4 Super Fun RUBBER CHICKEN PE Games Your Students Will Love!
Bring instant laughter to your gym with 4 Easy and Fun RUBBER CHICKEN PE GAMES your K-5 Students Will totally LOVE!
Build teamwork, fitness, and excitement in gym class with: CHICKEN CLIMBS THE LADDER, SHARKS and CHICKENS, CLUCK CLUCK CHICKEN and SWEET DREAMS TAG.
4 Rubber Chicken PE Games
You will need a few silly rubber chickens to play these 4 awesome PE games.
I usually buy my rubber chickens from Amazon. If you search “Rubber Chicken Dog Toys” you will find a TON of super unique and funny and squeaky rubber chickens that your students will love playing these games with.
Your physical education students will absolutely love playing these three silly rubber chicken PE games.
These fast-paced, low-prep, engaging games are perfect for warm-ups, brain breaks, and whole class fitness fun.
And, they not only boost engagement, teamwork, and smiles, they also provide students with opportunities to practice key Standard-based skills including, underhand throwing, running, dodging, chasing, and so much more.
Rubber Chicken PE Games Fun Bundle
Additionally, all four games are easily adaptable and suitable for students in kindergarten all the way up to fifth grade without much need for any special accommodations.
These rubber chicken PE games are a MUST-HAVE for your PE teacher toolkit.
Simply print the lesson plans and keep in your Instant PE Game Binder so you’re always prepared with quick, easy, and crazy fun, go-to activities your students will request again and again, all school year long!
In this post love2teachandlearn (Mrs. T.) will share every awesome detail related to how to play these incredible Rubber Chicken PE Games.
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 has also taught Kindergarten, 3rd, and 6th grades.
I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time telling silly sports jokes and exercising while laughing with my students.
So, if you’re ready, I’m ready to play some super awesome Rubber Chicken PE Games.
READY! SET! LET’S PLAY!
First up, we have CHICKEN CLIMBS THE LADDER!
GAME #1: Chicken Climbs the Ladder
This engaging, over-the-top fun, team relay game, focuses on key underhand throwing skills and it also incorporates other key skills including: teamwork, classroom community, and sportsmanship.
Equipment Needed
For this awesome game you will need:
- HULA HOOPS (20-30 is Best)
- BEAN BAGS (One Bean Bag for Each Relay Team)
- RUBBER CHICKENS (One Chicken for Each Relay Team)
Chicken Climbs the Ladder – Game Set-Up
FIRST, divide your class (depending on size) into 2, 3, or 4 relay teams and have them line up at one end of the gym.
THEN, give each team one colored bean bag and a rubber chicken.
FINALLY, line up an equal number of hula hoops (8-10 works good) in front of each relay team, making sure that the hoops are touching, end to end, and the “ladder” length is equal.
How to Play: Chicken Climbs the Ladder
OBJECT OF THE GAME – Get your Chicken to the Top of the Ladder FIRST!
When the game begins, the first person in line for each team will underhand throw the bean bag, trying to get it to land in the first hoop in front of them.
- If they MISS, they simply pick up the bean bag, run it back, give it to the next person on their team, and go to the end of the line.
- If the bean bag successfully lands inside the hula hoop, they place their rubber chicken inside the hoop, grab the bean bag, and quickly give it to the next team member in line – remind students that if the hoops moved at all during their throw, they should quickly straighten them up before giving the bean bag to the next person in line.
- The next thrower must throw the bean bag into the next hoop on the ladder – you can’t skip hoops.
*The game continues until one team gets their rubber chicken to the last hoop or the top of the ladder and they WIN THE RELAY RACE!
How to Play: Chicken Climbs the Ladder
Bonus Game Teaching Tips
TIP 1: Your class size will determine how many relay teams you have. This game works best if you keep your relay teams between 4-6 kids.
TIP 2: Depending on age, grade, and skill level, adjust the number of hoops (less for younger kids, more for older kids) to meet those needs and ensure kids feel successful with their underhand throwing.
TIP 3: Before playing, decide whether a bean bag that lands on top of a hula hoop will be a successful throw or not – I usually say “YES, IT COUNTS”
TIP 4: If you don’t have rubber chickens you can simply use any stuffed animal or fun object that you have and change the name of the game to “____” Climbs the Ladder.
