It's that time of the year again - hockey season is here! Make your physical education class more exciting and enjoyable by adding some fun floor hockey activities. Incorporating hockey into your curriculum is a terrific method to get students motivated and involved in physical activity, as the game can be easily adapted to cater to any ability level. Floor hockey is a fun sport, making it simple to learn by playing modified activities and games in an environment that's conducive for safety - such as PE class. With the growing popularity of hockey amongst children, it is likely that they will be interested in furthering their knowledge and acquiring skills related to this sport during school.
There are several skills involved in hockey that can easily be utilized and taught in a PE unit. Passing, stick handling (dribbling), and shooting, can all be incorporated into floor hockey lesson plans to both develop student’s expertise in the sport, while also helping them stay active. You can create hockey movement experiences with different challenges such as shooting accuracy, dribbling and stick handling drills, or passing challenges. For team-oriented activities, you can create challenges that incorporate teamwork and communication. It is important that the students have fun while they learn, so make sure to add some exciting elements and change them up often.
In this article, I will be highlighting a variety of ways to incorporate floor hockey activities into your lesson plans. Furthermore, I will provide details and suggestions on the different types of games that you can incorporate in order to make your floor hockey unit more engaging and fun! It's time to get your students active and playing some floor hockey - let’s go!
Can floor hockey activities help students meet learning standards?
Not only is playing floor hockey games a blast, but the skills acquired can easily encompass district, state and national PE standards. This blog post's outlined physical education activities are in accordance with SHAPE America Standard 1 which states: The physically literate individual demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns.*
Tips for implementing floor hockey in physical education classes
Small group games and stations are a great way to help students learn the fundamentals of floor hockey while having fun! These 10 helpful tips will guide you in creating some amazing hockey movement experiences that your children are sure to love.
1- Put Safety First- Utilize modified floor hockey equipment for your PE classes such as foam balls, light weight nets, and sticks with foam blades. These variations of the traditional game allow for a safe learning environment and provide students with more opportunities to be successful.
2- Plan for Success: Plan activities that are tailored to your student's age and skill level. Carefully select the activities, stations and small group games that will be most advantageous for your individual needs.
3- Make it Fun: Incorporate elements of fun into your floor hockey unit by creating exciting station tasks, challenges, relays, and games.
4- Provide Opportunities for Everyone to Participate: Give each student the opportunity to get "touches" on the ball or puck while they play and move. In games, make sure that every player is involved and no one is left out.
5- Reinforce Positive Behaviors: Encourage students to take turns, use good sportsmanship, be respectful of each other’s ability levels, and cheer each other on!
6- Modify Activities as Needed: Have a variety of activities planned that can be modified or changed as needed. If you find that your students are either struggling or excelling, adapt the activities to better meet their needs.
7- Warm Up Adequately: Always lead your floor hockey classes with a proper warm up that incorporates whole body movements to help prepare their muscles for movement.
8- Use Stations to Teach Skills: Stations are a great way to practice accuracy, dribbling and stick handling drills, or passing challenges.
9- Incorporate Small Group Games and Activities: After your students have acquired and practiced a few necessary skills, harness the power of play to make learning fun! Small-sided games, relays and group challenges in a basketball court can be adapted for all skill levels.
10- Cool Down and Reflect: After your floor hockey activities, always include a cool down and reflection time. Give students the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned, what went well and how to improve for next time.
9 Engaging PE Floor Hockey Stations and Games
Check out these nine terrific PE lesson hockey activities including stations and small group games – perfect for getting your students energized!
1. Circle Dribble (Stick Handling)
Overview
Students hone their hockey stick-handling by weaving around cones as they maneuver in various directions. Skill Focus: Stick Handling
Equipment and Set-up
1 hockey stick and ball/puck per student
7 to 15 cones
Place a ball and stick at the start of each circle course
Students line up at the start. Keep the lines as short as possible (2 to 4 in a line)
Station Instructions
Students work in partners or small groups and take
turns stick handling around the circle course.
