Easter is a special time of year when children enjoy searching for Easter eggs, spending time with family, and indulging in tasty treats. It is also a great opportunity for PE teachers to incorporate fun and engaging physical education activities and games into spring-time lesson plans. Whether you’re looking for something energetic or more relaxed, there are plenty of Easter PE games that can bring some holiday cheer to your class. Not only will these activities provide students with an enjoyable break from the usual routine, but they will also help promote physical activity and enhance their overall fitness and health.
Pics by Andrea Grazioplene @ASGrazioplene and Terri Anderson @kidsfit4Him
Dive into this article to discover the benefits of incorporating Easter physical education activities and games in your program. I will offer useful advice on how best to integrate these tasks for maximum learning benefit within each lesson, allowing you to maximize student engagement and make every second count! I will also be showcasing ten energetic and exciting movement experiences, with a fun Easter twist, that you can apply in your PE lessons this Spring. Let's get ready to EGGSERCIZE!!
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Why include Easter PE Games and Activities in your curriculum?
Incorporating Easter activities in a physical education curriculum can have several benefits for both the students and the teacher. Here are seven reasons why a physical education teacher should include Easter activities in their PE curriculum:
Encourages Physical Activity: Incorporating Easter activities in a PE curriculum encourages physical activity and provides a fun way for students to stay active. Physical activity is essential for children's health and well-being and helps improve their physical fitness, strength, and endurance.
Promotes Teamwork: Easter activities such as Easter Egg Relay and Bunny Tag require children to work together in teams. These games promote teamwork and help children learn to cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal.
Improves Motor Skills: Easter activities can improve children's motor skills such as balance, coordination, and agility. Games like the Bunny Hop require children to hop on one foot, which helps develop their balance and coordination.
Creates a Fun Learning Environment: Incorporating Easter party games in a PE curriculum can make the learning environment more fun and engaging for students. When students are having fun, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their learning.
Pic by Andrea Grazioplene @ASGrazioplene
Builds Social Skills: Easter activities in a PE curriculum provide an opportunity for children to socialize with each other. These games create a fun and relaxed environment where children can interact with each other, make friends, and develop social skills.
Incorporates a Holiday Spirit: Including Easter activities in a PE curriculum can create a festive and fun atmosphere. These games help students get into the holiday spirit and bring a sense of excitement and joy to the classroom.
Keeps Students Engaged: Easter activities in a PE curriculum provide a fun and engaging way to keep students interested and motivated. These games break up the routine of traditional PE activities and provide a refreshing change of pace for students.
Standards-Based Movement
To get your students on track to meet SHAPE America's Standard 5 requirements — which states that The physically literate individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction* — you can provide them with some engaging and fun Easter-inspired games and activities. Keep reading to discover how these dynamic movement experiences will come alive in your classroom!
Pic by Andrea Grazioplene @ASGrazioplene
10 Eggs-citing Easter Activities and Games for PE
Check out these awesome ideas for incorporating Easter PE activities and games in your physical education class:
Easter Obstacle Course (Bunny Boot Camp)
Students love going through obstacle courses! Set up an Easter-themed obstacle course using cones, hula hoops, jump ropes, and other equipment. Include activities like jumping rope, twirling hula hoops, hopping over Easter eggs, and crawling through a tunnel. Divide your students into teams and have them race through the obstacle course, with each team member completing one length of the course before tagging the next player in line.
Video by Mr Bricker @IBES_PE
Egg and Spoon Relay
This classic Easter game is always a hit with children. Set up a straight line course using polyspots and cones for a start and finish line. Divide the class into teams and give each team a plastic egg and spoon. The first player on each team must place the egg on their spoon and move to the other end of the playing area and back without dropping the egg. Once they have returned, they pass the egg and spoon to the next player on their team, who repeats the process until all players have completed the relay.
Eggs-ercise
This one is a GREAT eggs-ample of the perfect fitness activity for PE during Easter. Write in several exercises on small pieces of paper and place them in plastic eggs. Place the plastic Easter eggs at the end of a relay course. Students take turns running from a start line to an end line and picking up a plastic egg. Unveiling the egg, they read an exercise that their group must execute together near the start line area. Repeat with next student in line for a set time. You could even add PE equipment and throw in some manipulative skill activities to perform as an added bonus!
