kids need to leave their corner and run to the middle of the room. After another 30 seconds of running around, they all return back to their original corner, except for the secret spy. The secret spy chooses a new corner of the room (and is the only one to change positions). The rest of the kids have to try and guess who left their corner. If they can't remember, you play another round. The secret spy tries to stay undetected for as long as possible.  

Secret Spy is a fun game for kids of all ages; however, it's the perfect PE activity for kinder kids because it teaches them locomotor skills while also helping them to practice their spatial awareness. 

• Playground Activity

A physical education teacher should make sure that their students are having fun. Rather than organizing an activity, let the kids have supervised activity on the playground. The kids will get plenty of exercise running around and playing on the equipment, even if it's not an organized activity. PE teachers don't have to organize every activity; sometimes, the best activity for a kindergartner is just to play with their friends in a way that helps them to build muscular endurance. Letting the kids simply enjoy playing on the playground will encourage the kindergarteners to form healthy habits and learn better fitness habits. 

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Complete Kindergarten - Grade 2 PE Games - Elementary physical education lessons

What educators are saying

Also included in.

Description

Over 100 PE group games, activities, skills, drills, and lesson ideas for your K-2's: Develop the fundamental • Striking • Moving • Bouncing • Throwing & Catching • Kicking • skills - great inside your sports hall or out on the field

The TOP SELLING product, the Kindergarten to Grade 2 PE Sport Skills and Games Pack, has been developed after years of elementary teaching around the world, and is great to start at any time during the year!

WHY DO I NEED THIS PACK?

- Do you struggle to find new ideas and the correct way to run your weekly PE lessons? Are you looking for some refreshing activities to run with your students to get them excited for sport? Are you clueless when it comes to teaching Physical Education?

If you are looking to deliver fun, engaging, EXCITING sport lessons to your kids, but haven't a clue where to start, you've come to the right place! You won't just have games to play, you'll have a complete JAM-PACKED collection of skills, drills, activities, games, and lesson plans - this resource is perfect to start using at any time during the year!

1. Over 100 activities

Now you have EVERYTHING YOU NEED to deliver game-changing sport and work on your students' gross motor, hand-eye, co-ordination and fundamental movement skills.

This pack is great for you if you are looking to deliver lessons for grades K-2. Everything in here is so simple and easy to follow, without the need for searching, planning and scrambling for ideas when teaching PE and sport.

2. Loads of skills included

You will be fully equipped with the ways to teach, the coaching points, skills and drills, set up, progression, gameplay and variations for the following gross motor sport skills:

• Striking – 2-handed, 1-handed, overhead, passing, dribbling & shooting

• Moving – Sprinting, dodging, jumping, balancing, hopping skipping...

• Bouncing – Dribbling, protection, cross-overs, shooting

• Throwing and catching – Chest & bounce passing, overarm & underarm throwing, catching

• Kicking – Passing, controlling, dribbling, shooting, skills, punting

These 6 sport elements will develop your kids' ability for a range of sports including baseball, american football, basketball, tennis, hockey, volleyball, soccer, handball and much more... All the activities are so simple to follow, you can either go by the sample lesson structure, or simply pick and choose the activities you want to teach.

3. No prep - structured lesson plans

Print and teach lessons - and awesome straight from the IPad/tablet (put it on iBooks, Google Drive or a .PDF reader. It's awesome for all casual, permanent, new and student teachers, PE teachers, and professional development for staff.

4. Assessment

You are also provided with an in-depth assessment rationale and grading sheet, in order to assist in your reports.

Exclusive to this pack, it now comes with:

› 4 printable skill POSTERS perfect for your classroom as A3 or A4

› 18 individual skill CARDS for you and the kids to recap

› 5 "See if you can" individual challenge posters to put up on the playground or hall

› Colouring-in sport pages for a rainy days

What some teachers have said about this pack:

› "A fellow teacher recommended this and I'm so glad she did. Fabulous ideas and easy to implement!"

› "This is amazing and the kids love all of the activities we have done so far!"

