5 Easy and Fun SECOND GRADE Gym Games

Get ready to discover 5 fun and fantastic second grade gym games. From Farmer Tag to Candyland Trail, these PE activities will ignite both fitness and fun in your elementary physical education classes.

In this blog post we’ll explore some seriously awesome and unique PE games designed specifically for second grade physical education students.

These 5 exciting tag and team gym games for second grade are packed with opportunities for developing coordination, locomotor skills, imagination, teamwork, balance, all while having SO MUCH FUN!

5 Second Grade Gym 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 is on a mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN!

I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time telling silly jokes and exercising while laughing with my students.

The following five PE games are so much fun to play with my early elementary (K-2) students. I just know you are going to love playing them with your kiddos just as much as I do.

The 5 best Second Grade Gym Games are:

• CANDYLAND TRAIL (Hopping, Jumping, Leaping)
• FARMER TAG (Locomotor Skills, Dramatic Play)
• REVERSE PAC MAN TAG (Balance, Jumping, Speed Walking)
• FOOD FIGHT (Overhand Throwing, Catching)
• MESSY BEDROOM (Teamwork, Cooperation, Communication)

READY! SET! LET’S PLAY!

Game #1: CANDYLAND TRAIL

FULL CANDYLAND TRAIL LESSON PLAN PDF

Sweeten your gym class with CANDYLAND TRAIL – a Hopscotch-Like balance, jumping, leaping and hopping PE game.

Equipment Needed

To play CANDYLAND TRAIL you will need a few pieces of equipment including:

• SEVERAL HULA HOOPS (12-15 or more)
• 2 POOL NOODLES
• 2 BUCKETS (for collecting candy)
• SEVERAL BEAN BAGS (this is the candy)
• SEVERAL POLY SPOTS (Different colors makes it more fun)

Game Set-Up

FIRST, divide your students into two teams and give each team a pool noodle and a bucket.

NEXT, send each team to opposite ends of the gym and have them each make a line.

THEN, Set up a trail leading from each end line using hula hoops and poly spots, ending at the center of the gym.

FINALLY, Dump several bean bags (candy) in the middle of the gym. If you have a circle in the middle of your gym, you can spread the bean bags out inside the circle.

How to Play: CANDYLAND TRAIL

OBJECT OF THE GAME: Students hop, jump, and leap through the candy trail in an effort to collect the most candy with their teammates.

When the game begins, the first person in line from each team holds the pool noodle and HOPS, LEAPS, or JUMPS through the hula hoop and poly spot trail racing to the CANDY (bean bags) in the middle of the gym.

They should grab one “piece of candy” and quickly hop back through the candy trail bringing it back to their team, placing the candy in their team’s bucket.

After placing their candy in the bucket, he/she should hand off the pool noodle to the next person in line – like a relay race.

The game continues until all of the candy (bean bags) are gone.  Students should then work together with their teammates to count up how many pieces of candy they collected. 

The team that collects the most candy WINS the game!

Game Tips

• TIP #1 -During this hopping pe game, It’s fun to play a silly candy-related song like “Lollipop” – the one by Sophie Green is really good – also my students like the “Lollipop Yum Yum Yum” song from Bluey – “I Want Candy” (Kidz Bop Version) is great too!

• TIP #2 – It’s totally up to you how you set your candy “trail” up but the kids love it when I set up the hula hoops in a long hopscotch formation that they can hop through. It’s also super fun to zig-zag the trail in all different directions along the gym floor.

Game #2: FARMER TAG

FULL FARMER TAG LESSON PLAN PDF

Farmer tag is a great way to get kids smiling and laughing while practicing essential locomotor skills and dramatic play.

This engaging tag game is designed for elementary physical education classes but can also be played as a camp game, summer school brain break activity or outdoor recess game.

Equipment Needed

To play this awesome (almost zero equipment) elementary tag game with your physical education classes you will need:

• 3-4 LONG POOL NOODLES
• KIDS READY TO ACT LIKE ANIMALS (and have TONS OF FUN)

Game Set-Up

FIRST, choose 3-4 students to be the FARMERS (taggers) and give them each a long pool noodle.

NEXT, send each farmer to a different corner of the gym. 

FINALLY, send the rest of the students (BARN ANIMALS) to the center circle of the gym.

If you don’t have a circle, use cones or PolySpots to make a circle in the center of the gym. This will be the ANIMAL BARN.

How to Play: FARMER TAG

Explain to the students that the farmers are the taggers and they are very frustrated because all of their farm animals have escaped from the barn (center of the gym).

When the music starts, or the game begins, all of the “BARN ANIMALS” should escape the BARN and run all around the gym. I ask my students to choose a farm animal and to make that animal’s sound and silly movements as they are running around.

The farmers (taggers) chase after the farm animals trying to tag them with their long pool noodles. If an animal gets tagged, they have to FREEZE.

Then, the farmer gently wraps the pool noodle around their waist and corrals them back to the barn/middle of the gym.

Animals that get caught can do 5 jumping jacks in the barn and then get right back into the game.

