PE main activities and games for High School
Games, circuits and modified sports for the core of the lesson, with clear steps, rules, variations and adaptations. 160 activities for grades 9–12, each with duration, equipment and space needed.
Drag these activities into a lesson in PatioLab, run the timer on the field and track the SHAPE America standards you cover with each class.
1v1 Ball Volley Matches
One-on-one "ball volley": 1v1 games on a small court with a low net, hitting the ball over the net.
Acrosport in Groups of 4
Acrosport in groups of 4: building simple human pyramids with safety rules and spotters.
Adapted 6v6 Volleyball
6v6 volleyball with modified rules for longer rallies and whole-team participation.
Adapted American Football: Flag Football
Flag football: non-contact American football where a play is stopped by pulling a flag.
Adapted Baseball/Rounders with Batting
Modified baseball or rounders with batting, base running and fielding.
Adapted Beach Volleyball (No Net)
Modified 2v2 beach volleyball with no net, using a line of cones on the ground as the divider.
Adapted Beach Volleyball 2v2
Modified 2v2 beach volleyball with a foam ball and portable net, focusing on communication and partner cooperation.
Adapted Kickboxing: Technical Combinations
Modified kickboxing: punch and kick combinations on bags or pads, with no contact between people.
Adapted Rugby: Simplified Official Touch
Touch rugby with simplified official rules: no tackling, a touch stops play and there are six touches per possession.
Adapted School Triathlon
Modified school triathlon: running, jump rope and a skills circuit back to back.
Adapted Softball: Batting, Running & Defense
Modified softball with batting, base running and organized fielding.
Adapted Sport: School Boccia
School boccia: a Paralympic precision sport in which each team tries to get its balls as close as possible to the white target ball (the jack).
Adapted Sport: School Goalball
School goalball: a Paralympic sport played with blindfolds and a ball with bells, rolled toward the other team's goal.
Adapted Sports: Boccia and Goalball Intro
Introduction to adapted sports: boccia and goalball, two Paralympic sports.
Adapted Squash on a School Wall
Modified squash against a handball wall or school wall, with soft balls.
Adapted Urban Parkour (Middle School)
Intro to parkour with gym obstacles: soft landings, precision jumps and vaults over benches.
Adapted Water Polo in Municipal Pool
Modified water polo in a community pool with simplified rules and flotation aids.
Advanced Acrosport: Figures and Group Choreography
Advanced acrosport: 4- to 6-person balances and a routine set to music.
Advanced Dynamic Coordination Circuit
Advanced dynamic coordination circuit with combined motor and cognitive tasks.
Advanced Yoga: Balance Poses and Pranayama
Advanced yoga: balance poses and breathing techniques (pranayama).
Aerobic Endurance Training: Fartlek
Fartlek: continuous running with free or structured pace changes.
Aerobic Fitness: Advanced Group Choreography
Advanced aerobic fitness choreography created and performed in groups, with or without steps.
Aerobic Interval Training with Heart Rate Monitor
Aerobic interval training monitored with heart rate monitors, working in heart rate zones.
Agility & Speed Cone Circuit
Timed agility and speed circuit with a ladder, cones and changes of direction.
Agility and Reaction Speed Circuit
Agility and reaction speed circuit with a ladder, cones and visual cues.
Anaerobic Endurance: Interval Repeats
Anaerobic endurance training with short, intense repeats and controlled recovery.
Applied Martial Arts: Safe Falls
Learning safe falls (ukemi) backward, sideways and forward — useful in any sport.
Badminton: Official Rules Match
Badminton games with official singles and doubles rules.
Balance Training on Unstable Surfaces
Balance and proprioception training on unstable surfaces (BOSU, balance discs).
Basic Acroyoga (Middle School)
Basic acroyoga in threes: a base lying down supports a flyer while a spotter keeps everyone safe.
Basic Aikido (No Forced Contact)
Basic aikido focused on footwork, stances and falls, with no joint locks or forced contact.
Basic Angola Capoeira
Basic capoeira: the Afro-Brazilian art that blends martial arts, dance and music, practiced without contact in a circle (roda).
Basketball 1v1 Challenge Tournament
One-on-one basketball tournament with skill challenges for bonus points.
Basketball 3v3 Full-Court
Full-court 3v3 basketball: more space, fast transitions and lots of touches for everyone.
Basketball: 3×3 with Adapted FIBA Rules
3x3 basketball with modified FIBA rules: one hoop, games to 10 minutes or 21 points.
Basketball: Offensive and Defensive Systems
Basketball offensive and defensive systems (man-to-man and zone defense, give-and-go, pick and roll).