› "Never enough K-2 ideas. I always run out of good activities for this age group. Thank you."

This pack is PERFECT for you if you are looking to build your practical knowledge and create an opportunity for your kids to play sport through FUN, CHALLENGING, REWARDING and tried and tested activities.

It's a fantastic, complete unit with so much VALUE in it, and is made by experienced sport coaches and elementary school teachers that can be used term after term, year after year, to develop your students' sporting ability! Share it with your co-workers and boost your school sports program. You also SAVE money by purchasing this complete pack instead of buying each individual skill element pack separately.

**You can now also get this pack with my new 'Fundamental skill cues' videos + slides resource: 56 slides with videos & coaching cues to develop all the sport skills at elementary level. Check out the new bundle here .

Supporting videos

Check out the 'How to teach' skill videos, helping you to understand what the skill looks like and cues on teaching it - Click to view:

• Throwing & Catching

Check out the Prime Coaching website for loads of great ideas, drills, games, and instructional content on teaching PE!

If you like this pack, you should also check out:

› Fundamental sport skills : 56 slides with videos & coaching cues to develop all the sport skills at elementary level

› Agility, Balance & Co-ordination fundamentals pack: 60+ tasks and activities to develop agility, balance & co-ordination with your students

› Exploring PE Sport stations pack: 60 stations for quick setup ideas to get your kids practicing their skills and rotating around different activities in your gym or sport field!

› Rapid Relay Races pack: 25 thrilling, easy to set up challenging team races to run at your school gym or field - Great for practicing specific sport skills

› Fitness Circuits pack - 36 printable station cards (+ online video instructions) to cover the 6 components of fitness necessary to keep your students healthy and active: Core, flexibility & balance, stamina, leg strength, arm strength, and whole body exercise.

› Individual Equipment Challenges pack : 42 printable task cards for unique & specific activities to work through individually.

› Warming up & Stretching task cards : 41 Warming up & Stretching exercise cards

› Learn Math through Sport (Grade 3) - 5 integrative PE lessons that include the key math subjects - Complete with worksheets, score sheets, and 'how-to-play' videos.

› Gymnastic Stations pack: A complete sport unit with over 60 activities for the trampoline, wedge, bars, floor mats, beams and more.

Prime Coaching – Game-changing sport lessons.

• My NEW Youtube channel has weekly videos for simple ideas, drills + skills to show your students, click HERE to check it out!

Feel free to contact for any questions and further support at [email protected]

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28 Best PE Games With Absolutely No Equipment

P.E. lessons can be a bit daunting at times. All that equipment to organize and worry about. Yuck!

Then there are the safety aspects to consider. Eek!

The good news is, there are plenty of simple P.E. games that you can use with no equipment!

The Ultimate List of PE Games With No Equipment

Whether you need ideas for Kindergarten PE games, or PE games for preschool this list will spark the creativity you need for gym class or at home!

I’ve been teaching in early education for the best part of 20 years now, and in that time I’ve come up with a full armory of the very best PE games WITH NO EQUIPMENT! Woop!

Table of Contents

That’s right! Just a group of children are enough to create many games and have plenty of fun.

All you need are a good space and plenty of energy, so let’s go!

1. Stop And Go Bubbles

Practice drawing a great big pretend bubble with your finger in the air.

Reach up as high as you can and reach down as low as you can. Really reach all the way around you.

If you can reach and touch anyone else with our moving your feet you are too close to move away and make sure you are in your own space.

Stretch out in your bubble to make sure you can’t touch anyone else’s just in case you should burst their bubble.

Ask the children to move like a bubble and float around the space. How freeing and mindful this bit is!

When you tell them to stop, make sure their bubble is in a good space so that no one can burst it.

2.Extra Sensory Perception (ESP)

This is a brilliant pairs game, that is good as a warm-up or as a fun game on it’s own!.

What you do is invent three movements and demonstrate them to the group.

Once you’ve played it a couple of times, the kids can come up with their own ideas.

Three examples of moves could be:

• Doing star jumps
• Doing Jazz hands
• Jumping a 360 spin on the spot

Then everyone gets a partner.

