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Name of Activity:

Spiders and Flies

Purpose of Activity:

To increase students' ability to chase, flee, and dodge others.

Prerequisites:

  • experience in moving safely with others in a bound area
  • instruction in the skills of chasing and fleeing.
  • experience in practicing "dodging" movements (duck, twist, jump, stretch, fake)

Suggested Grade Level:

K-2

Materials Needed:

Cones to mark off a large boundaried area, pinnies or vests for 1/2 the class (optional).

Description of Idea

Describe the game and safety considerations to students, as well as the rhyme which students will say. When done, choose a few students to be the taggers, or Spiders. After putting on a pinnie, they stand in the middle of the playing area. The remaining students, (the "Flies" or runners), line up at the same end of the playing area. Make sure students are well spread out! The Spiders start by saying "We are the Spiders"; the Flies respond "We are the Flies". The Spiders return "We're gonna catch you"; the Flies say "Just you try".

At this, the flies move toward the opposite end of the playing area, trying not to get tagged by a spider. If they do, they quickly get a pinnie and then become a spider by taking a place in the middle of the area.

Once the flies have made it to the opposite end of the field, they stay there until given the signal to return to the opposite end of the field. When only a few flies remain, start a new game by picking new spiders.

Give students a rest by having them take a seat and reviewing strategies for fleeing from others (move quickly; make sharp moves); catching others (move quickly; watch others' middle to see where they're moving); and dodging (quick movements). Begin the activity again, having students keep these in mind.

Assessment Ideas:

  • May want to use the Cue Checklist Sheet to help assess students proficiencies of these cues.
  • Closure: Demonstrate the incorrect ways to dodge and flee and see if students can tell you if you were demonstrating the cues correctly or not.
Submitted by Christine Hopple who teaches at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 9/20/2001.
Viewed 306402 times since 8/24/2001.

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Spiders and Flies

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Previous Comments:

His Girl xoxo

looks cool, thanks! helped me out a lot!! finally have an idea for gym class!!

Susan

When we played the students that got tagged
could not run anymore (until we started a new
game) cause they were stuck in the "Spiders Web"

MB Breen

This game has been a hit! They absolutely love it!

Warren Tetley

This game works. The kids love it. A great tag game for the beginning of the year.



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