The easiest PE games for substitute teachers need little or no equipment, take under two minutes to explain, and keep every student moving instead of waiting in line. Here are 14 easy PE games for substitute teachers that work in a gym or outdoors, plus safety notes, five rainy-day options for a regular classroom, and quick ways to split kids into fair teams.
These are written with grades 6–12 in mind, which is what this site covers, but most also work with upper elementary students. Where a game fits younger kids better, it says so.
Before the first whistle: safety basics for a sub
PE is the one sub assignment where a mistake can put a student in the nurse’s office. Spend two minutes on these before any game:
- Check the plan for medical notes. Look for students who sit out, have asthma, or carry an inhaler. If the teacher left nothing, ask the front office.
- Set boundaries away from walls, bleachers, and doors. Use cones, lines on the floor, or backpacks. Running games need a buffer of several feet from anything hard.
- No tackling, no pushing, tags below the shoulders. Say it before every tag game.
- Soft balls only for anything thrown at a person. No throws at heads.
- Know the injury routine. If a student is hurt, keep them still, send a reliable student with a written note to the office or nurse (never send the injured student alone), and write down what happened for the teacher.
- Heat and sun outdoors. Give water breaks, use shade when you can, and stop if a student says they feel dizzy or sick.
- Count students when you leave the locker room, when you get outside, and when you come back in.
How to group kids fast (and fairly)
Never let captains pick teams. It wastes time and someone always gets picked last. Use one of these instead:
- Count off. Go down the line counting 1, 2, 1, 2. For four teams, count to four.
- Birthday months. January to June on one team, July to December on the other. Even out the numbers by moving a few students.
- Shirt color or first letter of first name. Fast and random enough.
- Keep the teams for the whole period so you only do this once.
Easy PE games for substitute teachers: no equipment
1. Sharks and Minnows
Space: gym or field. Equipment: none.
One or two “sharks” stand in the middle. Everyone else (the “minnows”) lines up on one end line. When the sharks yell “Fish, fish, come swim with me,” minnows run to the other end line. Tagged minnows become sharks. Repeat until a few minnows remain; they start the next round as sharks.
2. Rock-Paper-Scissors Evolution
Space: any open area. Equipment: none.
Everyone starts as an “egg” (walk crouched). Find another egg and play rock-paper-scissors. The winner becomes a “chicken” (flap arms); the loser stays an egg. Chickens play only chickens; winners become “dinosaurs” (stomp and roar). Dinosaurs play dinosaurs; winners become “superheroes” and jog a lap, then start over. Low-contact and great for a large group.
3. Hospital Tag
Space: gym or field. Equipment: none (pinnies help for taggers).
Pick three taggers. When a player is tagged, they hold that spot with one hand (a “bandage”). On the second tag they hold that spot with the other hand. On the third tag they go to the side and do 10 jumping jacks, then return. Switch taggers every two minutes.
4. Steal the Bacon
Space: gym. Equipment: one beanbag, cone, or rolled-up towel.
Two teams line up facing each other about 30 feet apart. Number the players on each team 1, 2, 3, and so on, so each number has a match on the other team. Put the “bacon” in the middle. Call a number. Both players with that number run out; one tries to grab the bacon and get back to their line without being tagged by the other. Score one point for a clean steal or a tag. Call two numbers at once to keep more kids moving.
5. Fitness Simon Says
Space: anywhere. Equipment: none.
Classic Simon Says, but every command is an exercise: “Simon says do five squats,” “Simon says jog in place,” “Touch your toes.” Students who move without “Simon says” do five jumping jacks and rejoin instead of sitting out. This works well with younger students too.
6. Red Light, Green Light
Space: gym or field. Equipment: none.
You stand at one end. “Green light” means walk or jog toward you; “red light” means freeze. Anyone still moving goes back to the start. First to reach you becomes the caller. For older students, add “yellow light” (walk on tiptoes) and “speed bump” (do a squat), which keeps it from feeling too young.
7. Four Corners Fitness
Space: gym. Equipment: four signs or cones.
Number the corners 1 to 4. Students jog to any corner while you count down from 10 with your eyes closed. Roll a die or call a number: that corner’s students do an exercise (10 squats, 10 lunges) and then rejoin. Nobody is ever out for long.
Low-equipment games (one ball or a few cones)
8. Clean Your Room
Space: gym. Equipment: as many soft balls, beanbags, or rolled socks as you can find.
