Snow Forts is an exciting physical education game designed to help students develop a key fundamental movement skill: the overhand throw. Can your team protect your forts while you attempt to knock down your opponent's?
Players should always throw the ball downward to prevent anyone getting hit above the shoulders.
Players should throw the balls in ways that are responsible (i.e. that will limit accidents).
Players are not allowed to kick the balls or throw the snowman balls.
Builds allow you to increase the game's complexity, one layer at a time.
The playing area is divided into four bases. The teacher divides the class into six teams. Four teams are assigned a base area and the remaining two stand to the side for a moment.
Each team is given three icicles, which are best represented by thin pins, to serve as the foundation of their fort. Once each team's fort is set up, the teacher pairs up students from the two teams on the sideline. These students are builders, and each pair is assigned to a base. A builder's job is to defend the fort structure and repair any structures knocked over during the game.
Once all players are assigned to a base, the teacher adds snowballs, which are foam balls, to the game. Players at a base take snowballs and, without leaving their base area, throw using either an overhand or underhand throw. Their goal is to knock over opposing teams' fort structures.
As fort structures get knocked over, the builders attempt to set them back up as quickly as possible.
Play runs for a set amount of time, then all teams rotate bases and roles.
In this build, each base is given six hoops. The hoops are used to build a castle structure.
Play continues just as before, but with castles now forming part of each team's fort.
In this build, each base is given the materials needed to build a snowman.
Here is how I build snowmen in my gym. Start by placing a rubber ring on the floor. Place a large medicine ball on the ring, then another ring on top. Balance a volleyball trainer ball on top of the second ring and place a third ring on top of the volleyball. Finally, complete the snowman by placing a deflated playground ball on top as the head.
Once each team has set up their snowman, play continues just as before, with teams trying to knock over the other teams' fort structures while builders try to keep everything standing.
Print the game sheet, leave it on your desk, and your sub has everything they need: the diagrams, the builds in order, what to say, and what to watch for. This one is $4. #PhysEdU Plus members get all 39, free forever, for $49 a year.
Games that build on the same tactics.
