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Substitute Plans for Elementary PE

One of the things I worried about the most my first year of teaching PE was what to do if I needed a substitute. 

This was also in the time of COVID, when we were bouncing back and forth between in-person and hybrid, so even I wasn't sure what we would be doing one week to the next.

No matter the climate, having solid substitute plans are an important part of getting set up for PE-- it will alleviate stress when you're probably already stressed enough with whatever is taking you from school that day, and allow you to rest, recover, and heal knowing your students are in good hands.

Types of Substitute Plans

There are two main categories of sub plans: Planned and Emergency . 

Planned is when you know you will be gone in advance. You can create plans that are continuous with what you have been working on, you may even get the chance to set our equipment before you go, and you can leave specific notes to the sub, who is maybe even someone you chose in advance.

Ideally, all of our sub days would be planned. They still require lots of work, but at least you are healthy when writing them and can get everything squared away before you go.

Emergency plans are some of the trickiest to plan, but an essential part of your prep for the year. These are used on days when you or a family member is unexpectedly sick. Maybe you need to be out of school last-minute. You don't have time to set up, you have no idea who will take your classes, and you don't have the energy or brain power to figure it out the night before or morning of.

You will inevitably need both types of plans at some point during the year, so it's best to have a rough outline for Planned absences and a folder or binder with Emergency plans all ready to go as early as possible in the school year.

What All Sub Plans Need

No matter if it's Planned or Emergency, there are certain things that all sub plans need.

This includes:

• rosters for each class (ideally with photos)
• squad/small group lists
• how to get the class' attention/transition procedures (I have an electronic whistle which is great when a sub comes since they can use it, too!)
• daily schedule
• class schedule
• helpful students (2 per class)
• students who need some extra behavior support
• students with health concerns
• what to do if a student gets hurt
• Nurse Pass & Health Room procedure (I also include a small baggie with extra masks and bandaids to give to students if needed)
• Office Pass
• Bathroom Pass & procedure
• Water procedure
• emergency plans (fire/tornado/lockout/lockdown)
• building phone numbers
• where to find materials for games (if any)
• where the adult bathroom and faculty lounge are 
• school rules & consequences (school forms, if necessary)
• PE rules & consequences
• rewards (stamps or stickers) for students
• line up procedures at the end of class

I also include a sheet of small stickers for them to pass out to students at the end of class. I want kids to feel excited about a sub and know there are positive reward for a job well done when I am away.

Lessons to Add to Sub Plans

These next ideas will differ based on whether you are writing Planned or Emergency plans, but it's important to include the following:

• games and activities
• Mindful Moment/reflection script

Not only do they not know where they all get stored in the gym, so setting up could be a real hassle on emergency sub days, but they probably don't feel comfortable managing so much equipment with K-5 students all day.

Because of that, whether I have planned absences or not, I try to limit equipment to just the basics and keep the materials easy to find and easier to manage.

Games & Activities for Sub Days

Simple but fun games are always on the menu for sub days. 

You want to ensure that there aren't complex rules or excessive competition, both of which make it overly challenging for the students to understand and the sub to manage.

Equipment should be easy and safe, if any is used at all.

Whole-class games are best so that all students are engaged the whole class. Standing around waiting for long periods of time can quickly become a management nightmare.

Making games consistent across K-5 (with accommodations for older and younger grades) makes it easy for the sub to teach all day and also works in your favor, as students will remember the sub games from year to year.

So what games and activities work?

Some of our favorites include tag, relays, and challenges.

I'm linking some helpful videos by one of my favorite YouTubers, PhysEdGames :

• Top 10 Tag Games
• Team Memory
• Pool Noodle Relays
• Pizza Tag (or any type of Sharks & Minnows game)
• Steal the Bacon
• Any of these 12 Fun PE Games

Teach the Sub Games

Most of these games I reserve specifically for the substitutes, but I also teach them during the first few days of class at the start of the year.

Not only are they simple and easy to organize, they keep everyone involved and teach students what these games are called and how they are played correctly.