The true challenge now is to activate your ESP, which (as pretty much all kids seem to know), is your Extra-Sensory Perception. Simply put, this is the ability to read your partner’s mind (which is very exciting).

Everyone displays one of the three moves at the same time. You want to do the move that you think your partner will do.

Do the same move? Woo woo! You activated your ESP.

Different move? Just try again.

Keep going for a few goes, before changing partners to see if your ESP works better or worse on other people.

As well as being a great PE activity, I often use this as a circle time game in class. This is one of the favorite games from my book 101 Circle Time Games…That Actually Work!

This book contains all the very best mindfulness circle games, active circle games, math games, literacy circle games, and so much more! You can check out the book here.

3. Foxes And Hares

Once the children have got a good understanding of space, and they can stop and start on your command, there are lots of fun PE games you can introduce.

Foxes and hares is a classic chase game .

Aim of the game: To catch all the hares of course!

About a fifth of the children should be foxes. So if you are playing with 10 children, 2 children can be foxes. 

The hares move around the space by hopping. To hop, they should move both feet together and then put two hands together on the floor, just like a rabbit or a hare moves in bunny hops.

The foxes also move on four legs (hands and feet) but they should be quicker as they are less restricted.

To catch a hare, simply touch them (gently, please! No fox attacks).

When all the Hares are caught by the foxes, the game is over and you start a new game with a new group of foxes.

4. Trains and Tunnels

This is a similar version to the game above. There are always loads of train enthusiasts among pretty much any age of children, so this game is always a winner.

Choose a few children to be the trains. 

Explain that the rest of the children are tunnels. They should make a tunnel by putting both their hands and feet on the floor and arching their back as high as they can to make a high tunnel with their body. 

The trains should run around the space until you shout Whoo Whoo.

At the sound of the train whistle, they should crawl through as many of the tunnels as they can. 

When a train has been through a tunnel, the tunnel is released and becomes a train. 

Keep playing until all the tunnels are trains. 

This is a fun game for pairs.

One child is the leader, the other is their shadow.

Explain how your shadow does exactly what you do. It follows you everywhere, and your movements are identical.

As the leaders move around the space, the shadow follows and copies exactly what they do.

Encourage the children to use different levels of movement.

• Roll on the floor
• Move on your hands and knees
• Move on one or two feet

Encourage them to use different speeds of movement

• Move slowly and gracefully
• Move quickly and craftily

Encourage them to use different balances

• Balance on one foot
• Balance on all fours
• Balance on two feet and one hand

Remember to swap over so that both children have a chance to be the leader. 

6. Good Toes Naughty Toes

This is another simple listening game requiring no equipment and it can be played as an indoor and outdoor game.

There are two instructions that the children are going to listen out for. Those are:

Good toes – They should stand completely still with their feet together

Naughty toes – They should dance around wildly using the space and not bumping into anyone else. (Music can be used if you want to)

This game is all about freedom and expression!

7. Noisy Running!

This is possibly my all-time favorite mindful PE game.

This is best done outside in a large space.

The idea is that the children are going to move and make noises at the same time. The volume of the sound they make will be directly linked to how fast they move.

Start by all humming very faintly, and walking really slowly.

Then try a fast walk, and raise the volume of the sound coming out of everyone’s mouth.

Then try light jogging, with a medium noise – aaaaahh – coming from everyone’s mouth, about the volume of talking.

Keep getting faster and increasing the volume! When you are running at full pelt, you will also be yelling as loud as possible – AHHHHH!

I like to do this activity in a structured way to introduce it and mix up the speeds/volumes for a while.

But then, for a couple of minutes, let the children ‘freestyle’. They choose their speeds and volumes and race around.

This activity is all about mindfulness , and experiencing a sense of freedom and liberation from inhibitions!

8. Floating!

Another mindful PE activity here.

Get the children to stand in a space and close their eyes. Then you are going to help them to visualize that they are transforming into something that floats or flies!

It could be:

Let’s imagine we start with the balloon.

