100th Day PE Ideas

Physical education is an integral part of a child's education. In addition to promoting fitness, it helps kids develop leadership skills, self-esteem and teamwork. When the 100th day of PE rolls around, teachers and school administrations can honor the day by creating unique games and events. Centering the games on the number 100 as a theme gives teachers the ability to be creative in providing fun physical activities and games for their students that will prove memorable for the rest of the school year.

Set up 10 different stations where students will perform a single exercise 10 times, resulting in 100 motions. These exercises can include jumping jacks, pushups, squats, lunges and a number of others. Also include activities that test students' reflexes. For example, have students throw a tennis ball against a wall and catch it 10 times or dribble a basketball 10 times. This activity gives you the opportunity to gauge your students' fitness levels and what specific challenges individual students might face.

Planking is a great exercise that builds core strength and challenges your psyche when you struggle to maintain position. For these reasons it is a great exercise to have kids write about. Incorporating a writing exercise into a physical activity can get kids thinking about the psychological aspect of exercise. The owner of a CrossFit Gym in Los Angeles said she has all of her clients journal their exercises because it gives them a better comprehension of the exercises they do. Have students line up and hold a plank as long as they can until only one student is left. By having your students celebrate the 100th day with a 100-word essay, they can express the highs and lows of the planking exercise, thus better understanding its purpose, benefits and the idea of "mind over matter."

Forming Olympic-style games is a great way to celebrate the 100th day of PE. These games can be held specifically for your class or with several other classes and grade levels combined. Give students three chances to beat their best scores with the goal of earning mock gold, silver and bronze medals. Some schools even dedicate an entire day to Olympic-style games. If your school hasn’t done this before, see if the administration would approve a day of games in honor of the 100th day of PE.

If the school’s administration permits a field trip to celebrate the 100th day of PE, a fitness-inspired field trip is a great idea. Going to a beach at the ocean or a lake provides a beautiful setting where a day of games can be held to honor the 100th day of PE. Students can sign up for various events that include racing in the sand, swimming to and from a buoy or having body-board races. Fun prizes like gift cards can be awarded to winners to truly make it a memorable day. As a bonus game to really honor the 100-day theme, faculty can hide 100 numbered pingpong balls in the sand. Each number can represent a prize that students claim when the event is over. There even can be one grand prize like an mp3 player or other popular device.