5 Great Minor Games For All Ages!

5 fantastic minor games which can be easily adapted for any year level! These are easy to learn and teach and provide a bunch of great learning opportunities for your students. Primary games, secondary games and Pre-K games- these examples below can cater to any age group and class needs.

1) Builders and Bulldozers

Builders and bulldozers is a great game for all ages but especially the early years (Kindergarten- Year 2). Whilst this game can be used for all year levels as a simple quick warm-up, I find that this minor game is extremely useful as an activity to teach young learners about more complex games and the importance of following rules when playing games.

For Builders and Bulldozers to work successfully students need to be honest and avoid the temptation of breaking the rules of the game. This becomes a great teaching tool to show young learners that if we don’t follow the rules of a game, the game can easily break down and not become enjoyable or effective anymore! This is also a great first activity for students as they progress to more complex activities.

Link: Builders and bulldozers

2) Floor Ball

Looking for a great game that your whole class can enjoy whilst still indoors? Floor-ball is a great way for your students to be active regardless of the weather. Floor Ball is a high-energy game, full of laughs and unpredictability and the best part is…. All you need is a set of cones and a soft indoor ball to play it. One of my favourite wet-weather games!

Link: Floor-ball

3) 4 Rock Race

Looking for a invasion game that is unique and challenges students to develop effective defensive and offensive strategies? Want to play a game that allows students to switch from offence to defence at the drop of a hat?

4 Rock Race incorporates all of this in an exciting format allowing for maximum participation from your students and thoughtful planning and team huddles. These discussions on strategies will allow for student autonomy and peer-to-peer learning when identifying the skills and tactical understanding needed in order to be successful in invasion games! This activity has the opportunity for many modifications and when you add it the ‘Make it harder’ modifications, this game turns into soccer, AFL Football and Gaelic Football all in one with a Capture-the-flag flare.

Link: 4 Rock Race

4) Lions Tail

A go to game for all ages! Help students develop situational awareness through a high paced engaging game that can easily be modified to suit all ages of learner. This game requires minimal resources and is able to be played both indoors and in outdoor spaces.

Lions Tail teaches young students to participate with every member of their class and can also serve as a tool to learn about playing fairly and following rule sets. In addition this minor game teaches students to implement fundamental movement skills in a dynamic environment, serving as a medium for discussion on what FMS skills we use to enable us to be effective in this minor game and other games in the future!

Link: Lions Tail

5) Space Invaders

A fantastic minor game that will serve as the perfect warm-up for your students prior to an invasion game or the perfect tool to introduce young learners to the category of invasion games. This will sure to be a class favourite and can easily be modified to suit all ages.

Space Invaders is unique in its ability to be used to discuss and implement defensive tactics, understand why moving laterally is important in invasion type games and also how we can work together as a team to ensure we are defensively effective. This game can be used in so many wonderful ways to enhance the knowledge of your students whilst insuring they are engaged and having a blast!

Link: Space Invaders