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SHARKS and CHICKENS: Fun K-5 (Almost Zero Equipment) PE Game

Hey PE Teachers – get ready to discover SHARKS and CHICKENS – the PE Activity that’s like the classic game of “Sharks and Minnows” – but EVEN BETTER!

Sharks and Chickens

It is the perfect spatial awareness, 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, almost zero equipment, tag game.

Sharks and Chickens - Super Fun K-5 PE Game

FULL LESSON PLAN PDF

How to Play – Sharks and Chickens

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!

Love 2 Teach and Learn

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

If you’re ready to dive into some serious physical education fun – Let’s get to it!

READY! SET! LET’S PLAY

Equipment Needed

Sharks and Chickens - 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

Sharks & Chickens - 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

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.

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.

Class Dismissed

Your students will LOVE this twist on “Sharks & Minnows” and will seriously have so much FUN!

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 SHARKS and CHICKENS to your gymnasium today!

Don’t forget – you can snag your very own copy of this easy, fun, NO PREP lesson plan RIGHT HERE. 

Mrs. T’s K-5 PE GAMES GROWING BUNDLE

And if you want the absolute BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, “Sharks and Chickens” is also included in my “ALWAYS GROWING” K-5 PE Game GROWING BUNDLE too!

Huge Physical Education Growing Bundle - PE Games and Teacher Resources

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

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Your physical education lesson plans will definitely level up when you add Sharks and Chickens 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!

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