Egg Shuttle Run
For this game, you will need 2 plastic Easter eggs and two polyspots per team. Divide your students into teams and have them line up behind a starting line. Place the two eggs on top of the polyspots about 30 feet away from the start line. Students partake in a “shuttle run” where they sprint to retrieve two plastic eggs, returning them both back to the starting line. First, one white egg is retrieved and brought back; then the student turns around and runs for the second egg so that it can be placed alongside its companion before finally finishing up this drill. Students can compete against the clock or challenge one another by running along parallel shuttle run courses.
Video by Lisa Etzler @osuetzler4
Egg Hunt
Add a little competition to the mix! Place several hula hoops out in the playing area and put 3 to 5 plastic eggs (not raw eggs inside each one. Assign 1 or 2 students to start at each of the hoops. On cue, students traverse the course to acquire eggs from other team's hoops and return them to their own. They may use any combination of walking, hopping or jumping as they play! They play for 2 or 3 minutes and count the number of eggs in their hoop at the end of the game.
Find the Hidden Easter Eggs
Position various cones in the center of your play zone and carefully conceal a plastic Easter egg beneath every one. Divide your group into smaller pairs or teams and place them at a designated area with an easter basket next to them. Every group or partner team must begin the game by having their first player move to the cones and search for an Easter egg, using a locomotor movement assigned by the teacher. There they pick up one egg at a time, and bring back to their team to tag the next player in line. The game continues until all the eggs have been collected and placed in the team's basket.
Video by Andrea Grazioplene @ASGrazioplene
Bunny Jump Relay
Version 1: Set up a course or several courses using hula hoops in a section of your playing area. The hoops lay 2-by-2 beside each other for a set distance. Students take turns going through a course jumping from 2 feet to 2 feet, then turn around and jump back to the start line to tag the next person's hand. Students can engage in a healthy competition by timing each other or competing against their adjacent teams.
Version 2: Line up 5 to 10 bowling pins side-by-side in front of a polyspot or cone, and use it as the starting line. Divide your group into smaller pairs or teams and place them at the starting line. Students take turns placing a bowling pin between their legs and jumping (2 feet to 2 feet) to an end to drop off the bowling pin. They then run back to tag the next person's hand who repeats the process. When all pins have been placed at the end line, the relay is over. For a healthy dose of friendly competition, students can race against the clock or challenge their neighboring teams!
Video by Mr. Fakhoury @Fakoury72
Hippity Hop:
Hop to it! Set up a straight line course using polyspots and cones for a start and finish line. Divide the class into teams and give each team a Hippity Hop. The first player on each team must get on the Hippoty Hop and hop down to the finish line and back. Once they have returned, they pass the Hippity Hop to the next player on their team, who repeats the process until all players have completed the relay.
Ride the Bunny Trail
Students love to ride on scooter boards. Set up a course or several courses using cones and polyspots in a section of your playing area. Create small groups for each "bunny trail" course. Students then take turns riding their scooter board forward or backward through their course and ride back to the start line to give the next student in line the scooter board. They can even pick up objects on the way such as plastic eggs or jelly beans. It is essential to go over safety protocols before beginning any riding activity for the sake of all participants.
Easter Bunny Tag
Bunny tag is a fun twist on traditional tag. Select a few students to be the "bunnies" and equip them with bunny ears, as well as an object in their hands to tag others--for instance, a stuffed animal or a soft ball. Place out some mats for students to hide behind if they so desire. Everyone must jump or hop in this tag game as they travel around the playing area. The bunnies scurry around, tagging fellow students to "freeze" them. Once touched by the tagger, tagees must take on the bridge position immediately. Other students can save the ones in the bridge position by hopping over to them and crawling underneath them. Switch out the taggers every minute or so.
Video by Tyler @MrMcGurryPE
The Easter PE station task card visuals depicted above can be found at Cap'n Pete's Power PE site located here.