Tell the children to visualize they are slowly changing into a balloon. Their skin is becoming colored rubber. And now someone is blowing them up, and they are getting lighter and lighter, and larger and larger.

Then, tell them they are fully inflated.

The children open their eyes, and now they are going to imagine they are floating like balloons around the space!

Off they go – billowing and wafting in the breeze.

After a couple of minutes, you can try transforming into feathers or eagles.

9.  Be The Teacher

This is a good way for children to start to think about the quality of their movements in PE class.

Work in pairs again. One child should be the teacher. 

Explain that as the teacher, they have to help their pupil make the best quality moves and shapes that they possibly can.

It depends on what kind of moves you are working on, but I like to do this with gym moves.

Try moves like:

• Forward roll
• 360 jump rotation

Ask one child to demonstrate the move, and the other child should help them to make it perfect.

Encourage the children to be kind and helpful. For example, they might say things like:

Tuck your head in a bit more.

Can you straighten your legs even more?

Can you reach up taller?

Ask them to use lots of praise if they spot some good quality movements and make sure they tell their partner what they are doing well.

Don’t forget to swap so that everyone has a go at being the teacher.

10. Make A Shape

Put the children in groups of 4 or 5 and give them the challenge of working as a team to make a shape.

Explain that they can work on the floor, lying down or standing up, as long as the shape is clear.

Begin with the basic shapes of:

circle, triangle, square rectangle

Build up to more difficult shapes like:

stars, hexagons, ovals, rhombus, or octagon

11. Body Letters And Numbers

You can extend this from shapes to letters of the alphabet or numbers.

Simply ask the children to make a letter by working together to get into the shape. This is a good activity for team building as they will have to work together and everybody is needed. 

12. Dance Like No-One’s Watching

Dancing is good for you for so many reasons. It’s a workout for the whole body, it encourages you to keep a beat and keep in time with music, and most of all, it’s fun.

It’s good for the soul, so put some happy upbeat music on and encourage some free dancing.

Clap your hands, wiggle your hips, wave your arms. Have fun!!

13.  Heart Monitors

It’s important for children to know that exercising makes changes to our bodies so that they aren’t frightened by the changes and they understand what is happening to them. 

This is a nice activity to explain those changes so that the children understand that it is perfectly normal.

Count down one minute of any kind of high-intensity exercise, for example:

• Fast running on the spot with high knees 
• Tuck jumps with both feet together
• Pretending to skip on the spot as fast as you can
• Burpees (lay down then jump up)

Really encourage the children to put lots of effort in here.

When the minute is up, encourage the children to put their hands on their hearts and feel it beating.

If they’ve put enough effort in, it should be pounding. Ask them to feel their forehead – it should be at least warm, if not hot and sweaty. 

Notice how fast their breathing is when they stop. They should be out of puff.

With older children, you could ask them to take their own pulse before and after exercising and see how much their pulse rate has increased. 

14. Eight Dance!

This is a great dancing game for kids of all ages.

Put some pumping music on to get everyone going!

Then pick some kind of action or dance move, and everyone does it eight times to the music while also counting at the same time – ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!’

So, you might do eight star-jumps while counting. Or eight big marches on the spot.

Then shout out a new action, and start that, keeping the counting going throughout.

Some other good dances/actions could be:

• Arms up arms down
• Punch the air with one arm, then the other
• Arms wide, arms across your body
• Walking in place

For the older ones, the emphasis is on the movement. But for younger kids, this is also a great rote counting activity.

15. Animal Copy Cat

One child will be the leader in this game. This is the ‘cat’ that the others will try to copy.

The leader is going to pretend to move like an animal. Everyone else will copy!

For example, they might move like a monkey. They will stoop low, and swing their arms like a monkey. Everyone copies!

After a while, the leader will change the animal. They might pretend to be an elephant!

The trick is for everyone to watch for the transition and try to copy.

The leader can mix things up as quickly or slowly as they like.

16. Animal Freeze!

This is a variation of the animal copycat game above with a bit of music added.