Biomechanical Analysis of Sports Movements (Video)
Biomechanical analysis of sports skills using video on a tablet.
Bodyweight Strength Circuit (Middle School)
Bodyweight strength circuit with benches, designed so each student can adjust the difficulty.
Bodyweight Training: Lower Body
Bodyweight training for the lower body, progressing from two legs to one.
Bodyweight Training: Upper Body
Bodyweight training for the upper body, with progressions by level.
Colpbol 5v5 (Middle School)
5v5 colpbol: a sport from Valencia, Spain, in which the ball is struck with the hands but never held.
Contemporary Dance: Improvisation and Composition
Contemporary dance: guided improvisation and group choreography.
Cooper Test: Interpretation and Personal Goals
Cooper test (12 minutes): taking the test, interpreting the result and setting personal goals.
Coordination Circuit with Medicine Balls
Station circuit with light medicine balls that combines coordination, strength and balance.
Creative Contemporary Dance
Creating a contemporary dance piece from a prompt (words, images or emotions).
Cross-Country Running on Natural Terrain
Cross-country run on natural terrain near the school, at each student's own pace.
Cross-Training: Dry-Land Swimming
"Dry-land swimming" cross-training: students reproduce the stroke movements with resistance bands to build strength and technique.
Debate on Sport, Values and Society
Structured debate on sports, values and society (salaries, fan violence, equality, sports and politics).
Disc Golf with Fixed Targets
Disc golf: a course with fixed targets where players count how many throws it takes to hit each one.
Discus Throw Technique Training
Discus throw technique with a safe progression (rubber discs or rings at first).
Doubles Badminton with Official Rules
Doubles badminton with real rules for serving, rotation and scoring.
Dry-Land Swimming: Stroke Technique
Dry-land swimming: learning the arm, leg and breathing technique for freestyle and backstroke while lying on mats.
Dry-Land Water Polo
Modified dry-land water polo: an invasion game with water polo rules (one-hand passes, no dribbling) on a marked court.
Dry-Land Water Polo on Mats
Dry-land water polo: the court is a marked "pool" and players can only move on their knees on mats.
Endurance Partner Circuit
Partner endurance circuit: one partner runs while the other does an exercise, then they switch.
Explosive Power Circuit
Power circuit with medicine ball throws and jumps onto a low box.
First Aid Workshop in PE
First aid workshop: Check-Call-Care, the recovery position and hands-only CPR on a manikin.
Fitness Boxing with Foam Gloves
Cardio boxing with foam gloves, striking only focus mitts or pads held by a partner — no contact between people.
Fitness Prep for Entrance Tests
Fitness prep for entrance tests (police or fire academies, military, college sports programs): practice and mock versions of common tests.
Fitness Test: Full Fitness Assessment
Fitness test battery to assess overall fitness.
Fitness with Music: Aerobic Step
Step aerobics: basic steps on the platform to the beat of the music, combined into a routine.
Flag American Football 8v8
8v8 flag football with defined positions (quarterback, receivers, defenders) and team-planned plays.
Flag Football Strategy Game
Flag football with an emphasis on strategy: teams plan a play before every down.
Flexibility & Mobility Circuit (Middle School)
Station-based flexibility and mobility circuit, each station focused on one area of the body.
Flexibility Training: PNF Method
Flexibility training with the PNF method (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation).
Floor Pilates (Middle School)
Mat Pilates to strengthen the deep abdominal and back muscles and improve posture, with slow, controlled movements.
Floor Pilates: Postural Control and Advanced Core
Advanced mat Pilates: postural control and core work with classic exercises.
Floorball 5v5 with Student Referee
5v5 floor hockey (floorball) games with students taking turns as referee.
Floorball: Technique and Small-Sided Game
Floorball: stick dribbling, passing and shooting technique, plus small-sided games.
Functional Cross Training with Stations
Functional cross-training stations that combine strength, cardio and core with bands, mats and cones.
Functional Fitness Partners (Middle School)
Partner functional training with no equipment, using cooperative exercises.
Functional Strength Circuit (8 Exercises)
Eight-exercise functional strength circuit using bodyweight and resistance bands.
Functional Training with Light Kettlebell
Functional training with a light kettlebell (4 kg / about 9 lb) focused on learning the hip hinge and safe technique.
Futsal 5v5 with Goalkeepers
5v5 futsal with goalkeepers, focusing on short passes and spacing.
Futsal with Rotating Goalkeeper Roles
Futsal in which each team rotates the goalkeeper role and tries out a goalkeeper who also plays the field.
