5 Easy and Mega Fun Basketball PE Games to Play in Gym Class!
Spark dribbling, passing, shooting and team-building fun in your gym with these 5 Easy and Mega Fun Whole Class BASKETBALL PE Games.
If you’re a PE teacher looking for high-energy basketball PE games that are simple to teach and a total blast to play – look no further than LINES & HOOPS TAG, GO FISH SWISH, MONEY SHOTS, SWISH & SWIPE, and BASKICKBALL.
5 Basketball PE Games
Use these 5 unique and easy to play basketball games for warm-ups, stations, or full gym class lessons to boost teamwork, confidence, and excitement and, of course, a true love for basketball.
Basketball FUN BUNDLE
All 5 of these games are included in my BASKETBALL FUN BUNDLE that you can easily grab RIGHT HERE!
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’m on a mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN, one PE game at a time.
I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time telling silly sports jokes and exercising while laughing with my students.
These 5 basketball 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 beg you to play, again and again.
In this post love2teachandlearn (Mrs. T.) will share every awesome detail related to how to play these incredible Basketball PE Games.
READY! SET! LET’S PLAY!
Game #1 LINES & HOOPS TAG
This engaging PE tag game combines locomotor skills like running, jogging, chasing, and skipping with basic basketball shooting practice, making it ideal for students who love fast-paced action.
BEST FOR: Grades K-12
Equipment Needed
Let’s take a minute to gather the equipment needed for this PE Game.
You will need:
- 2-3 POOL NOODLES
- BASKETS WITH BALLS (Soft, Small Balls for K-2 and Regular Basketballs for 3rd grade and up)
- KIDS READY TO HAVE A TOTAL BLAST
Easy Game Set-Up
FIRST, choose 2-3 students to be the LINE TAGGERS, give them each a pool noodle and send them to the middle of the gym.
NEXT, place a basket of balls near each basket in the gym.
FINALLY, send the rest of the students to stand on any line in the gym to wait for the game to begin.
How to Play: LINES and HOOPS TAG
When the music starts, or the game begins, a regular game of tag begins.
In this tag game EVERYBODY (Taggers & Non-Taggers) must move along the lines in the gym.
- Students can WALK, JOG, RUN, or SKIP along the lines in this game.
- They can LINE JUMP too.
When a student gets “tagged” he/she must head to the nearest basketball hoop in the gym, grab a ball out of the basket, and begin shooting.
As soon as they make a basket, they place the ball back in the basket and get right back into the tag game.
Play for a few minutes, SWITCH TAGGERS and play again.
How to Play Lines & Hoops Tag
Game Teaching Tips
TIP 1: With a few accommodations, this Lines and Hoops tag game can easily be played with all K-5 students. I also play it with my middle school and high school PE classes.
I use regular basketballs with my 3-12th grade students and smaller, softer and lighter, playground balls or gator skin balls with my K-2nd grade students.
TIP 2: I also ring a hula hoop around the regular basketball hoop for my younger students (see pic in diagram and in graphic below).
This is a great way to help younger kids to feel successful with shooting.
TIP 3: Sometimes I specify exactly how I want my students to move in this game depending on the locomotor skill that I want them to practice that day (skipping, galloping, leaping, etc.)
Just have a TOTAL BLAST with this game!
Game #2 GO FISH SWISH
GO FISH SWISH combines the excitement of the classic card game, GO FISH, with the thrill of shooting baskets. teamwork – and with just a few quick tweaks it can be easily played and enjoyed by kids of all ages.
It’s an ideal whole class team game that promotes teamwork and physical activity while improving basketball shooting accuracy – perfect to play in the gym during your basketball unit.
BEST FOR: Grades 2-12
GO FISH SWISH – Basketball PE Game
Fortunately, the equipment needed for this awesome basketball shooting card game is very minimal.
Equipment Needed
Alright, to play GO FISH-SWISH with your physical education classes you will need:
- 1 DECK OF CARDS (If you have a class larger than 30 you may want to use 2 decks)
- Gym with BASKETBALL HOOPS
- BASKETBALLS (for older kids) PLAYGROUND BALLS or SOFT, SMALL GATOR SKIN BALLS (for younger kids)
- DIFFERENT COLORED BASKETS (one for each team)
Easy Game Set-Up
FIRST, divide your class into 2 teams (or 4 teams if you have 4 baskets in your gym.)
THEN, assign each team a basket to shoot at.
