What are some useful games for kids?

[username8517]

This is a game we do for our children. We have a giant excercise/yoga ball in the room and use it to play tag. Whomever gets hit with the ball is then "it." The key is that only the person who is "it" is aloud to run around the dojo--the rest have to walk. However, if the ball is thrown at you, you can use a technique such as a reverse punch, chest block, side kick, etc., and deflect it away without being out.

For students who are up a couple of ranks we require them to say the move in japanese as they execute it or they are considered out as well.

[obiwansbane]

oooo that sounds like fun bearich... too bad we have way too much stuff on shelves and huge mirrors at the front to allow for that :'(

if i ever do start up my own club and its just in a regular gym i will remember that for sure, sounds like great fun...

one thing we do play though is bowling for lil kids we have the kids line up like bowling pins, and then have whoever is instructing "bowl" an exercise ball, you can dodge sideways or up, of course to add some fun we do let them use each other as shields if they arent too hyper that class... if you get hit you are considered out...

works on distance judgement, dodgin, and tactics

[Quien]

We have our kids sometimes play a game called Green and Grey. We split the class in half and have them line up facing each other, starting maybe 10' appart. One team is green, the other is grey. They each have a line about 20' behind them which is their safe line. When the instructor calls a colour, that team has to try and tag members of the other team before they can turn and run back to their own safe line (eg if GREY is called, GREEN will turn around and run away while GREY chases them). If you are tagged you are eliminated and sit out. Also, if your team's colour is called and you take more than one step away from the other team you are eliminated. That is to prevent people from just turning and running whenever any colour is called.

As the game progresses, we have them get closer together until they are standing back to back only about a foot appart. Sometimes we'll also have them laying down in push-up position before the colour is called, or sitting back to back.

The kids love that one!

This game is very interesting since you can do a lot of variations, not only for kids. You can do it with numbers instead of colours and tell a mathematical operation (for example... 3 + 4 +1 -2) and you must run depending on result being even or odd....you can make it difficult in several ways, in order to get them really concentrated.

[b3n]

what about suicide runs? Up and back and up and back the dojo, great for fitness! then at the end do some pushups!

[Oli]

I do a couple of games for kids in my class. The first is 'The Mitts game' which they love. It's easy, all you do is ball up a couple of soft sparring mitts and you've got everything you need. the rules are as follows

1) If the mitt hits you below the belt, you're out

2) No running with the Mitt (Without the mitt you can do what you like)

3) No over arm throws (From experience, some twelve year olds have one heck of a throw on them and if they spank a seven year old in the face, even with a soft mitt, it hurts!), underarm only (it keeps the mitt low)

4) If you want to move with the mitt, you have to drop it and push it across the floor.

Thats it! I use it as a reward, if they work hard, they play the mitts game, for the special few that work very hard, they start with a mitt. They LOVE it and they don't realise that it's good for them. i use it as a warm down at the end, also it promotes awareness and helps reflexes.

Game 2. Submarines and Airoplanes.

It's got NOTHING to do with Karate but its a nice reward. Number the walls 1 to 4 (cept if you have mirrors, don't use those walls). If you shout 1, they run to wall one, two to wall two e.t.c. Shout submarines, they all lie on their backs with one arm in the air 'being' submarines. Shout Aeroplanes, they all lie on their front with their arms outstretched 'being' airoplanes. last one to complete the instruction i.e. last one to a wall or last to sub or aeroplane position is out. You can be imaginative as well, subs, areoplanes, cars, animals, anything you like including stances.

Game 3

Back hand tag

Put your left hand behind your back, keep it there. If anyone taps your hand(Be firm on the word Tap, kids get overexcited and that tapping the hand quickly becomes annihilating the hand without proper supervision) you're out. If you move your hand away from your back, you're out. No lying on the floor or putting your back to a wall, basically no hiding your hand. It's a great one, they love it and it encourages them to be aware of their personal space and keep their wits about them, all the while, running like nutters and having a great time.

Game 4

Races

Loads of variations on this one and it gets them competitive. Split them into even teams and get them in lines on one side of the dojo. When the game starts, the person at the front of each line has to run to a mark opposite (About 15foot is fine), turn around and perform a certain amount of a technique (e.g. 10 mai Geri or 15 mawashi empi), kiai on the last technique, then run back to their line at which point the next person goes. First team to have all their people back and standing in a certain stance wins.

I also do stance races. I get them into rows again facing the same way, same as before. The person in front must move to a specific point ahead of them and then come back in whilst in stance and balancing a mitt on their head (Stops them coming up in stance or leaning too far in any one direction). When they get back (again 15 feet is a good distance from the start to the mark), it's the next persons turn, so they get to mitt, balance it and then go. If the mitt falls off or if the stance isn't up to par, they go back to the start. First team back wins! (i find Zenkutsu Dachi and neko Ashi Dachi work best, but any stance where they move backwards and forwards in drills will work fine)

Both games have loads of variations if you're imaginative, i've had courses and twists and turns rather than straight lines. I've even had people standing on the side throwing mitts at the runners during the first game, so if they get hit, they go back to the start (No throwing the mitts at them whilst they performing their techniques though. I create a danger area in the running section that the kids have to cross, so they know when they're safe and when they have to watch for the mitts. I've even involved the parents watching at the sidelines, employing them to throw mitts at their own children (Not at other children, they don't like it! lol) and watching their child's stance.

Hope these are of some use

[AndrewGreen]

Here's a bunch:

http://innovativema.ca/forum/view.php?pg=traininggames1

[bushido_man96]

Here's a bunch:

http://innovativema.ca/forum/view.php?pg=traininggames1

Hey, that's cool. Thanks for the link.

I have had kids do the crab tag before, and even do crab races. It is great for the arms, and they loved it.

[marie curie]

Wow there are some great ideas on there! Thanks!

[Chuilli, Kyo Sah Nim]

its pretty basic but we just take rubber throwing stars, put the kids against a wall and whoever gets hit is out, and whoever is last wins. simple. painless. kids love it though, dont know why.

in tang soo,

K.Chuilli