Foundational Movement
Foundational game is the least complex type of game for the students to play but it is the most important one. If the students don’t play foundational games they won’t able to engage at all or as efficiently in other types of games. In these games, students will learn how to use and control efficiently different body parts within a context and environment. They will also learn how to move in an area where other students are without crashing into them. With the games children will learn different locomotor patterns (walking, running, hopping, galloping, etc.) that are needed in other types of games. Children will also learn how to play a game and respect the boundaries, the rules, and execute the task they are ask to do which are very important in other games as well. With foundational games students will understand the basis of every game and it will become second nature to them, so when they participate in other types of games later on they won’t have to focus as much on avoiding students, respecting boundaries, using their body parts usefully. The challenges seen in foundational games are the acquisition of speed, movement exploration, and the change of directions.
Pursuit and Evade
Pursuit and evade games are all tag based games where students must move within a playing area and avoid getting tagged or tagging other students. This type of games is the introduction to the students of roles within a game, offence and defence. In this case, offensive players must tag other students, and defensive players must avoid getting tagged. Therefore, some challenges that children will encounter while playing these games are: tagging other players, evading other players, moving within the space, and finding the more efficient ways of executing both roles. While exploring the two roles children will learn and discover new skills which will make them more efficient. These new skills are feinting an opponent, using the space available, reacting to movements/actions of an opponent, encircling an opponent, etc. Once again, these skills will become essential for the students to master if they want to become more efficient not only in pursuit and evade games but also in all the other types of games because they will have to use the skills they have learned here all the time in other games. In pursuit and evade games there is also the introduction of manipulative skills which will be reinforced as the children get to play territorial, net and wall, and striking and fielding games.
Territorial
Also called invasion games, these games are probably the most known by the children since they see and practice them almost every day. These games are the “team sports” games like hockey, football, lacrosse, rugby, etc. The purpose of territorial games is to invade the other teams’ territory and score points while doing so. Children must also keep the other team’s score the lowest possible and they must do so within the time limit. In these games children will have to play different roles, offense and defence, but also more specific roles within these two broader roles. An example of that would be a shooter on offense, and a goal keeper on defence. With different roles also comes different tactics. On offense, the challenges for the students will be: scoring points, maintaining possession, identifying and applying roles (goalie, striker, defender, etc.), attacking the other team’s goal/area, avoiding opponents, and creating space for teammates and themselves. On defence they will have to: deny the other team from scoring, defend a goal/area, get the ball back to their team (regaining possession), identify and apply roles, and predict the other team’s actions. The use of different implements in necessary in this type of games therefore students will get to discover new manipulative skills.
Net and Wall
In this type of game students will be asked to use either a wall to play the game, or get a certain object over the net. The strength of the students could be an issue and make the game not work or not as fun as it could be for the children. Body scaling the objects used is therefore very important for the children to develop new skills. The purpose of this game is to hit an object over the net or on the wall into your opponents’ court in such a way that he/she won’t be able to return it. The first thing students must learn to do is to maintain a rally, then they must develop new role related actions and skills. On offense they must: make their opponent(s) move, hit the object in their opponent(s)’ court in such a way that they can’t return it (score), and set up an attack. On defence students must learn to: prevent their opponent(s) from scoring, be in a ready position to receive their opponent’s attack, judge the trajectory of the ball (in or out of bounds), and anticipate where their opponent(s) will throw the object. With different games come different implements and therefore new skills to learn and master for the students.
Striking and Fielding
The majority of the students have an idea of what these games are since they associate them right away with baseball or cricket. These games involve a lot of manipulative skills as well. The danger with this type of games is to have more people waiting in line and people who are active, which is why the teachers must make sure to have many games going at the same time. The purpose of these games is for the offence (striking team) to hit the object in an area where the other team is not and move to a certain area. The defence’s (fielding team) goal is to catch the object and return it to a certain area or player before the offensive player gets there. Different roles and skills must be performed whether a player is on offense or defence. On offense students must hit the ball with an implement, strike the object in an area where their opponents are not covering, and run the points/bases. On defence students must learn how to field the object, cover space so that their opponents can’t score, back up the throw, and anticipate where the object will be hit. Since in the majority of the time students striking will have little to no control on the object they have to hit it will require a lot of practice time and this is also why the teacher should have many games going at the same time.
Cooperative
Also known as team building games, these games will involve bigger groups and even the whole class. In cooperative games the offence defence roles disappear, the key concept of this type of game is that the team members must all work together in the same direction with the same purpose in mind in order to achieve the task. Students will be asked to display teamwork, cooperation, help, collaboration, communication, expression of ideas, etc. while playing these games in order to solve the different challenges that the games will oppose to them. By acquiring these skills students will be able to transfer them to other types of games and even later on in different life situations. The importance of this type of games is not only important to be successful playing games, but as a I mentioned, it will help the students a great deal when they are face with a situation where they must solve a conflict or a situation involving more than one person.
Special
These games are mostly use for special occasions as holydays, first snow, and end of the year. The games will follow a certain theme (Halloween, Christmas, etc.) and will also involve objects that are related to these themes. The teacher’s implication in the game and level of activity will encourage students to participate in this type of games. The more students get into it the more students will play whether they are in kindergarten or grade 6.