That way, if and when a sub is called in, the kids already know how to play the game the sub announces.

I will also sprinkle these games in from time to time throughout the year, because what they learn in August is hard to recall in February!

My recommendation is to give the YouTube links to the substitutes in your sub plans. We submit out plans over Google Docs, so inserting a direct link is helpful. I have found with most things PE that it is easier to watch and understand than to write out the details and try to visualize it in your head.

If you have any specific changes or clarifications to the rules, be sure to add those into the plans so you can ensure they have what they need to successfully lead the students. 

Having Emergency sub plans & a template for Planned days away ready at the start of the year can help alleviate additional stress when the time comes for you to be out from school.

I hope these ideas gave you a springboard to creating your own plans and please share any of your favorite sub games and activities in the comments below. Bonus points if they are K-5 and require a small amount of equipment!

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The Ultimate Emergency Physical Education Substitute Lesson Plans and Sub Binder

• Phys Ed Planning

This post may contain affiliate links. You pay the same and I get a small commission. Yay! (Please see my/our full disclosure for further information.)

Writing physical education substitute plans for your class can be a pain in the neck. It’s even worse to unexpectedly make plans for a substitute PE teacher.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking, “How can I be this sick when I was fine a couple of hours ago?”, but then immediately realized, “Now I have to find a guest teacher and spend hours making a lesson plan for them”. Which is worse, the sickness or the sub plans?

There have definitely been times in my teaching career that I went into work because it was easier than writing my sub plans. 

Today I will give you the system I set up at the beginning of the year, so that you will never have to spend more than 10 minutes making physical education sub plans ever again! 

Want to save time making your emergency physical education sub plans? Click here to purchase my Physical Education substitute binder and sub plans bundle.

Types of Substitute Plans

There are two main types of subs plans: Planned sub plans and Emergency sub plans.

Planned Physical Education Sub Plans

These are generally the guest teachers plan that you think of. Some examples of planned sub plans are when you are missing a day because of a doctor’s appointment, your child’s graduation, or any other situation where you pre-emptively book a sub for an upcoming day. 

In these situations, you can often set up your gym for a substitute teacher to come in. You can grab the equipment you will need for the day and leave it by the door. You can print off sub plans and leave them on your desk. You are able to leave the school day feeling encouraged that your substitute will have a successful day.

Emergency Physical Education Sub Plans

As the name would suggest, emergency physical education sub plans are used in an emergency situation. Some examples of when to use emergency sub plans are: a family member has become very sick or passed away, you unexpectedly end up in the hospital, or some other major and unplanned event occurs.

These situations are a bit trickier because often the events causing the emergency are taking your entire attention and you don’t have the brain space to spend a couple of hours writing up your physical education sub plans.

At the beginning of each school year, my district requires all teachers to create 3 days-worth of emergency sub plans that our admin keeps in the office in case of an emergency. If your district doesn’t require you to have emergency physical education sub plans, it is still a good idea to get them ready because you never know what is going to happen throughout the year.

What Is a Physical Education Substitute Binder?

Along with my physical education sub plans, I always have a substitute binder. A sub binder contains all of the important information that a guest teacher will need to have a successful day. Once your sub binder is done at the beginning of year, it will stay (mostly) the same and won’t need a lot of effort.

I set up my physical education substitute binder at the start of the year and leave it on my desk whenever I have a scheduled guest teacher. At all other times I keep my sub binder on the shelf above my desk and I make sure to write its location in my sub plans.

What Goes In a Physical Education Substitute Binder?

Get yourself a binder or duo-tang to place all of your documents into. I recommend using plastic sheet protectors because you will want to keep the same documents for every guest teacher you have throughout the year. Sheet protectors also make it much easier to switch out the documents if you have changes to your seating arrangements, students are added to or removed from your class, etc.

