Garbage and Recycling Collection

Skill: Catch, Run, Throw
Time Required: 20
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs, 13+ yrs
Play area: Gymnasium (large indoor space), Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the activity area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up.
Equipment: Beanbags
Tennis Balls
Dodge Balls
Frisbees/Footballs/Basketballs
Hoops/Bins
Pylons/Rope
Objective:
Groups have to clean up and put their garbage, recycling and compost in the correct "bins" before the other groups.
Fundamental Skills:
Speed
Set up:
Divide participants into two equal teams (ideal to heave 5-6 participants per team). Could have more than two teams, and the other teams sit out and help judge the game and then they will play the winner.
Use the ends of a gym or use rope/pylons to set up the two ends of the activity. The ends should be around 20-30 meters apart.
At each end place 4 hoops or bins (a couple meters in front of the wall if playing indoors). One bin/hoop represents garbage, one represents compost, one represents paper recycling, and one represents plastic recycling. Have different coloured hoops/bins, place signs in each hoop/bin or another way to differentiate the hoops/bins.
Around 2-3 meters in front of the bins place a rope or pylons to mark off the "throwing line".
Inbetween the two ends, scatter at least 10 beanbags, tennis balls, dodge balls and frisbees (could also use footballs, or basketballs, or another object). Each one of those objects will represent garbage, compost, paper recycling, or plastic recycling.
Step by Step:
1. The goal for each group is to put the garbage, compost, paper recycling, and plastic recycling into their correct bins.
2. Tennis balls = garbage, beanbags = compost, dodge balls= paper recycling, frisbees = plastic recycling.
3. Each group will select one or two participants to be the collectors. They will stand behind their team's "bins". Their job is to catch and collect the garbage, compost, paper recycling, and plastic recycling and put them into their correct bins.
4. The goal of the other participants is to collect one piece of garbage/compost/paper recycling/plastic recycling at a time and bring it to their throwing line.
5. They will then toss the piece of garbage/compost/paper recycling/plastic recycling to one of their collectors. The collectors cannot go in front of the bins to catch the object. If they do not catch it, then that collector tosses it back to the thrower who tries again. If they miss twice in a row with the same thrower, then that thrower has to run back to the centre and collect another piece of "garbage".
6. The first team to collect 5 pieces of garbage, 5 pieces of compost, 5 pieces of paper recycling and 5 pieces of plastic recycling and places them in the correct bins wins.
7. Change the amount of each item required and change the collectors each round.
Variations:
Don't use collectors, and participants have to toss the objects so they land in the bin/hoop. With hoops, use only beanbags and the different colours represent the different types of items.
Only use 3 hoops/bins.
Groups play until all of the objects are in a bin. At the end, the groups count how many pieces of garbage, compost, paper recycling, and plastic recycling they collected. Optional rule: each group has to have a minimum of three pieces in each bin.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.