Once again, have a leader that is going to pretend to be different animals that the others copy.

Put on some music, and the kids move around like the animal that the leader is demonstrating.

The adult will pause the music at any given moment. The children must then freeze in their best animal pose! It’s a bit like musical statues at this point. Anyone that moves could be out! (Or you can just play the non-competitive version where everyone gets to carry on each time).

17. Transformers

Wow – transformers are one of the most exciting things on the planet for many kids.

And this game really taps into this enthusiasm.

The kids are all now shape-shifting transformers. They can transform in the blink of an eye into many different types of vehicles, and move around the space like them.

Some good vehicles to try include:

• Train – with ‘chugging’ arms and lots of tooting!
• Helicopter – arms as rotas spinning over your head
• Racing cars – running around as fast as possible!
• Plane – Lots of swooping and soaring
• Monster trucks – Be as big and wide as you can

18. Mr Men/Little Miss Game

The idea of this is that the kids pretend to be some of the characters out of the Mr. Men and Little Miss books.

Some good ones to try include:

Mr. Grumpy – stamp around the room with your angriest face

Mr. Tall – Stretch up and walk as tall as you can

Mr. Bump – Go round bumping into walls and imaginary objects (though not other people)

Little Miss Tiny – Curl up like a tiny weeny ball

Lots of modeling of movements work well for this game – both from the adult and skillful children.

19. Child-Friendly Yoga

I find yoga is most effective with children when they can readily understand that the pose they are doing is mimicking something.

Some great poses that mimic things that children know are:

Household Yoga

In this, the kids mimic everyday actions in the house. It could be sweeping the floor, or washing the pots.

Lie on your front, with your hands flat on the floor next to your face.

Push upwards until your arms are straight, your chest is off the floor, and your back is arched.

This stretches the back and abdomen.

Giraffe Pose

Stand with one foot in front of the other.

Reach up high with both hands (this being the giraffe’s neck.) Then slowly bend down, and touch your leading foot with both hands.

Then slowly return to the original position.

Turtle Pose

Lie on your back. Pull your knees into your chest so that you form a ball shape. Slowly rock backward and forwards.

Your curved back forms the turtle’s ‘shell’.

20. Bean Game

This is one of those all-time classics that I thought I should include on this list.

The children pretend to be types of beans, each of which has its own separate movement.

Model two or three bean movements to start off with, have a practice, and then all play the game. Add more bean movements when the children get more confident.

The adult simply calls out a bean name, and the children move in that way.

The beans and associate movements are:

Sprouting bean  – Walk around on your tip-toes, with your arms stretched as high above you as possible

Baked bean  – Sit down on the floor

Broad bean  – Try to be as wide as possible! Walk around like this

Beans on toast  – Lie down on the floor

Chilli bean  – Shiver! This is a ‘pun’ on the word ‘chilli/chilly’ (obviously!)

Jelly bean  – Wibble and wobble!

Runner bean  – Run around like crazy

French bean  – Say, ‘Bonjour!

When you’ve played a few times, a child could potentially become the leader of this game.

21. Action Stories

This is a really good way of combining storytelling, listening, and action!

The adult makes up a story, and the children act it out.

After you’ve done it a few times, a confident child might well be able to lead this.

You want to have lots of active characters in the story, such as stamping giants, witches on broomsticks, unicorns galloping, and all that kind of thing.

As well as that, it’s good to have lots of action, such as terrible storms blowing, landslides, sinking sand, and all the rest of it.

The kids act all of these things out.

A sample start of a story might go:

‘One day the giant went stamping off through the forest. A terrible wind began to blow. The trees were swaying from side to side. Suddenly a unicorn came galloping into the forest to save the giant…’

I’m sure you get the picture!

22. Traffic Lights

Here’s another absolute classic of the repertoire!

In this, the children will pretend to be cars, and the adult gives different verbal instructions that the cars respond to.

The easiest way to play the game is to have three simple instructions that correspond to the colors of a traffic light:

Green  – Go! Jog around the space

Red  – Stop still

Yellow  – Walk on the spot, ready to go

Start easy, but you can always add more elements to the game when they are ready. Some other verbal cues include:

Honk the horn  – A noisy one, this! Go round tooting!

