Step on the Color: Flat Disc Grid
Each team has a grid of flat disc cones in four colors and crosses it stepping only on the color the teacher calls, with quick foot placement and changes of direction. Students work on footwork agility, visual attention, and decision-making on the move.
How to play
- Before class, set up 5 grids of 5 x 4 flat disc cones in four mixed colors, about 18 inches apart; line up a team of 5 in front of each grid (2 min).
- Round 1: the teacher calls a color; the first student in each line crosses the grid stepping only on that color, jogs back along the side, and the next student goes (2 min).
- Round 2: the teacher calls two colors and students cross alternating them, for example blue, red, blue, red (2 min).
- Round 3: while students are crossing, the teacher calls a new color and they must switch to stepping only on the new one (1 min).
- Round 4, cooperative: the team crosses as a train, one behind the other, without two people on the same disc at once; count how many crossings you finish in one minute (1 min).
Rules
- Step on the discs with the balls of your feet; no jumping onto them from far away.
- If you move a disc, put it back before you continue.
- Return along the side, never through the grid.
- If no disc of your color is within reach, you may take one step on the ground with no penalty.
Variations
Easier
Spread out the discs of each color and cross at a walk.
Standard
Cross at a jog with one or two colors called.
Harder
Cross on one foot or sideways, with a color change in the middle.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: instead of stepping, touch the correct discs with a hand or a short pole from the edge of the grid.
- Color blindness: use very different colors, such as yellow and blue, or chalk a number on each disc.
- Fitness level: faster students cross down and back; students who tire cross one way and walk back.
Learning goals
- Improve the speed and accuracy of foot placement.
- Pick out the correct visual cue among several.
- Adjust movement to changing directions.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Flat disc cones: 100
Teacher tip
On smooth floors disc cones slide, so use them outdoors or on a rubber surface. Call the colors clearly and wait a second before the start so students can scan the grid.
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