Pick-Your-Height Hurdle Lanes

A hurdle run with lanes at three different heights where each student chooses the lane they feel ready to clear, and higher lanes earn more points for the team. Students practice running over hurdles, self-assessment, and setting personal challenges.

How to play

1. Set up three 15 m lanes with 4 obstacles each: a green lane with poles on the ground (1 point), a yellow lane with 8 in hurdles (2 points), and a red lane with 12 in hurdles (3 points) (3 min).
2. Demo: run without slowing down, lift the knee of the lead leg, and land running, never on both feet (2 min).
3. Form 4 teams of 6 lined up behind a start line; each student picks a lane, runs it, jogs back outside, and hands a disc cone of that color to the scorekeeper (8 min).
4. Anyone who knocks over a hurdle resets it and scores one point less; clearing every hurdle cleanly means they can move up a lane next turn (part of the round).
5. After 8 minutes, each team counts its points; then run a 3-minute round where only clean runs count (3 min).
6. Reflection: each student names the lane they want to reach next class (2 min).

Rules

• Set hurdles with their legs facing the start so they tip when touched.
• Run only in the chosen lane and return outside the lanes.
• Nobody picks for someone else: each student decides their own lane.
• A lane must be clear before the next runner goes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with limited mobility: use a cone slalom lane worth the same points as the yellow lane.
• Shy students or those afraid to fail: may start in the green lane as many times as they like, and the teacher celebrates every move up.
• Fitness or skill level: the fastest students must clear the red lane leading with the same leg; tired students rest one turn as scorekeeper.

Learning goals

• Clear low hurdles while keeping a running stride.
• Choose a challenge that matches their own ability.
• Value their own progress and their classmates' progress.

Equipment for a class of 25

• low hurdles: 8
• cones: 12
• poles: 4

Teacher tip

Many kids stop and jump with both feet in front of the hurdle; ask them to run over it without stopping. Put the red lane on the outside.

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