Roundabout  – Jog around in a narrow circle

Parking Lot (or car-park)  – Lie down on the floor

Freeway  – Run as fast as you can

23. Fox and Chickens

This is a variation of a basic tag game .

The idea is to mix up the game by incorporating a theme that the children are interested in.

So, you could have a fox catching chicken by tagging them. Or one of the following:

• A shark catching fishes
• A bird catching worms
• Or a witch catching children

Anything you think the children will respond to is fine.

24. HIIT Session

Here is a simple idea, that is great for fitness for all ages.

You have a structured sequence of activities that you perform together. Spend about thirty seconds on each movement, with a fifteen-second break.

Some simple moves include:

• Reach up, reach down
• Jumping like a frog
• Jumping in place
• Reach to one side, reach to other

For older or more skillful children, you can try some of these:

You can do one round of the activities or even two or three reps!

25. Simon Says Active Version

Of course, you all know the basic idea of Simon Says .

But it works really well in PE sessions if you make the moves super-active!

So, rather than ‘Simon says touch your nose’ kind of instructions, you want to think more along the lines of ‘Simon says crawl like snakes across the floor!’

Some other good examples might be:

‘Simon says wade through the muddy swamp.’

‘Simon says climb the rope ladder.’

‘Simon says run like a cheetah on all fours!’

26. Captain’s Coming

This is another game that is donkey’s old, but children love it generation after generation.

All the kids pretend to be on a boat. The adult gives orders to the ‘crew’.

These include:

Scrub the deck  – Get on hands and knees and start scrubbing the floor!

Swim to shore  – Use a powerful front crawl to move around the space

Into the hammock  – Lie down on the floor

Lift the cannonballs  – Lift up those super heavy cannonballs, and load them into the cannon!

Row the boat  – Row!

Captain’s coming  – Salute!

27.Melting Moments

This is a visualization and mindfulness game that is great as a warm-down.

The children are going to be imagining that they are something that melts. For example, they could be:

-A chocolate bar

-An ice-cube

Let’s imagine we go for ‘snowman’. Tell the children to stand in a space and then close their eyes.

Tell them to imagine that they are transforming into a snowman. They can feel their freezing cold body, their carrot nose, and coal for their eyes.

But now the hot sun has come out. You can feel the warmth on your face!

Feel how the snow is melting your body. Water is starting to drip down the snowman.

Imagine you are shrinking! You are getting lower to the ground! And finally, you are a steaming puddle lying on the floor.

(Ask the children to lie down and imagine this!)

28. Figures Of Eight

This is a good game to use as a warm-down.

The basic idea is that the kids stand in a space, and they are going to form a large figure 8 in the air with different parts of their bodies.

Start with their finger, but then move on to using their:

Warming Up And Cooling Down

To warm-up before PE Class or a fun activity at home, I like to play some music with a good steady beat and perform some repetitive actions for the children to copy. I make sure I warm up my arms, shoulders, feet, legs, hips, and neck. 

To cool down after PE games, try some nice long stretches for all the different body parts. I always like to finish a cool-down with some big deep breaths. Scoop up some air, stretch up and hold it above your head and then blow it away as you release your arms back down to your sides. 

Not Just Good For Physical Learning

One of the biggest benefits of daily physical activity is that children’s behavior improves as well as their overall confidence and independence. Check out this study on tracking of physical activity into into adulhood for more information on the benefits of PE Games .

Now that’s something worth trying for.

Good luck if you try out any of these fun PE games!

ChatGPT for Teachers

Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, 4 preschool fitness lesson plan examples.

Fitness lesson plans during preschool help young kids get off to a strong start in their awareness of physical health. Ideally, some sort of fitness plan should be a part of every early childhood education curriculum. Teachers are able to introduce students to the many benefits of regular exercise, cultivating healthy habits early on.