Dribble a hockey ball around the outside of the cones in a counter-clockwise direction
Dribble inside and outside the cones (zig-zag motion)
Walk first and then jog as you travel
At the half way point, everyone at your station should switch direction and go clockwise
2. Partner Wall Pass
Overview
Students take turns passing a ball off the wall then receiving it with a partner Skill Focus: Passing and Receiving
Equipment and Set-up
2 hockey sticks and 1 ball/puck for each pair of students at the station
Gym Wall
Place 2 sticks and a ball in a designated station area near a gym wall
Station Instructions
Students work in partners and take turns passing and receiving turns passing and receiving passes from the wall using backhand and forehand passes.
One partner passes the ball against the wall while the other receives it
Take turns with your partner passing to the wall then receiving it
Gradually move further away from the wall
3. Face-Off Fun
Overview
Students take turns facing off against an opponent and dropping the ball as a referee Skill Focus: Reaction Time/Face-Offs
Equipment and Set-up
2 hockey sticks and 1 ball/puck for each trio of students at the station
Place 2 sticks and a ball in a designated station area on the gym floor
Station Instructions
Students work in trios and take turns facing off against an opponent and dropping the ball or puck as a referee.
Use one person to drop the ball and the other two will face off against each other
Players start with the tip of the blades almost touching
After each faceoff, players immediately try to gain possession of the ball
After 3 drops of the ball, switch out the referee that drops it”
4. Roll it Ramp
Overview
Students take turns passing or shooting a ball up a ramp attempting to make it land in a bucket on the other side Skill Focus: Passing/Shooting
Equipment and Set-up
1 hockey sticks and 1 ball/puck for each small group of students at the station
A polyspot to pass from
Place a stick and a ball in a designated station area on a polyspot across from a ramp (tilted table- see video below)
Watch the video above to see award winning physical educator Randy Spring @MrSpringPE implement the Roll it Ramp and some other GREAT floor hockey stations in his program in Minnesota!
Station Instructions
Students work in partners or trios and take turns shooting a ball up a tilted ramp attempting to score the ball in the bucket.
Pass or shoot the ball so it travels up and over the ramp in front of you
Try to hit it with just the right amount of speed for it to drop into the bucket on the other side
Try passing or shooting from different distances
After 3 successful shots, move the bucket closer or further away from the ramp
5. Hockey Bowling
Overview
Students take turns shooting (2 shots) from poly spots trying to knock down a set of bowling pins Skill Focus: Shooting Accuracy
Equipment and Set-up
1 hockey sticks and 2 balls/pucks for each small group of students at the station
A polyspot to shoot from
Place a stick and a ball in a designated station area on a polyspot across from a set of bowling pins
Station Instructions
Working in pairs or threes, students take turns attempting to knock down the pins.
Take turns shooting from the poly spot to knock down the pins
Take 2 consecutive shots like you would when you really bowl
Have a partner remove the first "downed pins" before your second shot
Try shooting from different distances
Keep score. Count how many pins you knocks down while you are at the station
6. Shoot on the Goalie
Overview
Students take turns alternating between shooter and goalie roles. Skill Focus: Stick Handling, Shooting and Goal Keeping
Equipment and Set-up
2 hockey sticks and 1 balls/puck for each small group of students at the station
A polyspot to start and stick handle from
A cone or line to launch shots from
A hockey net. It could be an upright mat or 2 cones set apart from each other
Place a stick and a ball in a designated station area on a polyspot across from the goal
Station Instructions
Students work in small groups and take turns shooting to shoot a ball past the goalie.
Stick handle in from a start line and take a shot on the goalie (only 1 shot)
Try to score a goal by getting it past the goalie and into the goal
Switch places with the goalie
The former goalie brings the ball back to the next shooter in line
7. Hit the Targets (floor hockey game)
Overview
Students aim to knock the ball off several cones that are lined up in a row at a center line. Skill Focus: Stick Handling and Shooting Accuracy
Equipment and Set-up
1 hockey stick per student playing in the game
Several balls or pucks
Several Cones with a large ball on the top
Set up 2 end lines (for shooting) with a row of cones in the middle
Place a ball on top of each of the cones
Players start from behind their end line with a stick and a ball
Game Instructions
Players must use their hockey ball or puck to knock the larger ball off as many cones as possible within a specified time frame, resulting in an exciting and challenging game.
