Playground Subway Lines
Route game where trains of three students may only travel on the painted playground lines to reach the station on their ticket and complete a task there. Students practice balance on lines, spatial awareness and group decision making.
How to play
- Place 6 colored cones where lines cross on the playground: these are stations. Next to each one, a task card: 5 two-foot jumps, 4 hops on each foot, three full spins in place... If there are no lines, draw them in chalk.
- Make 8 trains of 3: the engineer in front and the cars with hands on the engineer's shoulders. Each train gets a ticket, a card with a station color.
- Trains may only move by stepping on the lines. Before leaving, they choose a route; the engineer leads and the cars call out if someone steps off.
- At the station, they do the task, switch engineers and take a new ticket from that station's pile. Each completed trip earns the train a point.
- After 6 minutes, each line type gets a travel style: on one color, tiptoe; on another, heel to toe. Play 6 more minutes and finish by counting trips.
Rules
- A foot off the line means stop and count to three.
- If two trains meet head-on, the train with fewer cars or the one on the right yields.
- Cars never let go of the train.
- Walk on the lines; no running.
Variations
Easier
Travel in pairs, with stations on straight lines that are easy to follow.
Standard
Trains of three, color tickets and a task at each station.
Harder
Tickets show two stations in a row, and some lines are blocked with a cone.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the train uses the widest lines and the wheelchair user is the engineer.
- Visual impairment: reinforce lines with raised tape and place the student as the guided middle car.
- Fitness level: faster trains do double tasks at each station.
Learning goals
- Travel with balance while following floor lines.
- Plan a route to reach a specific point.
- Make group decisions and take turns as engineer.
Equipment for a class of 25
- colored cones: 6
- cards: 30
- chalk: 4
Teacher tip
Walk the playground before class to make sure every station can be reached along the lines. Demonstrate with one train in front of everyone before starting.
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