Some teachers run into creative issues with bringing physical fitness to the preschool classroom. Combining fitness with subjects such as reading, music, art and other educational activities can be a fun and creative way to teach fitness. Teachers should consider the following ideas when implementing fitness into their current curriculum:

1. A fitness reading circle

The reading circle is a great place to introduce lessons about physical fitness. It’s a natural place to read books related to fitness and exercise, and a number of great titles are available to choose from. Some suggested reading for a fitness reading circle would be:

• “The Monster Health Book: A Guide to Eating Healthy, Being Active & Feeling Great for Monsters & Kids!” by Edward Miller
• “The Busy Body Book: A Kid’s Guide to Fitness” by Lizzy Rockwell
• “Spriggles Motivational Books For Children: Activity & Exercise” by Jeff and Martha Gottlieb
•  “Being Active” by Mari C. Schuh

These books are age-appropriate and talk about the benefits of regular exercise on a level pre-schoolers will understand.

Another method of instruction is to bring in books with photographs directly related to health and fitness, and pass them around the class. Have the children discuss the images, what people are doing in them and how exercise can benefit everyone. Have each child talk about their favorite fitness activity. Ask them to explain what it is they like about it and how often they do it.

2. Playing restaurant

Another creative way to get students talking about health and fitness is by having them play restaurant. This can go a long way in teaching them how to make healthy food choices, whether they’re at home or out to eat. To do this, start by creating a mock menu offering a variety of food choices, from healthy to unhealthy. This is probably all that’s needed if your space and time is limited, but you can also set up a counter, a kitchen, pretend food and a dining room if you wish. Have the children take turns playing customer, cashier, cook and waiter. Help the kids to understand how to make healthy choices, even when out at a restaurant.

3. Physical education put to music

Music can be a great part of preschool fitness lesson plans, in part because it is so easy to get kids to start moving when music is playing. Most kids love music, and it’s a great way to get them to practice some of the exercise ideas you may have discussed during the reading circle. There are a number of great audio CDs to choose from that preschoolers will love. These CDs feature songs and dance-alongs that encourage fitness in children and teach them how to exercise. Here are some audio CDs that could be a great fit for your class:

• “Physical Ed” by The Learning Station
• “Wiggle Wiggle And Other Exercises” by Bobby Susser
• “Preschool Aerobic Fun” by Kimbo

4. Fitness education art activities

Art activities are another creative area where lessons about fitness can be incorporated. Have students create self-portraits of themselves engaged in their favorite physical exercise. They might also create drawings or collages of themselves playing a sport they may have never tried before, but would like to. The point is to get them thinking about exercise, physical fitness and health and understanding its importance to a balanced life.

Preschoolers who get started early with learning about physical fitness have a far better chance of creating healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Creative and fun preschool fitness lesson plans should be a part of every early childhood education curriculum.

You may also like to read

• 3 Preschool Music Lesson Plan Ideas and Tips
• Lesson Plan Examples For Common Core State Standards
• How to Incorporate Popular Video Games into a Lesson Plan
• Google Docs for Teachers: Classroom and Lesson Plan Management
• Three Ways Preschool Teachers Can Use Elmo to Help Students Learn
• 4 Thanksgiving Lesson Plans

Categorized as: Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources

Tagged as: Early Childhood and Elementary (Grades: PreK-5) ,  Physical Education and Health

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• The Buzz on Florida Politics

DeSantis signs bill requiring lessons about ‘atrocities’ of communism for all grades

• Ana Ceballos Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Florida public schools will be required to teach students from kindergarten through 12th grade about the history of communism under a bill signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday.

The lessons will be required to be “age appropriate and developmentally appropriate” for each grade and will be developed by the Florida Department of Education. Among the required instruction, which would begin in the 2026-27 school year : lessons on the history of communism in the United States, the “increasing threat of communism in the United States” and the “atrocities committed in foreign countries under the guidance of communism.”

“My view is we might as well give them the truth when they are in our schools, because a lot of these universities will tell them how great communism is, so we are setting the proper foundation,” DeSantis said at a news conference at the Hialeah Gardens Museum.

