Social Distancing Friendly Indoor & Outdoor Games

These are some of the many games that incorporate social distancing prepared by the New York non-profit sports and fitness organization Asphalt Green, and included on their website.

More games can be found here: https://www.asphaltgreen.org/blog/rep-it-out-games-for-social-distancing

DETECTIVE

• Who: Grades K-5
• Players: 10+
• Time: 10 minutes+
• Where: Auditorium, cafeteria, classroom, gymnasium, hallway, library, playground
• Equipment: None

HOW TO PLAY

• Players form a circle and stand 6 feet away from each other. The facilitator will pick one detective that will leave the circle.
• The facilitator will pick one one leader who will start making movements that everyone else in the circle will copy.
• The detective starts in the middle and tries to figure out who is the leader.
• The detective has three guesses. After three guesses, choose a new leader and detective.

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

• Who: Grades K-5
• Players: 15+
• Time: 10 minutes+
• Where: Gymnasium, hallway, playground
• Equipment: None

HOW TO PLAY:

• Line up at the starting line! Stand six feet away from each other. I represent the traffic light and you represent the cars.
• When I turn around and say, "green light," you can move toward me.
• When I turn back around and say, "red light," you must freeze.
• If you are caught moving during a red light, return to the starting line.
• If you make it past the traffic light first, then you become the new traffic light.

FREEZE PARTY

HOW TO PLAY

• Players line up standing 6 feet apart from each other.
• It's time for a dance party! But it's not an ordinary dance party, it's a FREEZE dance party.
• The facilitator is the freeze dance leader. When the leader starts dancing, everyone can dance!
• When the freeze dance leader stops dancing, all players freeze and stop dancing.
• If a players are caught dancing when they should be frozen, they do five jumping jacks, squats, or lunges.

THE MAZE

• Who: Grades K-8
• Players: 2+
• Time: 10 minutes+
• Where: Auditorium, cafeteria, classroom, gymnasium, hallway, library, playground
• Equipment: Cones or tape

HOW TO PLAY

• Players line up standing 6 feet away from each other. The facilitator will set up cones in a square grid.
• The cones have a secret maze, and the facilitator knows the pathway through.
• The first player in line has to make his or her way from the start cone to the end cone.
• If the player makes a wrong move, he or she needs to do five jumping jacks and go to the end of the line. Then, the next person in line goes.
• Continue until someone makes it to the end cone, then start a new round with a new maze.

REP GAME: SHIPWRECK

• Who: Grades 3-8
• Players: 6+
• Time: 10 minutes+
• Where: Gymnasium, hallway, playground
• Equipment: None

HOW TO PLAY

• Players line up at the starting line! Stand 6 feet away from each other. The facilitator is the captain and the players are the crew. Listen for the following commands. When you hear:
• ROLL CALL: the crew must line up, feet together, and salute the captain by saying, "aye, aye captain!"
• AT EASE: the crew may stop saluting and do the next movement that is called.
• CROW'S NEST: the crew must climb the ladder to the crow's nest.
• SWAB THE DECK: the crew must mop the deck.
• THREE IN A BOAT: find three people, sit in a line 6 feet apart, and row the boat while singing, "row, row, row your boat."
• SPEED BOAT: the captain will become a speed boat and try to get to the line before you do.
• If you make a mistake, do five jumping jacks, then rejoin the game.