Split the gym down the middle with two teams. Spread the balls on both sides. On “go,” teams throw or roll balls to the other side, trying to have the cleanest “room.” After two minutes, yell “Freeze” and count the balls on each side. Fewer balls wins. Throws must be underhand.
9. Line Soccer
Space: gym or field. Equipment: one soccer ball or playground ball.
Two teams line up on opposite end lines, numbered like Steal the Bacon. Put the ball in the center and call a number. Those two players try to kick the ball past the other team’s line. Players on the lines can block with their feet and bodies but cannot use their hands. Call two or three numbers at once as the game warms up.
10. Relay races
Space: gym or field. Equipment: cones.
Teams of four to six line up behind a cone. One at a time, each runner goes to a far cone and back, then tags the next runner. Change the movement each round: run, skip, bear crawl, side shuffle, walk backward. Keep teams small so nobody waits long.
11. Capture the Flag
Space: large field or full gym. Equipment: two pinnies or towels as flags, cones for the center line.
Each team guards a flag in its own half. Players cross the center line to grab the other flag and bring it home. Tagged players go to “jail” near the other team’s flag and are freed when a teammate tags them. Set a 10-minute round so it ends on time. Best for grades 6 and up with a reliable class.
12. Four Square
Space: gym floor or blacktop. Equipment: one playground ball, tape or chalk.
Mark a large square split into four boxes. One player per box; others wait in line. Players bounce the ball into another box. A player who misses, hits out of bounds, or lets it bounce twice goes to the end of the line. Set up several courts so the lines stay short.
13. Kickball
Space: field or large gym. Equipment: one rubber ball, four bases or cones.
Played like baseball with a rolled ball and a kick. To keep everyone involved, use a rule that each team bats through its whole lineup before switching, no matter how many outs. Ban throwing the ball at runners; outs are made by tagging or touching the base.
14. Ultimate (with a frisbee or ball)
Space: field. Equipment: one flying disc or soft football.
Teams pass toward the other team’s end zone. A player holding the disc cannot run and must pass within 10 seconds. A drop or interception switches possession. A catch in the end zone scores a point. No contact; defenders stay an arm’s length away.
Rainy-day PE games for a classroom
When the gym is taken or you get moved to a regular classroom, push desks aside if you can and use these:
- Fitness dice: Write six exercises on the board numbered 1 to 6. A student rolls a die (or you pick a number), and the class does that exercise for 30 seconds.
- Mirror me: Pairs face each other. One leads slow movements, the other mirrors them. Switch every minute.
- Silent ball: Students stand at desks and toss a soft ball without a sound. A drop or a noise sits you down.
- Stretch and hold: Lead a 10-minute stretch: arm circles, neck rolls (slowly), quad stretch holding a desk, toe touches, side stretches. Hold each for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Fitness Four Corners: The same as game 7, using the corners of the classroom and smaller movements.
For short movement breaks you can use in any class, see our warm-up exercises for the classroom and fun warm-up activities.
Sample 45-minute PE sub plan
- 0 to 5 minutes: roll call, safety rules, boundaries.
- 5 to 10 minutes: warm-up with Fitness Simon Says or Rock-Paper-Scissors Evolution.
- 10 to 15 minutes: count off into teams.
- 15 to 35 minutes: main game (Steal the Bacon, Line Soccer, or Clean Your Room).
- 35 to 40 minutes: cool-down stretch.
- 40 to 45 minutes: put equipment away, count students, line up.
Some PE teachers want a written piece too. A quick exit question works: “Name one game we played and one rule that kept it safe.” Our exit tickets page has more. For a complete PE plan you can leave for a sub, see PE sub plans on our sister site.
FAQ
What is the easiest PE game for a substitute?
Rock-Paper-Scissors Evolution. It needs no equipment, takes a minute to explain, has almost no contact, and every student plays the whole time.
Should I play dodgeball as a sub?
Only if the teacher’s plan says to and the school allows it. If you do, use soft foam balls and a strict no-head-shots rule. Clean Your Room gives students the same throwing fun with less risk.
What if there is no equipment out?
Do not go into equipment rooms or closets unless the plan tells you to. Every game in the no-equipment section above works with nothing at all.
What should I do with students who can’t participate?
Give them a job: scorekeeper, timer, or line judge. If the teacher left a written assignment for non-dressers, use that.
More ready-to-run sub materials
For classroom days, start with our substitute teacher games and activities and the daily sets on the Daily Bell Ringers home page. Everything is free and ready to use as is.