Subjects

• Physical Education
  
• PE Games
  
• Exercise and Movement
  

Grade

• K-2
• 3-5

Brief Description

Students release energy in a quick game of "Sheep and Wolves."

Objectives

• follow directions.
• follow rules.
• take turns.
• get exercise by playing this fast-moving game.

Keywords

PE, physical education, phys ed, chase, tag, dodge, cooperate, following directions

Materials Needed

• four marker cones (or other markers) to denote limits of the playing field
• up to four balls of foam rubber, sponge material, or another soft material (optional)

The Lesson

This fun game can be played indoors or outdoors. Playing the game gives students an opportunity to release pent-up energy. After a few quick games, students are bound to return to the classroom ready to settle down.

Mark a large square or rectangular field; use four marker cones or other markers to set the playing area's boundaries.

Choose four or five students to be "wolves." The rest of the students will be "sheep." Blow a whistle or call out to start the game. The wolves must catch the sheep.

This game can be played in two ways:
-- Wolves use foam-rubber/sponge balls to "tag" sheep. Any sheep hit by a thrown sponge ball is "caught" and must leave the playing area. -- Instead of using sponge balls, wolves gently tap the sheep.

Sheep are caught when they are tagged by a sponge ball or hand. When a sheep is caught, he or she must immediately leave the field and sit down in a designated area. (No arguments!)

If a wolf catches a sheep by tagging him or her with a sponge ball, the wolf then retrieves the ball and goes after another sheep.

Sheep cannot run outside the boundaries that are set; if they run outside the playing area boundaries to escape the wolves, they are out of the game.

The game ends when all the sheep have been caught. Or the teacher might impose a time limit (for example, 3 minutes) for the wolves to catch the sheep. Or the teacher might call an end to the game when only four or five sheep remain. The remaining sheep then can be wolves for the next round of play.

Assessment

After a few quick games of Sheep and Wolves, your class should be quite happy to go back to the classroom and do something less active.

Submitted By

Denis McCarthy, Sheng Kung Hui Primary School on Macau