Giant Crossword Relay

Each team has a crossword drawn in chalk on the blacktop about 50 feet from its line, plus a card with the clues. Runners carry the chalk like a baton and write only one letter per trip, so students combine sprints, reading comprehension and team organization.

How to play

1. Before class, chalk 5 identical crosswords with 6 words and one-foot squares. Make 5 teams of 5 in lines behind a cone about 50 feet from their crossword, and give each team a cardstock clue card with the 6 clues (2 min).
2. Give teams 2 minutes to read the clues and quietly work out the answers without writing anything, for example "muscle that pumps blood," 5 letters.
3. On the whistle, the first runner sprints with the chalk, writes one letter in the square the team called and runs back to hand the chalk to the next teammate.
4. A team may use a trip to wipe out a wrong letter with a foot instead of writing a new one (10 min).
5. When a team finishes, everyone raises their arms and the teacher checks. Each correct word is worth one point, and finishing first is worth two more.
6. Short second round with a crossword from another subject or a world language, switching the order in each line (4 min); at the end, read all the words out loud.

Rules

• Write only one letter per trip.
• Hand off the chalk; never throw it.
• Run in your own lane and slow down before reaching the crossword.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: move their team's crossword closer, or let the student be the clue reader who decides which letter goes on each trip.
• Visual impairment: use bigger squares outlined with cones and a buddy who runs with the student.
• Reading level: add picture supports next to each clue for teams that need them.

Learning goals

• Match clues to words and spell them correctly.
• Use quick starts and stops in a relay.
• Coordinate as a team to share and communicate information.

Equipment for a class of 25

• chalk: 10
• cardstock: 10
• cones: 5

Teacher tip

Use a paper template so the crosswords come out identical and fast. A common problem is two runners writing in the same square, so have the team call out the word and position before every trip.

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