NEXT, give each team 1 Basketball (older kids) or 1 Playground/Gator Skin Ball (younger kids) and 1 Different Colored Basket.
FINALLY, spread the entire deck of cards FACEDOWN in the middle of the gym.
How to Play – Go Fish Swish
OBJECT OF THE GAME – COLLECT THE MOST *GO FISH* CARD MATCHES
The first student in line for each team dribbles the basketball to their assigned basket and takes one shot from wherever they want.
If they miss the shot, they simply get the rebound, dribble back, then pass the basketball to the next teammate in line.
If they make the shot, they get to run to the middle of the gym, choose one card, and add it to their team’s colored bucket.
The game ends when all of the cards are gone. The students should then work together to see how many CARD MATCHES they collected.
The team with the most *GO FISH MATCHES* at the end of play WINS THE GAME!
Game Teaching Tips & Student Accommodations
TIP #1: I like to play this basketball shooting card game after I have taught basketball dribbling, passing and shooting skills. It’s also a great way to assess these key skills at the end of your basketball unit.
TIP #2: This game can easily be played with younger students too. Just swap out the regular basketball for a smaller, lighter, ball like a Gator Skin or Playground ball.
Sometimes if I’m using the lighter balls I have the young kids grab their own ball & everyone shoots at the same time.
TIP #3: I include the Jokers – kids use them as a WILD CARD to make a match. I also like to use giant playing cards that you can order from Amazon.
TIP #4: Most importantly – JUST HAVE FUN!!!
Game #3 MONEY SHOTS
Are you looking for an over-the-top fun, Basketball PE Game that focuses on key basketball skills including DRIBBLING, SHOOTING, and PASSING?
Look no further than ‘MONEY SHOTS’ – your SLAM-DUNK solution to creating an unforgettable physical education experience for your elementary through high school 2nd – 12th) PE students.
BEST FOR: Grades 2-12
Equipment Needed
To play this MONEY SHOTS Basketball PE Game, you’ll need a few pieces of equipment including:
- 3-4 Different Colored HULA HOOPS
- 3-4 BASKETBALLS
- 20-25 POLYSPOTS
- Monopoly Money or Fake Money of Some Kind
- STUDENTS READY TO HAVE AN ABSOLUTE BLAST!
Game Set-Up
First, tape Monopoly or fake money to one side of the Poly Spots. Then, spread the Poly Spots on the floor (Money-Side Down) all around the basketball hoop.
Next, divide the students into 3-4 equal teams. Finally, have each team make a line at the far end of the gym and give each team a basketball and a colored hula hoop.
How to Play – Money Shots
The first person in line for each team should have a basketball. Those first students dribble down to the basketball hoop, choose a Poly Spot to stand on and take a shot.
If they miss the shot, they simply get the rebound, dribble back and then pass the basketball to the next person in line.
However, if they make the shot, before passing the ball to the next teammate, they pick up the PolySpot, run it back and place it inside their team’s hula hoop.
The game continues until all of the Poly Spots have been picked up and placed into the hula hoops.
Once all the shots have been made and the Poly Spots have been placed in the hula hoops, have the students work together as a team to add and count up the total amount of money collected.
*The team with the highest amount is declared the winner.
Game Teaching Tips
- TIP #1: Depending on the grade/skill level, place the Poly Spots closer or further away from the basketball hoop. I also like to strategically place the spots with the highest dollar amounts out the furthest, by the Free Throw Line and 3-Point Line!
- TIP #2: To keep things safe and to help the students feel successful at every grade level I do not use regular basketballs with my younger students. Instead, I let them shoot baskets with lighter and softer balls.
- TIP #3: I love to play fun basketball music for my students during this game including: Space Jam (Quad City Dj’s) and Jump (Instrumental) by Kriss Kross
- TIP #4: This is an awesome game to play at the end of your basketball unit since it incorporates all 3 key basketball skills: DRIBBLING, PASSING & SHOOTING
Game #4 SWISH & SWIPE
Get ready to elevate your PE classes with SWISH and SWIPE, a dynamic basketball skills team game that combines the excitement of basketball dribbling, passing, and shooting, with the thrill of strategy and teamwork.
Swish & Swipe – Basketball PE Game
BEST FOR: Grades 4-12
Equipment Needed
Alright, to play SWISH & SWIPE with your physical education classes you will need:
- 4 HULA HOOPS (All different colors)
- 24 BEAN BAGS (6 of each color)
- GYM WITH BASKETBALL HOOPS
- 4 BASKETBALLS (or smaller lighter balls like playground or Gator Skill balls for younger kids)
Game Set-Up
FIRST, divide your class into 4 teams, assigning each team a different team color.
