Bedsheet Brigade Toss Relay

Groups of four hold a bedsheet by the corners and form a chain down the field: the ball is launched from sheet to sheet until the last group drops it into a bucket. Students work on coordinated catching and throwing and on judging the distance between groups.

How to play

1. Make six groups of four, each holding an old bedsheet by the corners with the edges rolled in their hands (2 min).
2. Each group practices launching the ball up with the sheet and catching it again: snap it tight and lower it to absorb the ball (3 min).
3. Line the six groups up about 10 feet apart, marked with cones, with a large bucket on the floor at the end (2 min).
4. The first group launches the ball to the second, which catches it and launches it to the third, and so on until the sixth drops it into the bucket; if it falls, it goes back to the previous group (5 min).
5. Time how long the ball takes to reach the bucket and try to beat it; after each try, the first group moves to the end (5 min).
6. Finish by spacing groups about 13 feet apart and adding a second ball that starts when the first is halfway (3 min).

Rules

• Hands grip the edge of the sheet without wrapping it around the wrists.
• Launch only when the receiving group is still and calls "Ready!"
• Groups may step to make a catch but must stay inside their cone zone.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students who use wheelchairs: hold a corner from the chair, with their group placed in the middle of the chain where there is less moving.
• Students with visual impairments: use a bell ball, and the sending group calls out before launching.
• Students with less coordination: their group may catch after letting the ball bounce once.

Learning goals

• Coordinate launching and catching with a group using shared equipment.
• Adjust launch force to the distance of the next group.
• Work with the whole class toward a shared goal.

Equipment for a class of 25

• old bedsheets: 6
• soft balls: 2
• buckets: 1
• cones: 6

Teacher tip

Ask families for old sheets ahead of time. The usual mistake is pulling at different moments, so groups count "One, two, go!"

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