Don’t just fill your lessons with random games-choose activities that have a clear purpose and help your students grow in meaningful ways.
Who hasn’t searched for class ideas online?
We’ve all done it at some point. The internet is full of wonderful resources, games, and activities that are, of course, great to incorporate into your lessons. However, most resources like “500 Ball Games” or “300 Racket Sports Games” lack a clear purpose. They are simply activity libraries, some of which catch your attention because of their originality or how much time they save when planning.
The Problem with Activity Libraries
While many of these games are fantastic and, of course, can be included occasionally, your focus should be on designing games and activities that fulfill the objective you set when planning your lessons. Don’t do things just for the sake of doing them, and don’t choose games based solely on whether they seem fun or not. Make them fun, yes, but also ensure they serve a purpose that goes beyond physical improvement.
Designing Purposeful Games
I suggest selecting a few key physical skills to work on in each unit and designing games that relate to a much broader concept. For instance, in the resources section, you’ll find a unit where students, through Physical Education, explore the different properties of materials while learning concepts from subjects like Art, Physics, or Math. All of this, of course, while still working on the physical skills we need to develop in them, like running, jumping, skipping, throwing, catching, and more.
This approach ensures a much more comprehensive development for the child, not just physically.