Play for a few minutes and then play a new round with new farmers.

Game Tips

TIP 1:  I like to play animal songs like OLD MACDONALD while we play this game. The kids like it when I play THE COW SONG by Annoying Orange. Just have fun with it. 

TIP 2: If you don’t have long pool noodles, you can just have the farmers tag with their hands & then use jump ropes to bring the animals back to the barn.

TIP 3: After playing this game for a few rounds, I like to switch up the rules a bit and play an elimination round. So instead of the animals doing 5 jumping jacks in the barn after getting caught, you can have them sit down in the barn and whatever animal/student gets caught last is the WINNER.

TIP 4: It’s also fun to have the animals move around using different locomotor skills during each round including: skipping, galloping/horses, etc.

Game #3: REVERSE PAC MAN TAG

FULL REVERSE PAC MAN LESSON PLAN PDF

Level-Up your physical education lessons with REVERSE PAC MAN TAG: A Cardiovascular PE Warm Up Tag Game that boosts locomotor skills including jumping, leaping, and speed walking, as well as balance, classroom community, teamwork and self-expression.

Equipment Needed

First, let’s take a few moments to gather the equipment you’ll need to play REVERSE PAC MAN TAG: 

• 3-4 Bright Colored Jerseys or Pinnies
• KIDS READY TO HAVE A TOTAL BLAST

Game Set-Up

FIRST, choose 3-4 students to be the GHOST TAGGERS.

THEN, give them each a brightly colored pinnie or sports jersey and send them to stand on the center line of the gym.

FINALLY, have all of the other students (I call them the “PAC-KIDS”) spread out throughout the gym, standing on any other line of their choice in the gym.

How to Play: REVERSE PAC-MAN TAG

Explain to the students that there is NO RUNNING in this game – SPEED WALKING ONLY.

It’s also important to explain to the students that EVERYBODY stays ON THE LINES as they move around in this game.

When the music starts, or the game begins, the GHOST TAGGERS begin chasing or speed walking trying to tag the PAC-KIDS.

When a PAC-KID gets tagged they must:

• Sit Down on the line that they got tagged on. They are now a roadblock.
• Roadblocks are not able to get back into the game until the next round, however, they can lean from side to side from the seated position, reach out and tag other PAC-KIDS and GHOST TAGGERS.

*When the round is over, switch taggers. Play several rounds, until all students have had a chance to be a tagger.

GAME GOALS

GHOST TAGGERS – The goal of the GHOST TAGGERS is to work together as a team to get all PAC-KIDS out before the end of the round.

PAC-KIDS: The PAC-KIDS try to survive the round without getting tagged and becoming a roadblock.

Game Tips

TIP 1:  I love to play the “Pac-Man Theme Song” by Dream Chaser when I play Reverse Pac Man Tag with my students. It’s exactly 1 minute long which makes it the perfect length for one round of play.

TIP 2: I allow the kids to “LINE JUMP” from line to line when we play this game. They LOVE this fun extra bonus rule.

TIP 3: Be sure to remind the ghost taggers that they must be careful because if they get tagged by the roadblocks, they must sit down too.

TIP 4: After each round I make a big deal out of all of the “PAC-KIDS” who survived. 

We celebrate their success by giving them three GIANT “Pac Man Claps.”  If the ghost taggers get all of the Pac-Kids out before the Pac Man song ends, we celebrate that, as well.

Just do your best, forget the rest, and HAVE A TOTAL BLAST with your students!

Game #4: FOOD FIGHT

FULL FOOD FIGHT LESSON PLAN PDF

Hey PE Teachers – are you looking for a creative way to play a SAFE DODGEBALL GAME with your physical education students?

Look no further than – FOOD FIGHT, the absolute best, action-packed, PE game that will have your students begging to play over and over again!

When you take the classic game of dodgeball and add in a few creative little safety twists, you end up with a WIN-WIN for both PE teachers and students.

This high intensity game is the ultimate “SAFE” PE dodgeball variation. FOOD FIGHT has it all including OVERHAND THROWING, CATCHING, DODGING, TEAMWORK, and so much more!

Equipment Needed

To play FOOD FIGHT with your students you will need just a few things.

• Basket of FOOD SQUISHIES (the more the better)
• KIDS READY TO HAVE TONS OF FUN

Game Set-Up

FIRST, divide your students into two teams.

NEXT, have each team line up on opposite sides of the center gym line.

THEN, place all of the food squishies on the line in the middle of the gym.

FINALLY, if you have enough food squishies, I allow each student to start the game with one food squishy in their hand and then line the rest of the food squishies up on the middle line of the gym.

How to Play: FOOD FIGHT

OBJECT OF THE GAME: Try to overhand throw the squishies and hit members of the opposite team with them in the shoulders and below.

When the game starts (I like to use fun PE music to start games), students will begin having a food fight, overhand throwing the food squishies, trying to hit members of the opposite team with the food squishies.

If a student gets hit with a squishy, they must do 5 exercises of their choice. Then they can get right back into the game.

