Scooter Board Hungry Hippos
Four teams, one on each side of a square, take turns sending their hippo, lying face down on a scooter board, to grab balls from the center using only their arms to move. Students build upper body and core strength in a team game.
How to play
- Set up two 10 x 10 yard squares with cones. In each, put a center hoop with 20 foam balls and one team hoop in the middle of each side (3 min).
- Make eight teams of three; each team gets one scooter board. Show the position: lying face down, chest on the board, legs straight and off the floor.
- On the signal, the first hippo on each team pulls with the hands to the center, grabs one ball, comes back and drops it in the team hoop. Then the next one goes.
- Play until the center hoop is empty. The team with the most balls wins; balls go back to the center for another game (4 min per game).
- Play three games, moving each team to a new side of the square (12 min).
- Cool-down: shoulder and chest stretch and a quick talk about how the arms share the work (1 min).
Rules
- One ball per trip, and no taking balls from other hoops.
- Fingers never go under the wheels: hands push on the floor in front.
- Nobody stands or kneels on a scooter board.
- Slow down before the center to avoid crashing into other hippos.
Variations
Easier
Sit on the scooter, push with the feet, and use 8 x 8 yard squares.
Standard
Lying face down, pull with the arms, 10 x 10 yard squares.
Harder
Carry the ball squeezed between the knees or ride back to the hoop backward.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: a student using a wheelchair makes the trips in the wheelchair on a slightly shorter route.
- Shy students: the team agrees on the order so nobody always goes last.
- Lower fitness: may ride seated and push with the feet.
Learning goals
- Build arm, shoulder and core strength using body weight.
- Control movement and stopping on a rolling surface.
- Take turns and cooperate as a team.
Equipment for a class of 25
- scooter boards: 8
- foam balls: 40
- hoops: 10
- cones: 8
Teacher tip
Check the wheels and have long hair tied back before starting. If the center gets crowded, have hippos wait outside the cone circle until there is room.
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