Futsal: High Pressing Tactics
Futsal: high-press tactics to win the ball back near the opponent's goal.
Group Choreography Project
Group choreography project: groups choose music, create, rehearse and perform their own routine.
Handball 4v4 Small-Sided
4v4 team handball on a small court so everyone touches the ball and shoots more.
Handball Tournament with Rotating Referee
Team handball tournament with rotating referees: students take turns officiating and learn the rules.
Handball: Match with Student Referee
Team handball game with a student referee: students apply the rules and manage the game.
Healthy Exergaming
Exergaming: motion-based video games as physical activity and a starting point for thinking critically about technology.
HIIT Interval Training (6 Sets)
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) in 6 sets.
HIIT Station Circuit (Middle School)
Station-based high-intensity interval training adapted for middle school.
Inclusive Sitting Volleyball
Sitting volleyball: everyone plays seated on the floor with a low net and a soft ball — an inclusive activity for the whole class.
Individual Tennis with Portable Net
Intro to singles tennis with a portable net and low-compression balls.
Indoor Cycling: School Spinning
Indoor cycling session on stationary bikes with music and intensity changes.
Injury Prevention Circuit
Injury prevention circuit with mobility, self-massage, muscle activation and balance work.
Inter-Class Tournament Organized by Students
Inter-class sports tournament organized entirely by students.
Interdisciplinary Project: PE and Biology (Physiology)
Cross-curricular PE and Biology project: measuring and analyzing the body's response to exercise.
Intro Breakdance
Intro to breakdancing: basic standing steps (toprock), floor work and a final pose (freeze), creating a personal sequence.
Intro Calisthenics
Intro to calisthenics with basic exercises on parallel bars and on the floor.
Judo: Falls and Throw Fundamentals
Judo: fundamentals of falling (ukemi), gripping and off-balancing (kuzushi), with simple throws only once falls are mastered.
Low-Impact Hiking with Environmental Analysis
Easy hike observing and recording the surroundings: plants, wildlife, terrain and human impact.
Maximum Strength Training: Advanced Calisthenics
Advanced calisthenics: progressions toward pull-ups, dips and relative-strength exercises.
Modified Beach Handball
Modified beach handball on the playground: no dribbling, with double goals for spectacular shots (spin or in-flight).
Movement Speed and Reaction Circuit
Movement speed and reaction circuit: respond as fast as possible to visual and auditory cues.
Muscular Endurance Circuit (12 Exercises)
Twelve-exercise muscular endurance circuit.
Neuromotor Coordination Circuit (Middle School)
Neuromotor coordination circuit with footwork, hand and rhythm stations.
No-Contact Floor Wrestling
Mat-based wrestling games with strict rules: balance and control, no striking or holds.
Orienteering Race with a Real School Map
Orienteering race with a real map of the school and control markers.
Orienteering Race with Mobile App
Orienteering race using a map of the school and a phone app or QR codes on the control markers.
Padel Intro by Turns
Intro to padel taking turns, with basic rules and use of the walls, or simulating a court with a portable net.
Padel: Stroke Technique and Positioning
Padel: stroke technique (forehand, backhand, volley) and positioning with a partner.
PE Session Design Project by Groups
Group project: design and lead a PE lesson.
Personal Training Plan Design
Creating a personal training plan based on the principles of training.
Physical Activity Plan for Personal Health
Designing a long-term personal physical activity plan for health.
Power Training: Plyometric Jumps
Power training with plyometric jumps over low hurdles.
Reaction Speed Training with Signals
Reaction speed training with visual and auditory signals.
Role Play: Sports Journalist (Report)
Sports reporter role play: groups produce a story about the lesson or a school sports event.
Rugby 7s with Adaptations
Modified 7-a-side rugby with no tackling: a two-hand touch stops play and the ball always goes backward.
School Boulder Climbing
Low-height bouldering over mats, with problems of different difficulty.
School Cycling Route with Map
Bike ride on a safe route following a map, applying traffic rules, with helmets required.
School Hiking with Topographic Map
Hiking route with a topographic map and compass to learn to navigate outdoors.
School Parkour: Safe Movement Basics
School parkour: the basics of moving safely (landings, rolls, vaults).
School Pentathlon (Track & Field)
School pentathlon: five track and field events in one session with combined scoring.
School Triathlon: Run + Jump + Throw
School track and field triathlon: running, jumping and throwing with combined scoring.
School TRX Strength Circuit
Strength circuit with suspension trainers (TRX), adjusting difficulty with body angle.
Slackline (Middle School) with Safety
Low slackline with a supporting partner to improve dynamic balance and concentration.
