A LEGENDARY GAME: WHACK -A-WALL!
When I first started teaching, I was fresh of college, and my teaching partner was older than my own dad. I’m so thankful for the experience of working with someone who was full of wisdom, easy to bounce ideas off of, and always willing to try anything.
Even though we no longer work together, I gained so much from my time with him. In fact, I learned what I still consider the best game ever; and all credit goes to him! The kids go crazy for it, and it’s so simple to play.
This game has become a PE staple in our striking and fielding unit, and it’s a legendary Field Day activity for our 4th graders.
And YES! Middle and high schoolers love it too!
Let me introduce you to…Whack-A-Wall!
It’s exactly what it sounds like: you whack a ball against a wall to score points; with a couple of fun twists added in.
We’ve played this with over 80 kids at a time, but you can easily split it into two games on each side of the gym if needed.
GAME PLAY & SET UP
Divide your group into three teams and set a timer, about three minutes works perfectly. Most kids will get a few turns at bat each round. We always tell them: the faster you go, the more chances your team has to score!
We organize it like this:
One striking team
One fielding team on one half of the gym
One fielding team on the other half
You can even add a third fielding team if you divide the gym into thirds.
The striking team lines up like a batting order. On the teacher’s pitch, each player uses a Racqaloon racket to hit a high-bounce foam tennis ball.
Each student gets up to three tries. If they miss all three, they head to the end of the line and keep things moving.
And trust me, the line moves fast.
After the three-minute round, teams rotate, and points continue to accumulate.
You can keep score… or not.
One of my favorite things to do?
Randomly toss extra tennis balls behind me while the game is going!
The kids scramble to field them. Even though they don’t count for points it keeps everyone active, engaged, and moving.
Simple, high-energy, and a guaranteed hit!
Keep on,
Katie
