SPUD | Playworks

To develop verbal communication and listening to directions.

Skills Practiced: Throwing, spatial awareness, following directions, running, evasion and balance.

Equipment Needed: One playground ball.

Line students up and give each their own number to remember.
Students often forget their number so ask them to repeat it back to you to make sure they remember.
Explain the rules and ask for students to explain it back to you.
Review Dodgeball safety rules, especially throwing only below the waist.
Teach and fairly enforce a consequence for throwing above the waist.
Gather everyone around you to begin.

With everyone standing close to you, throw the ball straight into the air while shouting out one of the student’s numbers.
The student whose number has been called quickly gets the ball and shouts “SPUD” as soon as they touch it.
All other students run away until they hear “SPUD.”
When they hear “SPUD,” the student with the ball may then take four steps, spelling “S”, “P”, “U”, “D” with each step towards any other student.
S/he may then roll or throw the ball at a student, trying to hit below the waist.
The frozen student cannot move their feet, but may try to catch the ball or evade with their upper body.
If the student is hit with the ball, they get a letter (i.e. “S”).
If they catch it or the thrower misses, the thrower gets a letter.
Whichever student received a letter gets to begin the next round by throwing the ball up and shouting a new number.
If a student gets all four letters (SPUD) they are out and get to do a task (i.e. jumping jacks) to get back into the game.

Children can freeze in different poses which you call out at the beginning of each round.
Math equations can be shouted out, where the answer is the student’s number.