DeSantis signed the bill on the 63rd anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the last attempt by Cuban exiles to overthrow the communist regime of Fidel Castro.

“We are committed to telling the truth about this ideology and we are going to make sure that people have a very accurate understanding of the human carnage that has resulted from communist regimes throughout history,” DeSantis said.

In addition to the required public school instruction, the bill creates the Institute for Freedom in the Americas in Miami Dade College, whose goal will be to “preserve the ideals of a free society and promote democracy in the Americas.”

The institute will be located at the college’s Freedom Tower in downtown Miami and will partner with Florida International University’s Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom to offer workshops, symposiums and conferences.

“Through the institute, both FIU and Miami Dade College will partner to make sure that we preserve democracy in the Americas,” Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega said at the news conference. “We are as good as our memory is.”

Pumariega added that she believes the new law will help ensure no student in Florida “ever romanticizes socialism.”

The new law will also set in motion a plan to create a museum on the history of communism. The Department of State and the Department of Education must give a recommendation to the Legislature no later than Dec. 1 on what that would entail.

DeSantis said he suspects Miami officials will have an interest in having the museum be located in the county.

“I am sure there’s going to be a lot of people down here that are going to want to see it located down here in Miami,” DeSantis said. “We will see how that works out.”

Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau

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Gov. DeSantis signs bill requiring teaching of history of communism in Florida schools

The governor signed the measure on the 63rd anniversary of the bay of pigs invasion, a failed attempt to overthrow fidel castro's dictatorship in cuba..

Florida school kids as young as kindergarteners will soon be learning about the history of communism.

Behind a podium with a sign that read "ANTI-COMMUNIST EDUCATION," Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Wednesday requiring the topic be taught in lower grades.

It also was the 63rd anniversary of the United States launching the Bay of Pigs invasion , a failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro's dictatorship in Cuba.

"We know that the Bay of Pigs was launched because the island of Cuba had succumb to communist tyranny," DeSantis said at a press conference at the Hialeah Gardens Museum , which honors the efforts of the Bay of Pigs' Assault Brigade 2506 . "We're going to tell the truth about communism in the state of Florida. We're going to tell the truth about the evils of communism."

Under the bill ( SB 1264 ), the Florida Department of Education would “prepare and offer” standards for the "age appropriate and developmentally appropriate" instruction on the history of communism for all grade levels. Certain concepts included heavily emphasize the economic upheaval and personal freedom restrictions seen in many Communist nations. 

"The increasing threat of communism in the United States and to our allies through the 20th century," is one of the mandated topics, which must start being taught during the 2026-27 school year. So is "the economic, industrial and political events that have preceded and anticipated communist revolutions."

Florida students currently can receive lessons on communism in high-school social studies courses or in a seventh-grade civics and government course. A high-school government class that has been required for graduation also includes 45 minutes of instruction on “Victims of Communism Day” which covers communist regimes through history. 

The bill passed with bipartisan support, with only seven Democrats in the Florida House and Senate voting against.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando, one of those Democrats, said she doubted the measure would be properly carried out, pointing out the controversies that have surrounding state school book requirements and Black history standards .

Other criticisms of the bill have focused on it potentially putting communism-related lessons in front of students too young to fully understand them. DeSantis responded: "Maybe we should sponsor a trip to have all those Florida Democrats come visit the museum here and learn about the brigade."

Bay of Pigs veterans also attend bill signing event

Also attending the press conference were members of Assault Brigade 2506, a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles living in the Miami area that made the invasion attempt.

"The most important fight against communism is the one that's done in the school rooms," said Rafael Montalvo, president of the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association. "That's where the battle is happening right now, and this is going to be a tool that's going to give us a victory in that area."

The legislation also requires the Department of State, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to provide a recommendation to the Legislature by December on the creation of a history of communism museum.

The measure additionally created the "Institute for Freedom in the Americas" within Miami Dade College, meant "to preserve the ideals of a free society and promote democracy in the Americas."

John Kennedy of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida contributed. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at  [email protected] .