TIP 5: You absolutely must play THE CHICKEN DANCE song when playing this game. I like the version by #1 Party Band best. You can check it out RIGHT HERE.
GAME #2: Sharks and Chickens
This NO PREP resource requires only a squeaky rubber chicken and kids ready to have a total blast – No other Equipment needed.
Sharks and Chickens is like the classic game, “SHARKS and MINNOWS” but EVEN BETTER. It is the perfect classroom community game ideal for indoor or outdoor PE lessons, extra recess, whole class movement, brain breaks, field day, summer camps, fall festivals, or after school programs.
Your students will love a chance to be “silly” as they pretend to be “sharks” and “chickens” in this high energy tag game.
Equipment Needed
For this “Almost Zero Equipment” tag game you will only need a few things including:
- 1 squeaky RUBBER CHICKEN
- Kids ready to have a TOTAL BLAST
- *Optional* a bunch of SHORT POOL NOODLES for tagging
Easy Game Set-Up
FIRST, spread out the Poly Spots to make a rectangular “Shark Water” area in the middle of the gym.
NEXT, choose one student to be the “MASTER SHARK” and send them to the middle of the gym with the squeaky rubber chicken.
FINALLY, have the rest of the students (chickens) head to one end of the gym and line up on the end line.
How to Play: Sharks and Chickens
OBJECT OF GAME: Chickens try to cross without getting tagged by sharks.
The game begins when the “MASTER SHARK” squeaks or clucks the chicken 3 times from the middle of the gym, inside the “shark water” area.
When the MASTER SHARK squeaks the chicken, all of the chickens should attempt to run across the road, through the shark waters, and to the opposite end of the gym without getting tagged by the Master Shark.
If a chicken gets tagged, they now turn into a shark and come to the middle to help the MASTER SHARK tag the chickens as they cross the road and waters.
- The MASTER SHARK can use the rubber chicken to gently tag other chickens with AND…after they cluck the chicken, the MASTER SHARK may go ANYWHERE in the gym, trying to tag chickens as they cross.
- Chickens who get tagged during the game and turn into sharks, can only tag from the “SHARK WATER” area (in between the Poly Spots).
Play until you have only one chicken left. They win the game and now become the new MASTER SHARK for the next round of play.
How to Play: Sharks & Chickens
Bonus Game Teaching Tips
Here are a few teacher tips for you that will be this Awesome PE game even more incredible. Sharks and Chickens is a definite fan favorite game that my students love to play.
TIP 1: It’s fun to play silly shark and chicken music when playing this game. Favorites include: “BABY SHARK” “CHICKEN BOP” & “THE CHICKEN DANCE.”
TIP 2: I highly recommend enforcing the “3 SQUEAK RULE” with the rubber chicken. Otherwise, you will possibly go crazy. AND… I definitely wouldn’t play this game on a day that you have a bad headache – LOL.
TIP 3: Depending on your class, you may want to keep a basket of short pool noodles near the playing area. When the chickens turn into sharks, they grab a pool noodle to tag with for the remainder of the game. Pool noodles are a great, safe, alternative to tagging students with hands.
GAME #3: Cluck, Cluck, Chicken
CLUCK CLUCK CHICKEN is a silly, high-energy twist on Duck, Duck, Goose that uses a squeaky rubber chicken to get kids running, laughing, and begging to play again.
Your students will love a chance to be “silly” as they take turns being the “Clucker” and taking turns chasing their classmates, trying to tag them with the rubber chicken in this high energy tag game.
Equipment Needed
For this Awesome Chicken Game you will only need a few pieces of equipment including:
- 1 squeaky RUBBER CHICKEN
- BEAN BAGS (enough for each student to have one)
- A BUNCH OF KIDS READY TO HAVE A TOTAL BLAST!
Easy Game Set-Up
FIRST, have all of your students sit in a circle.
THEN, place the bean bags in the center of the circle.
FINALLY, choose one student to be the “CLUCKER” and give that student the squeaky rubber chicken.
Game Directions: Cluck Cluck Chicken
When the game begins, the clucker moves around the circle gently tapping each person (on the shoulder or back) in the group with the rubber chicken, and saying “CLUCK” with each tap.
After they have gone around the circle at least once, tapping each student, they choose one person that they want to chase them, stop, squeak the chicken once, and drop it in that person’s lap.
The clucker then runs around the outside of the circle while the person who is “IT” chases them, trying to tag them with the rubber chicken before they make it back to the open spot in the circle and sit down.
