Ever Changing Relay Race

Skill: Hop, Jump, Run, Skip, Walk
Time Required: 10
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: Be sure the groups are spread out and not too close to one another.
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: Hoops
Tennis balls/beanbags
Whistle
Objective:
Teams collect all of the objects in the hoop across from them and bring them back to their hoop. The way they move to the hoop and back will be changing all the time, so they have to listen to the leader.
Other Skills:
Speed
Set up:
Divide participants into teams of 4-5 participants.
Place a hoop at one end of the activity space for each team, and spread them out.
Place another hoop around 15-25 metres across from the starting hoops and fill them with the same number of tennis balls and/or beanbags.
Step by Step:
1. Each team will stand to one side of their starting hoop and in a line.
2. The goal for each group is to bring back all the objects in the hoop across from them to their starting hoop.
3. One participant from each team will go at a time and the next participant in line can go when the participant brings an object back and places it in their hoop.
4. Participants have to be sure to have their listening ears on along with their fast feet.
5. The leader will blow their whistle at any time and change the way participants have to move.
6. Participants start by running, then the leader will blow their whistle and all the participants running have to stop and wait to hear the next way to move.
7. Ways to move:
- run
- skip
- jump
- hop on one foot
- crab walk
- run backwards
- speed walk
- grapevine
- side shuffle
- high knees
- fast feet
8. The participants in line have to also be aware and listen to what movement they will have to do.
9. If a participant doesn't stop when they hear the while or does the wrong movement, then they have to run back to the hoop they just came from and start from there again.
10. The leader can change the movements as often as they wish.
11. The team to bring all the objects to their starting hoops first wins.
Variations:
Tell participants at the beginning the movements they will do. For example, when participants are going to the hoop with objects inside they will skip and when they are returning with an object they will run backwards. Or change the movement depending on the object they collect. If they collect a tennis ball they will side shuffle back and if they collect a beanbag they do high knees going back.
If a participant doesn't stop when they hear the whistle or they don't do the correct movement, then they have to do 5 jumping jacks on the spot before they can continue.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.