Soccer Ball Skills Circuit
Soccer skills circuit: dribbling, beating a defender, passing and shooting.
Soccer: Tactics and a Game with Commentary
Soccer: tactical analysis on a whiteboard and a game with student commentary.
Spanish Dance Workshop
Spanish dance workshop: basic sevillanas or jota steps and simple castanet playing.
Speed Circuit: 30 m Flying Start
Maximum speed with flying 30s: accelerate in a run-up zone and time only the top-speed section.
Speed Training with Time Analysis
Speed training with recording and analysis of times.
Sport Climbing on School Wall
Roped climbing on the school wall, always with a trained teacher and certified equipment.
Sports Gymkhana with Timed Physical Challenges
Sports scavenger-hunt challenge course with timed physical tasks for teams.
Sports Role Play: Referee and Coach
Role play in a game: referee, coach, player and reporter, rotating so everyone experiences each perspective.
Strategy and Decision-Making Games
Strategy and decision-making games: game situations analyzed on a whiteboard and tested on the court.
Strategy Game: Korfball
Korfball: a coed Dutch sport played at a backboard-less basket, with rules that ensure equal participation by girls and boys.
Strength Circuit with Light Dumbbells
Strength circuit with light dumbbells focused on technique in the basic lifts.
Strength-Endurance Circuit (6 Stations)
Six-station muscular endurance circuit with resistance bands and bodyweight.
Strength-Endurance Training with TRX
Muscular endurance with suspension trainers (TRX), adjusting difficulty with body angle.
Swimming Strokes and Turns (Classroom)
Classroom swimming theory and practice: strokes, turns and technique, without a pool.
Table Tennis (Middle School): Round Robin League
Table tennis round-robin league within ability groups.
Table Tennis: Drive and Backhand Technique
Table tennis: forehand and backhand drive technique, with guided rallies and games.
Tchoukball 4v4
4v4 tchoukball: score by bouncing the ball off the rebounder so the other team can't catch it.
Tennis: Serve and Return Technique
Tennis: serve and return technique, the shots that start every point.
Territory Strategy Game: Kho-Kho
Kho-Kho, a traditional game from India: one team chases and the other dodges, following territorial rules.
Thematic Body Expression: Emotions
Expressing emotions through movement: students act out emotions without words and create short scenes.
Therapeutic Yoga (Middle School)
Yoga session focused on postural well-being and stress management.
Touch Rugby Teams
Touch rugby: the ball carrier stops when a defender touches them with both hands.
Track & Field Circuit: Multi-Jumps
Track and field jumping circuit: horizontal jumps, low hurdles and hoop jumps.
Track & Field: 1000 m Paced Run
1000-meter run with a pacing plan: students calculate their split time per lap and try to hit it.
Track & Field: 400 m and Energy Systems
400-meter run with an analysis of the energy systems involved.
Track & Field: 800 m Team Race
800-meter team run: everyone's times are added up, rewarding consistency, not just speed.
Track & Field: Combined Jump and Sprint Event
Combined jumping and speed event: students complete several events and add up points using a scoring table.
Track & Field: Fosbury Flop High Jump
High jump using the Fosbury Flop (back-first) technique, in a safe progression onto a regulation landing mat.
Track & Field: Hurdles Technique Progression
Hurdles with a technical progression (low or foam hurdles).
Track & Field: Long Jump Technique
Long jump technique by phases: approach run, takeoff, flight and landing in the sand pit.
Track & Field: Long Jump with Video Analysis
Long jump with technical analysis: students record and analyze the approach, takeoff, flight and landing.
Track & Field: Modified Javelin Throw
School javelin throw (foam or rubber javelin) with a strict safety protocol.
Track & Field: Modified Shot Put
Modified shot put with a medicine ball, learning the basic technique.
Track & Field: Shot Put Technique
Shot put technique with a light regulation shot, following a strict safety protocol.
Track & Field: Simplified School Decathlon
Simplified school decathlon: several track and field events in one session with combined scoring.
Track & Field: Triple Jump Progression
Triple jump: technical progression of the hop, step and jump sequence.
Trail Running on School Circuit
Trail running on a course with hills on or near the school grounds.
Ultimate Frisbee: Regulation Match
Ultimate Frisbee with official rules and self-officiating according to the "Spirit of the Game".
Ultimate Frisbee: Spirit of the Game
Coed, non-contact Ultimate Frisbee in which the players referee themselves according to the "Spirit of the Game".
Volleyball 6v6 with Official Rotations
6v6 volleyball with official rotations and positions.
Volleyball: Spike and Block Technique
Volleyball: spiking and blocking technique with progressions.