10 tips for implementing the Easter-themed PE activities and games
Below are ten tips for implementing Easter-themed PE activities and games into physical education classes:
1. Plan ahead: Start planning for Easter activities well in advance to ensure that you have enough time to prepare materials and equipment. This will also give you enough time to modify activities to fit the needs of different age groups and skill levels.
2. Use Easter-themed props: Use Easter-themed props such as baskets, eggs, or bunny ears to make the activities and games more fun and engaging.
3. Use appropriate equipment: Choose equipment that is safe and age-appropriate for the activities. Avoid using equipment that could cause injuries or harm to students.
4. Modify activities: Modify activities to fit the needs of different age groups and skill levels. For younger students, make the activities simpler, and for older students, make them more challenging.
5. Use music: Use music to create a fun and festive atmosphere during activities. Choose music that is upbeat and engaging to keep students motivated.
6. Incorporate fitness elements: Use Easter-themed activities to incorporate fitness elements. You can use exercises like jumping jacks or push-ups before allowing students to search for eggs.
7. Make it inclusive: Make sure that all students can participate in the activities. Modify activities for students with disabilities or physical limitations to ensure that they can participate in the activities too.
8. Set clear rules: Set clear rules for each activity and explain them to students beforehand. This will help students understand what is expected of them and reduce the likelihood of confusion or accidents.
9. Keep it safe: Ensure that the activities are safe for students to participate in. Supervise students during activities to prevent accidents or injuries.
Pic by Andrea Grazioplene @ASGrazioplene
10. Have fun: Finally, remember that the most important part of Easter-themed PE activities and games is to have fun! Encourage students to enjoy themselves and create a positive and engaging learning environment.
Final thoughts
Easter-themed physical education activities are a great way to keep students engaged in learning while having fun. Classroom teachers can even use movement-based Easter games during recess or as a celebration time during a class party. With the right preparation, props, equipment, fitness elements, modifications for different age groups and skill levels, music selection, rules enforcement and safety protocols in place you can ensure that your gym or classroom is ready for some festive Easter PE action!
Try some of the activities and games highlighted in this article or better yet, get creative and come up with your own Easter-themed activities for physical education classes. So what are you waiting for...hop to it!!! Happy Easter! 🐰🥚🧸 🎉 💐 🌻 🌷 🐇 🐣 🌈 ☀️ 😃😊☺️⭐❤️👍✨🎁
Need Free Resources?
Do you need a practical way to get your students moving as soon as they walk into your learning area? Do you need something that incorporates an Easter theme? If so, Cap'n Pete's Power PE has you covered!
Fill in the form below to download this FREE Easter Edition, Paper Plate Activate Fitness Activity Set: with 10 circular sign fitness sign visuals from Cap’n Pete’s Easter-Themed movement activity arsenal. Just download, print, laminate, and use it for years!
Inside this free packet are 10 fitness-based circular signs with corresponding fitness graphics that were created to help develop your students’ personal fitness during the weeks leading up to Easter. This fun set of movement visuals was designed to be utilized with a wide range of ages.
Even More Easter-Themed Resources for your Program!
If you're looking for several PE Easter Games and Activities that are ideal for large, medium or small-sized groups, check out Cap'n Pete's Easter PE Movement- 6 Product Super Bundle!
This Super Bundle includes 6 ACTIVE and ENGAGING, large or small group Easter movement and fitness activities that you can use for your physical education classes, school classrooms, or camp situations. The Easter PE Super Bundle is a combination of 6 of Cap’n Pete’s DYNAMIC, fitness and movement-based activity and game sets for teachers to utilize to get students moving in fun and interesting ways, incorporating an Easter theme. Together these 6 products will give you several weeks’ worth of movement activities that you can copy, laminate, and use in your Spring curriculum for years!
You can download them from either of the following platforms: Cap'n Pete's Power PE Website or Teachers Pay Teachers- Cap'n Pete's TPT Store
What Resources are in the Easter PE Movement, 6-Set Super Bundle?
