Four Corners: Swap Spots Before Someone Steals Yours

A traditional schoolyard game: four players hold the corners and a fifth, in the middle, tries to grab a free corner while the others swap. It warms up with short bursts and makes players decide and communicate with eye contact.

How to play

1. Set up six squares about 6 meters wide with cones on the corners. Groups of five: four on corners, one in the middle (2 min).
2. Free round: corner players swap whenever they want, agreeing by eye contact; the middle player tries to get there first (3 min).
3. «Everybody!» round: the middle player can shout «Switch!» and every corner player must move to a new corner (2 min).
4. Movement round: swaps are done shuffling sideways or backpedaling, as the teacher calls (3 min).

Rules

• A corner belongs to whoever touches the cone first with a hand.
• If two arrive together, rock-paper-scissors and play on.
• Whoever is left without a corner goes to the middle; nobody stays there more than a minute: if they do, they trade with someone of their choice.
• Look before crossing: slow down in the middle of the square to avoid collisions.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a wheelchair user plays in a smaller square and touches with a pool noodle.
• Visual impairment: the cone has a bell or sound source, and the student plays with a guide.
• Knee injury: be the referee for your square and settle ties.

Learning goals

• Warm up with short bursts.
• Read others' intentions and decide fast.
• Play a traditional schoolyard game.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 24

Teacher tip

Keep the groups of five in their own square to avoid collisions. If someone gets stuck in the middle, the one-minute rule fixes it without you stepping in.

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