The student with the chicken becomes the new clucker and a new round begins.
After a student gets a chance to be “IT” give them a bean bag to balance on top of their head to signify that they have already been the chaser and the clucker should choose somebody without a bean bag on their head to be the next chaser.
Play as many rounds of Cluck Cluck Chicken needed to give everybody a chance to be both the clucker and the chaser.
How to Play: Cluck, Cluck, Chicken
Bonus Game Teaching Tips
Here are a few teacher tips for you that will be this Awesome PE game even more incredible. Cluck Cluck Chicken is a definite fan favorite game that my students love to play.
TIP 1: It’s really fun to play ‘The Chicken Dance’ song when playing this game. I like the version by: #1 Party Band
TIP 2: Another fun variation of this game that I play outside during my field day is: “DUCK, DUCK, SPLASH” where instead of using a rubber chicken, dump a cup of water over the person you want to be the chaser.
TIP 3: Depending on the age/grade level of the students you are playing with, you can simply make your circle smaller or larger. Sometimes, I play with my high school kids and we make the circle GIANT SIZE – they love it.
GAME #4: Sweet Dreams Tag
Get ready to make your PE classes a dream come true with this super FUN TAG GAME – SWEET DREAMS.
This engaging dramatic play tag game is designed for K-5 students, ensuring they stay active, laugh, and have a blast while practicing essential locomotor skills and having some SERIOUS FUN!
Equipment Needed
For this super fun tag game, you will need just a few pieces for equipment including:
- 2-3 POOL NOODLES
- 3-4 SOFT MATS (Yoga mats work good)
- 2-3 RUBBER CHICKENS
- KIDS READY TO HAVE TONS OF FUN!
Easy Game Set-Up
FIRST, choose 2-3 students to be the sleep taggers. Give each tagger a pool noodle (sleeping wand) and send them to the middle of the gym.
THEN, give 2-3 students a squeaky rubber chicken and send them to the middle of the gym, as well.
FINALLY, lay down a few mats on the outside perimeter of the gym against the gym walls.
Game Directions: Sweet Dreams Tag
Sleep taggers begin chasing students, trying to tag them with their “SLEEP WAND.” If a student gets tagged, he/she must head to one of the mats (beds) and lay down and pretend to fall asleep.
Students with the rubber chickens CAN NOT get tagged. The squeaky rubber chickens are the “ALARM CLOCKS.” Students with the chickens should run over to someone who is “sleeping” on one of the beds/mats and wake them up by squeaking the chicken 3 times.
Then they drop the chicken next to the “sleeper” and run away back into the game.
The sleeper “wakes up” and grabs the chicken and now he/she begins searching for a student who is sleeping to wake up with the chicken.
Bonus Game Tips
- TIP #1: I love to play the song ‘Mr. Sandman” by the Chordettes, when I play this fun tag game.
- TIP #2: If you don’t have rubber chickens you can easily use something else that makes noise (bells or you can just have the kids clap their hands 3 times to wake the sleepers up) But, I must say that the rubber chickens make this game WAY MORE FUN!
- TIP #3: However, I definitely recommend being strict about the kids only squeaking the chicken 3 times or the noise may (most definitely) start to drive you absolutely BONKERS – lol
- TIP #4: It’s extra fun to line the mats on one side of the gym and then dim the lights on that side, like it’s nighttime.
The Final Whistle
Spark joy and enthusiasm in the gym this school year with these 4 Awesome Rubber Chicken PE Games.
And hey – guess what? Don’t forget that you can grab your very own Rubber Chicken PE Game FUN BUNDLE RIGHT HERE!
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 these super fun Rubber Chicken PE Games to your gymnasium today!
Mrs. T’s K-5 PE GAMES GROWING BUNDLE
And if you really want the absolute BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, these 3 Winter PE Games are also included in my “ALWAYS GROWING” K-5 PE Game GROWING BUNDLE too!
You can snag my Physical Education HUGE GROWING BUNDLE Right Here.
Thanks so much for stopping by to learn all about my Rubber Chicken PE Games. I really appreciate it.
Have a FABULOUS Day filled with plenty of FUN and FITNESS! See you soon!
Be sure to check out my other unique and fun PE Resources and Games in my Love 2 Teach and Learn TPT store RIGHT HERE!