THEN, give each team 1 Basketball, 1 Colored Hula Hoop and 6 Bean Bags (same color as their hoop).
FINALLY, place the hula hoops in the center of the gym (see diagram) with the basketball & matching bean bags inside each hoop and have teams line up next to their team hula hoop.
How to Play – SWISH and SWIPE
OBJECT OF THE GAME – COLLECT THE MOST BEAN BAGS AS A TEAM
The first student in line for each team dribbles the basketball to any basket in the gym and takes one shot.
If they miss the shot, they simply get the rebound, dribble back, then pass (chest or bounce) the basketball to the next teammate in line.
If they make the shot, they get to “SWIPE” a bean bag from any of the other 3 teams, bring the bean bag back and add it to their team’s hula hoop.
Play for several minutes (you decide how long). The team that collects the most bean bags at the end of play WINS THE GAME!
Game Teaching Tips & Student Accommodations
TIP 1: I like to play this game after I have taught basketball dribbling, passing and shooting skills. It’s also a great way to assess these key skills at the end of your basketball unit.
TIP 2: The sweet spot for this game is 4th – 12th grades, however, if you use a smaller, lighter, ball like a Gator Skin or Playground ball, you can easily play it with younger grades too.
TIP 3: Most importantly – JUST HAVE FUN!!!
*This game really is a very fun, competitive, strategy game too. It’s also an awesome activity for focusing on both Teamwork and Sportsmanship too – Trust me – it will definitely be a PE FAVORITE game to play!
Game #5 BAS*KICK*BALL
Alright, so I decided to save the ABSOLUTE BEST game for last – and that’s because it’s not just a basketball game.
BAS*KICK*BALL combines the best parts of basketball with the best parts of kickball. It’s seriously the BEST and your students are definitely going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!
BASKICKBALL has it all including: TEAMWORK, KICKING, PASSING, BASKETBALL SHOOTING, RUNNING and so much more!
BEST FOR: Grades 4-12
Equipment Needed
Alright, to play BASKICKBALL with your physical education classes you will need:
- BASES – Home Base, First Base, Second Base, and Third Base (If you don’t have bases you can easily use small mats or Poly Spots instead)
- KICKBALL or PLAYGROUND BALL
- GYM with BASKETBALL HOOPS
- 4-12 Grade KIDS ready to have some BIG TIME FUN!
Easy Game Set-Up
FIRST, divide your class into two teams.
THEN, give one team the playground ball and have them spread out throughout the gym.
NEXT, have the other team make a line behind or next to home plate – they will be kicking first.
FINALLY, set up First, Second, Third and Home bases like you would for a kickball game.
How to Play – Bas*KICK*Ball
OBJECT OF THE GAME – Score the Most Runs as a Team
Just like in the game of kickball, the pitcher rolls the ball to the first kicker in line on the opposite team.
The kicker kicks the ball and MUST attempt to touch all of the bases and score a run. They CAN NOT stop at any base – it’s all or nothing in this game.
The team in the field tries to get the kicker/runner out two ways.
- Catch the ball in the air
- Make a basket at any basket in the gym before the runner makes it safely to home base
Again, like in the game of kickball, switch kickers after a team gets 3 outs.
The team with the most points or runs WINS the game!
Game Teaching Tips
- TIP #1: I like to make a rule where the same person can not shoot twice in a row. This rule really helps to make sure that everyone is involved in the game.
- TIP #2: The “super sweet spot” for this game is 6th – 12th graders, however, most 4th and 5th grade classes really enjoy this game too – Anything younger is a bit of a nightmare – Just Sayin’
- TIP #3: Since this game is so AWESOME for practicing Shooting, Passing, Kicking, and of course, Teamwork and Sportsmanship, I really encourage my students to praise, support, and cheer each other on when we play this game together.
The Final Whistle
Spark joy and enthusiasm in the gym with these 5 Super Fun Basketball PE Games.
And hey – guess what? Don’t forget that you can grab your very own BASKETBALL FUN BUNDLE RIGHT HERE!
So, what do you say? Why not blast some “clean” and upbeat PE music , maybe tell a few silly BASKETBALL JOKES and bring the excitement of these super fun Basketball 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 5 Basketball 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 Basketball 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!