Shoot to hit the ball off any of the cones on the middle line
If you score, it counts as a point for your team- Use a scorekeeper if you can
Appoint an individual to put the balls back on top of the cones after they have been knocked off.
After you shoot, dribble a hockey ball back to your end line and shoot again. You must shoot from behind the line
Whoever scores the most points wins the game
8. 3 vs 3 Pin Ball (floor hockey game)
Overview
Engage in an action-packed game of 3 vs. 3 as students strive to knock down their opponent's three bowling pins! Skill Focus: Stick Handling, Passing, Shooting, and Defending
Equipment and Set-up
1 hockey stick per student playing in the game
1 ball per group of 6
6 bowling pins (3 at each end)
1 team starts with possession of the ball (other team gives them space)
To ensure fair play, established floor hockey regulations must be followed. For each game, appoint a referee to be the ultimate authority.
Game Instructions
Student's play with two teams- 3 vs 3 and attempt to knock down their opponent's team pins that are placed on their end lines.
3 players on each team work together to stick handle, pass and shoot at the opposing pins
If a pin gets knocked over, it stays knocked over until the end of the game
When a goal is made, the team that is scored on obtains possession of the ball
It is essential that keep sticks below the waist for safety
To be victorious, you must knock down 3 pins on your opponent's side of the lane.
9. Small-Sided Floor Hockey Games
Overview
Teams of 5 students engage in a modified version of floor hockey, competing with each other within the walls of an indoor gym. Skill Focus: Stick Handling, Passing, Shooting, and Defending
Equipment and Set-up
1 ball or puck for each game
Scrimmage vests (2 colors)
2 goals or 4 cones per playing group
2 to 4 cones to mark midline
Folded mats set in between games to block the balls from entering the other games
2 hula hoops per game for penalty areas
Game Set-up
Create 1, 2 or 3 designated playing areas inside a gym using goals (or cones for goals)
Separate the games with mats or borders or use extra students to sit in between the games awaiting their turn to rotate in (in teams of 5 – 7)
Mark goalie boxes with tape
Players begin games in the formation pictured in the diagram below. Note: the pic represents only 1 of the 2 teams in each game.
Game Instructions
Players set up with 1 goalie, 2 defenders and 2 forwards. One team starts with the ball at the midline
The game is played using most regulation floor hockey rules with some modifications
Defenders must stay in their own half of the playing court. If they cross the line, they are offside and have to go to the penalty hula hoop and count to 50
The “goalie box” is off-limits to all players except the goalie
There is no contact or high sticking in the game. If physical contact or high sticking occurs, the player causing the infraction must go to the penalty hula hoop and count to 50
When players go to the hoop to count, play continues without any stoppage
Shots must be taken outside the opposing team(s) goalie box area
Final thoughts
Incorporating floor hockey stations, activities and games into your PE classes is a great way to get your students engaged and active. It is important to vary the skill focus of the games and activities, as well as keep them engaging, fun and challenging for all levels of players. In this blog post, I have shared 9 fun hockey stations and games that you can use in your own PE class. These activities were designed to help students improve their stick handling, passing, shooting, accuracy, and team play. I hope you find these activities helpful and enjoy watching your students have fun while learning the fundamentals of floor hockey!
Do you have any go-to PE floor hockey activities or games that your students simply love? Share them in the comments below—I can't wait to read all of your ideas!
*SHAPE America. (2013). National Standards for K-12 Physical Education. Reston, VA: Author.
Need resources?
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If you want even more floor hockey station ideas...my PE Floor Hockey Stations- 20 Stick to it Zones resource can be downloaded here on Teachers Pay Teachers.
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This comprehensive collection will help you teach your students important physical education concepts and skills from 10 different traditional sports including basketball, base games, football, floor hockey, lacrosse, paddle/racket sports, soccer, track & field, team handball, and volleyball.
