Grade: Intermediate
Facility: Large Multi-Purpose Room, Gymnasium and/or Outdoors
Physical Activity Level: Moderate to Vigorous
Time: 20 minutes
Materials: 2 Hula Hoops, 2 Pylons, a variety of different sized soft balls (2 minimum)
Activity Description: Ultimate Space is fun group activity and an easy way to implement 20 minutes of Daily Physical Activity. Adaptations can be made to accommodate a range of abilities and different facilities. Students participate in two teams with an objective to receive points for knocking their opponent’s ball off the top of the opposing team’s pylon.
Overview: Allow for a warm-up (beginning with less vigorous movement) and cool down (ending with less vigorous movement). Divide the students into two groups. Alternatively you can divide the students into four teams and separate a large room in half to create a rotating game between all 4 teams. Remind students to move safely and to avoid colliding with other students. As a variation to this game, you may want to consider allowing the teams to identify one participant to act as a goalie. See variation suggestions below for more ideas.
- Divide players into two opposing teams (or 4 teams to play in 2 simultaneous games allowing for each team to play each other through rotation).
- Place 2 pylons at each end of the playing area.
- Place a ball on top of each pylon.
- Like basketball, start the game with a jump ball.
- Players may only take three steps with the ball, and pass or throw it at the target within five seconds.
- Players without the ball may not use any body contact to get the ball away.
- If a player succeeds in knocking down a target, a point is scored and play begins again with the opponent’s team having possession of the ball.
- If the player does not succeed in knocking down the target, each team attempts to gain possession of the ball without body contact and the team who gains possession makes passes and takes steps towards their target cone.
Alternative Option: Identify a Goalie
- The team may identify one participant to act as a goalie and create a goalie crease around the pylon
- Only the goalie is permitted to protect the pylon within the crease area. Opposing players may not step or go into the crease area.
Adaptations to the above examples may be required to accommodate the varying skills and abilities of your students such as:
- Modify the number of steps depending on the age of players.
- Modify the number of seconds a player can hold the ball.
- Allow players to travel with the ball.
- Allow players to bounce pass to each other or at the target. This provides more time for players to catch the ball.
Source: PlaySport (2005), www.playsport.net, Invasion Territory Games: Ultimate Space
