Scooter Board Rope Pull

Lying on their stomachs or sitting on a scooter board, students move forward by pulling hand over hand along a tight rope from one end of the gym to the other. It builds arm, back and grip strength in a fun, low-risk way.

How to play

1. Tie 4 long ropes tight between the wall bars and a post or anchor, about 20–30 cm (8–12 in) off the floor and 8–10 m (25–30 ft) long. Place one cone at the midpoint and one at the end of each rope.
2. Make 4 lines of 6 behind each rope, with 2 scooter boards per group. Explain the position: lying on your stomach, body centered, legs together and lifted (2 min).
3. The first student in each line pulls hand over hand along the rope to the end cone. When that student passes the middle cone, the next one starts.
4. At the end, the student gets off, carries the scooter while walking back on the outside and hands it to the next person in line.
5. Every 3 minutes, change the position: on the stomach, sitting cross-legged, on the back pulling overhead and kneeling (12 min total).
6. To finish, each group counts how many full trips it completed in the last position and tries to beat that total in one extra minute.

Rules

• Never stand on a scooter board or kneel on it without control.
• Keep fingers and hair away from the wheels.
• Only one student at a time on each half of the rope.
• Always walk back on the outside of the ropes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student pulls the rope from their wheelchair to bring in a scooter loaded with bean bags.
• Autism: show a picture of each position and give a one-minute warning before every change.
• Different fitness levels: anyone who needs it may push off with one foot for the first few meters.

Learning goals

• Build arm, back and grip strength using body weight.
• Control the body on a moving surface.
• Take turns and follow equipment safety rules.

Equipment for a class of 25

• scooter boards: 8
• long ropes: 4
• cones: 8

Teacher tip

Check knots and rope tension before every round. If you have no wall bars, two seated students can hold each end and rotate every 3 minutes.

More activities like this

More main activities for Elementary