PE Signals and Routines Game
A first-week game where students move freely and respond to the signals that will be used all year: whistle to freeze, raised hand for quiet, claps to form a circle. It turns routines into a fun challenge and saves time in every lesson after.
How to play
- Gather the group and introduce 5 signals and responses: short whistle, freeze; raised hand, quiet and raise your hand; two claps, circle up in the center; "Home!", go to your hoop; "Equipment!", sit by a cone (3 min).
- Spread 25 hoops around the blacktop as personal home spots and put 4 cones in the corners as equipment spots (1 min).
- Students travel as the teacher calls (jog, skip, bear crawl) and respond to each signal as quickly as possible (6 min).
- Count out loud how many seconds it takes the class to be ready and record it. The goal is under 5 seconds.
- Add trick signals (two whistles, a single clap) that mean do nothing; anyone who reacts runs one lap around their hoop and keeps playing (3 min).
- Finally, a student plays the teacher and gives the signals; rotate three times (2 min).
Rules
- When frozen, your body is still and equipment is on the floor.
- When going to the hoops, find an empty one without pushing.
- Nobody is out; mistakes are fixed with a quick lap.
Variations
Easier
Use only three signals and travel by walking.
Standard
Use five signals with a class record and trick signals.
Harder
Combine signals, such as whistle and raised hand together, so students must do both responses.
Adaptations
- Students with limited mobility respond with arm gestures and have their hoop close by.
- For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, pair every sound signal with a visible gesture; for students who are blind, use a distinct sound for each.
- For students with autism, provide a card picturing the five signals and give a heads-up before using the whistle.
Learning goals
- Learn and respond to the organizational signals of PE class.
- Stay focused while performing different locomotor movements.
- Understand how routines save time for play.
Equipment for a class of 25
- whistle: 1
- hoops: 25
- cones: 4
Teacher tip
Use the exact same signals from this day forward; repeating the game for two or three lessons locks the routines in very quickly.
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