Sharks and Little Fish
Little fish dash from one side to the other while the shark tries to tag them. Caught fish become seaweed: feet stuck to the floor, arms waving, helping the shark catch the rest.
Overview
You need
Cones or markers
Skills developed
- Locomotor: sprinting, dodging
- Decision-making: when to go, which way to run
- Spatial awareness: reading a moving field of players
NEL Framework: Motor Skills Development.
Set up
1Step 1
Mark two "shores" with cone lines about ten metres apart. The space between is the sea.
2Step 2
All the little fish stand on one shore. One shark waits in the middle. Tell them they are ikan bilis and the shark is hungry.
ChildTagger / team BCoachHoopSpotConeBallBeanbagRope or lineMarked areaWhere they move
How to play
- The shark shouts "LITTLE FISH, SWIM!" Everyone runs to the other shore. The shark tags as many as it can on the way.
- A tagged fish becomes seaweed: both feet planted exactly where they were caught, arms waving. Seaweed cannot move its feet, but it can tag any fish who runs close enough.
- Keep swimming back and forth. The last fish left is the shark for the next round.
Tips for explaining
"Look for the gap." Run where the shark is not.
"Seaweed feet are stuck in the sand." The commonest problem is seaweed walking after people. Feet stay, arms stretch.
Make it easier / harder
EasierTwo safe zones at the sides where nobody can be tagged. The shark walks, the fish run.
HarderTwo sharks. The fish must carry a beanbag on their head as they swim.
Safety
Both shores need space behind them so children can slow down without hitting a wall. Tag gently on the shoulder or back, no grabbing and no sliding.
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Rather we ran it for you?
This is one of the games our coaches run in pre-schools every week, with our own equipment. Weekly enrichment, sports days, or a whole holiday programme for your centre, planned in one message.