Fun Physical Education Games for 8th-Graders

Good eighth-grade physical education games should promote sportsmanship, physical activity and skill development. These games can be played as part of the curriculum for an organized PE class or just for fun during a break in the school day. Students should use these activities as a way to stay healthy, have fun and build friendships with fellow classmates.

Ultimate Frisbee is a good game for eighth-graders. It requires coordination and stamina in its players. A large outdoor or indoor area is needed for a playing field. The students are divided up into two teams and each team is assigned one end of the field. A goalie is chosen to guard the team's end zone.

Teammates pass a Frisbee down the field by tossing it to one another. When you catch the Frisbee, you must remain in place until you throw it to another teammate. A point is awarded each time the Frisbee is successfully caught by a teammate standing in the opposite team's end zone. The Frisbee is given to the other team if it is thrown out of bounds. The team that scores the most points wins the game.

Skirmish Ball requires students to use throwing and catching skills. This game is an appropriate activity for an eighth-grade PE class.

The students divide into two teams. Each team chooses an end of the gymnasium to be their end zone. Two buckets, each filled with 20 chips, are placed at either end of the gym. Three or more beanbags or dodge balls are distributed to each team. Two or three students on each team remain in the end zones while the rest of the students spread out over the court.

The students in the end zones try tossing balls to their teammates on the court. If a teammate successfully catches the ball, he removes a chip from the opposing team's bucket, places it in his team's bucket and trades places with the student who threw the ball. The team that loses all of its chips first, loses the game.

Soccer can be played during an organized PE class or a school-day break. This game involves a lot of running and, therefore, promotes healthy exercise for eighth-graders. Students divide into two teams. A large outdoor or indoor area is divided in half and each team chooses an end. A goalie is selected by each team to guard the end zone from the opponents' shots.

Teams work together to pass the ball down the court without using their hands. A point is scored if the ball is successfully kicked into the opponent's goal. The game ends when one team reaches a predetermined score.

Basketball Golf is a combination of basketball and golf. Instead of holes, this game uses positions. Nine positions are marked on each half of the basketball court using paper numbers and tape. The students are divided into three- or four-person teams. Each team is given a scorecard.

The teams move around the court and each member takes a turn shooting a basketball into the hoop at each position. Each team member has five tries to make the shot. The number of tries it took each teammate to make the shot is recorded. The shot totals are tallied for each team at the end of the game. The team with the least number of shots wins.