Raft Game

Divide the class into small groups.

• Give each group 2 gym mats.
• Start the teams at one end of the hall, and tell the children that they have to move to the other end without touching the floor, i.e. start on one mat, jump to the next, pass the back mat forward and repeat the sequence.
• If any of the teams touch the floor, you might want to send them back to the start!

This is a great way to encourage the children to co-operate and builds team spirit.

Extension ideas for this activity (contributed by Billy Ainscough):

• As the children are making their way across the hall/yard, one of them should be blindfolded.  This makes the team think more carefully.
• In the middle of the hall, you could place some sort of obstacle that the teams have to climb over or go under.
• You could also put a time limit on the game.
• You could make the mats smaller or give the teams sacks that can only take 4/5 pupils at one time.  This now means that one member has to make several trips back and forward.  I call this one ‘The Ferryman’.
• If you’re feeling really mean, you could encompass all of the above in one game.

Joe Meredith has contributed a variation to this idea:

Have two equal teams at one end of the hall with two mats per team. The floor is the sea and the mats are the boats. The aim is to get to the other end of the hall without touching the water. Children have to work together using both mats.

Progression – add cones as obstacles or ‘icebergs’ in the sea they have to avoid. Or, give each team a ball as a cannon. They get five shots to hit the other team. If they get hit, they are out.