Game

Screen Tag

Play a tag game that incorporates social interactions and explore screen time alternative to promote health and wellness.

screen tag image- sanford fit

Key Message

Unplug and play!

Objectives

  1. Identify healthy choices that can replace screen time.

  1. Determine health helpers who can assist with screen-free activities.

  1. Apply a variety of motor skills and movement patterns to game play.

Preparation

  • Safety: Allow enough space to move freely and minimize collisions.
  • Determine boundaries that are a safe distance from obstacles and walls.
  • Ensure equipment and materials are properly cleaned.
  • Print several copies of the Unplug and Relax handout for learners to show recharge choices if their teammate is tagged.
  • Determine how you will group learners, using best practice guidelines from Effective Strategies for Grouping Learners.
  • Divide the playing area into two halves with a line of cones or spots down the middle.
  • Create a safe zone (square or semicircle) in each half of the playing area.
  • Place a set number of balls in each team's safe zone.
  • Be prepared to demonstrate fitBoost activity and fitFlow yoga.

Warm Up

Begin with a fitBoost.

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Captivate

Label each of the four corners of the activity area as a different way to relax without a screen. Use the learner handout for examples (e.g., do a puzzle, read a book, invite a friend over, build a fort).

Say: We are going to learn about ways to relax and recharge without screens!

  1. I will name an activity, then you will move to the corner of the room that describes your first choice to recharge. (Learners select one of the choices and go to the corresponding corner using a teacher selected locomotor movement.)

  1. What is your next (second) choice? (Learners move to a different corner.)

  1. If time allows, rename the four corners with a choice from the learner handout and repeat.

Educate

Did you notice that all of the corner activities were screen-free choices?  Making screen-free choices to relax is a healthy way to recharge your energy.  

"Screen time” is time spent using an electronic device, such as a tablet, computer, television, video game, etc. Screen time can drain your energy and leave you feeling tired, bored, or unmotivated.

The number one thing you need to know is that the healthy way to relax and recharge is without a screen!

Today we are going to learn about healthy choices we can make to relax and recharge our energy in healthy ways—without a screen.

Activate

screen tag diagram- sanford fit


  1. Divide the learners into two equal teams. Each team wears colored bibs to distinguish themselves. 

  1. The goal is to retrieve as many balls as possible from the opposing team's safe zone and bring them back to your team's safe zone. 

  1. On “Go!”, learners from both teams try to get to the opposing team's safe zone without getting caught. 

  1. Once a learner reaches the opposing team's safe zone, they grab one ball. The learner can then walk back freely to their team's safe zone with the ball without getting tagged. Learners place the retrieved balls in their own team's safe zone, where they then can be stolen back by the other team. 

  1. If a learner gets caught or tagged in the opposing team's zone while trying to steal a ball, they must sit down as if staring at a screen. 

  1. To free a tagged learner, a teammate must run to them, tag their hand, and exclaim an activity to do instead of watching a screen (e.g., “Let's go play outside!” or “Let's go read a book!”). The tagged learner can then walk back freely to their team's zone with their teammate. While walking back, they cannot get tagged. 

  1. Printed copies of the Unplug and Relax handout are attached to the place markers in the center of the play area. This serves as a reminder for learners of activities to do instead of watching a screen before they go and attempt to free a teammate.

  1. The game continues until the end of the designated game time or until one team no longer has any balls in their safe zone. The team with the most balls in their safe zone at the end of the game wins

Close the Lesson

  1. Partner learners.

  1. Select a fitFlow card and work in partners to complete the poses.

  1. Assess understanding with the following questions:

 

Q: What was our lesson about today?
A: Making healthy screen-free choices to relax and recharge our energy.

 

Q: Name a health helper you can talk with about ways to reduce screen time.
A: Teachers, school staff, parents, caregivers, or trusted adults.

 

Q: What are some screen-free activities you can do to relax?
A: Listen for screen-free examples such as doing puzzles, drawing, writing, reading, playing with blocks or Legos, breathing exercises, stretching, practicing mindfulness, or resting.

 

  1. Teacher Note: During discussion, talk about how friends and family can have a positive or negative influence on move choices. Encourage learners to understand that if they make positive movement choices, they will be a positive influence for others!

Challenge

What will you do to reduce your screen time and recharge your energy?

What You'll Need

Resources
Materials
  • Cones or Place Markers
  • Balls of various sizes for throwing and catching

Health Education Standards

  • Standard 1: Use functional health information to support health and well-being
  • Standard 7: Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being 
  • Standard 8: Advocate to promote health and well-being for self and others 

Social and Emotional Learning Competencies

  • Responsible Decision-Making

Physical Education Standards

  • Standard 1: Develops a variety of motor skills 
  • Standard 3: Applies knowledge related to movement and fitness concepts 
  • Standard 4: Develops social skills through movement 

Extend the Lesson

Adaptations and Modifications   

  • Adapt locomotor skills and movement patterns to learners' needs, interests, and abilities. Read our full list of inclusive ideas for Adapting Games for Every Learner.
  • For 3-5 Learners: Add secondary safe zones within each team's side to create safe stopping points on the way to reaching the final safe zone with the balls inside. Designate someone as a goal tender for the safe space, adding more strategy to the game.
  • Sensory Modifications: Instead of exclaiming a screen free activity when freeing a teammate, ensure a relatively quiet environment by having learners share this activity on their walk back to their team's side.
  • Use one of our short videos for your daily PE warmup or cooldown!

Take me to the full list of fitGames.

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