If a student catches the food squishy in the air (not off of a bounce), then the thrower must do the 5 exercises before getting back into the game. Play some upbeat music and play for as long as you would like.

After playing a few regular rounds, I like to play an ELIMINATION ROUND.

In the elimination round, when a player gets hit, they must sit down on the gym floor right where they got hit.

They can’t stand up and get back in, BUT… if a squishy rolls near them and they can reach it, or a player who is still in, hands them a squishy, they may still throw it from a seated position and try to get players on the opposite team out. 

The team that gets all players on the opposite team out first, WINS THE GAME!

FOOD FIGHT – PE Game

Game Tips

TIP #1: I make a rule where students only have to do the 5 exercises if they’re hit with the squishy (shoulders or below). If they get hit in the head, neck or face, it shouldn’t hurt but they don’t have to do the exercises. Also, if they get hit again while doing exercises, they don’t have to do 5 more exercises before getting back in.

TIP #2: I usually order my food squishies from Amazon. You can buy them in a big batch and get a pretty good deal. Also, keep an eye out for them at discount stores and garage sales. I’ve found a bunch of them that way.

TIP #3: My favorite upbeat songs to play when I play this game with my students are:

• SHAKE IT OFF (KIDZ BOP Kids Version)
• MAKE SOME NOISE (KIDZ BOP Kids)

*This is a truly awesome way to play dodgeball safely with your PE students and it’s also a super fun game for practicing key physical education standards including overhand throwing, catching, and dodging skills.

Game #5 MESSY BEDROOM

The final of our second grade gym games is MESSY BEDROOM. This exciting activity puts a fun, fast-paced twist on the classic game of The Floor is Lava.

Students will love the challenge of this strategy, cooperation, teamwork, and communication game which also gives them plenty of opportunity to work on their balance and locomotor skills.

Equipment Needed

To play this Messy Bedroom PE game, you’ll need a few pieces of equipment including:

• A Large Variety of Equipment (Pool Noodles, Hula Hoops, Bean Bags, Jump Ropes, etc.)
• Sleep Masks or Blindfolds (One for Each Group)
• Different Colored Cups (One for Each Group)
• Bucket Filled with Plastic Coins
• Kids Ready to Have SO MUCH FUN!

Game Set-Up

First, divide your students into teams of 2 or 3. I prefer partners for this game, but groups of 3 will work too. Give each team a set of equipment to make a mess with on the gym floor – hula hoops, bean bags, pool noodles, jump ropes – NO BALLS.

Then have teams line up behind one of the end lines in the gym.  Give each team a blindfold and a colored cup. Place a bucket filled with gold plastic coins on the opposite end of the gym.

How to Play: MESSY BEDROOM

Give each team a set of equipment to make a “mess” with.  Tell them that the large rectangle (I usually use the volleyball lines) in the gym is the bedroom that they get to “make messy.” Give each team a set of equipment to make a mess with, scattering objects throughout the gym. 

Then have students line up with their team at one end of the gym. When the game begins, the first person in line puts on the blindfold. Then his/her team members must guide them through the “messy bedroom” using teamwork, cooperation and communication skills.

The entire team must travel together, trying to make it through the messy bedroom without anybody stepping on anything. Teams only get 2 misses per trip.  If they step on a 3rd item, all must go back to the start line and restart.

When students make it across the messy bedroom successfully they can get one gold coin from the bucket and bring it back to their team cup. The team that collects the most coins wins or gets a point – you decide. 

*Switch blindfolds after each trip across the messy bedroom.

Game Tips

TIP #1: I like to play for a certain amount of time (2-3 minutes), then stop and let the teams discuss strategies for how they can improve their cooperation and communication skills as a team before playing another round.

TIP #2: You can use sleep masks for blindfolds. I got a bunch of animal face ones that are so cute and cheap from Amazon. The plastic gold coins can be found at either The Dollar Store, any Party Store or, of course, on Amazon. 

TIP #3: Once teams get their coin after a successful trip, have the student that is blindfolded remove it. Then team members should run back to the start line via the outer edges of the gym – NOT running back through the bedroom.

GAME OVER

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 5 Awesome Second Grade Gym Games to your gymnasium TODAY and watch your students have a TOTAL BLAST while learning important PE skills!

Don’t forget that you can snag all 5 (No Prep) Printable Lesson Plans in my Second Grade PE Game Bundle RIGHT HERE.

Mrs. T’s K-5 PE GAMES GROWING BUNDLE

And if you want the absolute BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK? All 5 of these Easy and Fun Second Grade Gym Games are included in my “ALWAYS GROWING” K-5 PE Game GROWING BUNDLE too!

You can snag my Physical Education HUGE GROWING BUNDLE Right Here!

Your physical education lesson plans will definitely level up when you add these second grade gym games to your PE Class Schedule.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and spending some time with me.

I really appreciate it and I hope that you have a TRULY BLESSED And BEAUTIFUL Day spent laughing until your cheeks hurt!