PE Lesson Plans: CROSS THE RIVER: K-5 (Icebreaker) Gym Game

Level Up your PE Teacher Game with CROSS THE RIVER – an exciting Icebreaker Activity and interactive K-5 physical education game.

Cross the River is ideal for Elementary PE teachers, Classroom Teachers, Camp Counselors or Recess Monitors.

CROSS THE RIVER PE GAME

CROSS THE RIVER with Mrs. T.

This engaging, over-the-top fun, whole class game, focuses on the following Learning Targets:

Throwing Accuracy
Dodging
Building Classroom Community as unique facts about students are revealed
Teamwork and Good Sportsmanship

Cross the River is a fun and safe alternative to dodgeball. And, it’s the perfect Icebreaker “Get-To-Know-Each-Other-Better” Game too.

I always play this game with my PE students during the first month back to school, however, it is so fun that they ask to play it again and again throughout the rest of the school year.

Hi there, it’s so great to meet you! I’m Mrs. T. or you can call me Jen – a Michigan mom, wife, new grandma (aka “Jemma”) and K-12 PE teacher who is on a mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN!

Cross the River is a very fun and fast-paced exciting community building activity.

Cross the River - Whole Class Gym Game - Icebreaker

FULL LESSON PLAN PDF

This PE resource is designed for PE teachers to use during gym or physical education class or Homeschool or classroom teachers who want a fun activity to play outside during an extra recess or learning brain break. It can even be used as a field day activity.

READY! SET! Let’s CROSS THE RIVER!

First, let’s take a few moments to gather the equipment you’ll need to play this icebreaker activity!

Equipment Needed

To play this PE game you will need just a few easy-to-grab equipment items.

1 GIANT BALL (Fitness, Yoga Ball or Beach Ball works well)
BASKET/BIN filled with Soft Balls (enough for each student to eventually have one)
KIDS READY TO HAVE SOME SERIOUS FUN!

Easy Game Set-Up

FIRST, place a basket filled with soft balls on one sideline of the gym.

NEXT, choose one student to be in charge of the MASTER BALL (I like to use a large fitness ball or a big beach ball for this).

THEN, send the student with the MASTER BALL to the middle of the gym.

FINALLY, have all other students line up on one of the two baselines or end lines in the gym or open space area where you are playing.

HOW TO PLAY – Cross the River

When the game begins the teacher calls out one of the fun “CROSS THE RIVER” Prompts. Here are a few fun examples:

CROSS THE RIVER IF…

You like pepperoni on your pizza
You have ever been to Disneyworld or Disneyland
You like to play video games
You know how to whistle
You have letters on your shirt today

If a student’s answer is “YES” to the question, he/she must cross the river (run across the gym from one baseline to the opposite baseline.) You can grab my 40 Prompt List RIGHT HERE or the full PE Teacher Lesson Plan HERE.

The student with the MASTERBALL tries to throw or roll the ball and tag students who are
crossing the gym (river) with the ball (waist and below).

If a student gets hit with the MASTERBALL, he/she must go get a ball from the basket of balls on sideline and they are now trying to help get students out as they “cross the river.”
*The student with the MASTER BALL can go anywhere in the gym, however,
the students who get out must release their ball from behind one of the two
sidelines.

Continue giving prompts and having students cross until you have only one student remaining. The last student is the winner of the game and now becomes the MASTERBALL thrower for the next round of play.

Game Teaching Tips

Here are a few simple tips to make this awesome game even better.

TIP #1: This game is a great ICEBREAKER or “GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER” Community Building Game. It’s perfect for the beginning of the year but once you teach it to them they will want to play it all year long.

TIP #2: Cross the River is a great game for practicing key PE standards and skills including OVERHAND THROWING ACCURACY and DODGING.

TIP #3: The sweet spot for this game is second grade through fifth grade, however, I often play with my kindergarten and first grade PE students and they do pretty well with it. And sometimes, I play with my middle school and high school PE students – they love it too!

TIP #4: It’s important to remind students to be safe and aim for the waist down when
throwing the balls. I make a rule where you are not out if you get hit with
the ball above the waist.

TIP #5: I love to use the microphone that attaches to my speaker system in the gym when I play this game and announce the fun prompts. Additionally, I often allow a student to be the “River Caller” and use the microphone to call out the prompts to their classmates. THEY LOVE DOING THIS.

TIP #6: Finally, I give the “River Caller” my 40 Prompt Cheat Sheet but I also allow them to be creative and make up their own prompts too.

So, what do you say? Why not blast some “clean” and upbeat PE music , maybe tell a few funny sports jokes and bring the excitement of CROSS THE RIVER to your gymnasium TODAY!

And hey, guess what? You can snag your very own PDF of this awesome PE Game that includes an easy-to-follow Lesson Plan, Set-Up Diagram and 40 Fun Prompts RIGHT HERE!

This low prep, minimal equipment game is also a very easy emergency PE lesson plan to leave for a substitute teacher. Just print off, gather the equipment and you’re good to go.

If you’re looking for more easy, fun, and super unique (not boring) Low or No Prep physical education games and PE Projects, I’ve got a bunch more for you.

How about a game of BULLSEYE BAGS (cornhole in the gym), CRAZY BALL SOCCER , BAS*KICK*BALL (Basketball + Kickball), or an energizing and educational brain break game of CATCH & STACK?

Huge Physical Education Growing Bundle - PE Games and Teacher Resources

Grab your Physical Education HUGE GROWING BUNDLE Right Here!

Be sure to check out my other unique and fun Teacher Resources (Instant Bulletin Boards, Fun Classroom Decor, Learning and PE Games) in my Love 2 Teach and Learn TPT store RIGHT HERE!