• Welcome Letter: A brief thank you to your guest teacher and explanation of the substitute binder
• Feedback Form: Place the feedback form at the front of your binder, so that your sub can easily let you know how the day went
• Contact Information: Include instructions on how to use the phone. Also include the phone numbers to the main office, partner teachers, other PE spaces, etc.
• School Information: include information about the bells, technology policies, etc.
• Emergencies: Include any emergency policies you have in your school – ex. Fire drills, lockdowns, bomb threat – don’t forget to include procedures if the class is in different PE spaces (ex. Fitness Center, Aux Gym, etc.)
• Schedules: Include the bell schedule 
• Be sure to include the seating plan you use for each class
• Visual Attendance: If possible, include visual attendance sheets for your substitute so they can put a face to a name
• Student Information: Include important student information for all classes including helpful students, students to watch, alternate schedules, medical, other information (such as “Student L uses pronouns they/them” or “Student J does not change for class”)
• Equipment: Include which keys open your equipment rooms, who cleans up the equipment, any information about first aid
• Expectations: Include your gym rules, how you get students’ attentions, water/washroom procedures, clothing expectations, behavior, etc.
• Procedures: What are your procedures for taking attendance, making teams, ending classes, assemblies, etc.
• Technology: Include information about any technology you use in your space (including the fitness center and health classroom if you use them). This could include heart rate monitors, sound system, walkie-talkie, iPads, computer, projector, etc.
• Favorite Games: In addition to my sub plans, I include some of my students’ favourite games. That way if the lesson isn’t working, my guest teacher will have backup plans.

What Goes In a Physical Education Sub Plan?

The goal of a sub plan is to provide the substitute teacher with all they need to make the day as normal as possible. The best way to do that is to make sure that your guest teacher is as prepared as possible. Here is what you need to include in every sub plan:

• Detailed and Specific Lesson Plans: Sometimes I luck out and get an awesome PE sub, but a lot of the time I don’t have a Phys Ed specialist in for me. Design your lessons so that each activity requires minimal set-up and preparation, so students spend their time playing, not waiting. Be as detailed as possible, because your guest teacher may not know how to play the games you have included for the day.
• Learning Activities: Set up each day to include 4 – 6 different activities (drills, games, relays, etc.) to keep your students engaged and motivated to develop their skills in a fun and high-paced environment.
• Diagrams: Accompany each learning activity with a diagram to help the guest teacher set up the activities
• Key Teaching Points: Accompany each learning activity with key teaching points to help your substitute improve form and technique in your students, even if they have very little Phys Ed teaching experience. 
• Key Questions: Include specific debrief questions to allow students to reflect on what they learned during the lesson.
• Safety Considerations: “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt”. The safety considerations provide specific areas that the students/teacher should be aware of to prevent injuries
• Time: Include how long each activity should be completed for

I like to create detailed lesson plans for all of my units, so that I never have to worry about making a sub plan when I have a guest teacher, I can just print off my regular lesson plan. 

Read More: Your Guide to Making Physical Education Lesson Plans

Preparing Emergency Physical Education Sub Plans

Emergency sub plans are slightly different from planned substitute plans because you need to prepare your plans for a variety of situations. What if you are outside and you only have indoor activities planned? What if have a high-prep activity planned, but you don’t want to leave that for your sub?

Prepare a number of emergency sub plans, so that you can have a plan ready no matter what the class situation is.

In a perfect world, once you have prepped your emergency sub plans, at the beginning of the year, teach your students all of the games you are leaving in your emergency sub plans. This way students are familiar with the activities in the event that you have to leave unexpectedly.

However, that can’t always be the case. Because of this, create emergency sub plans that are very low-prep and very detailed so that any sub can have a successful day.

As well, you may have the most organized equipment room in the world, but sometimes substitutes still have a hard time finding what they need. Design your lessons to have a minimal amount of equipment. It can be helpful to always leave the equipment that you need for your emergency sub plans next to the equipment room door in a bin labeled, “Emergency Substitute Equipment”. That way it will be very easy for your substitute to find what they need.

You can make your own Emergency Sub Plans and Substitute binder, or you can purchase my ready-made Emergency Sub Plans and Editable Substitute Binder on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. This makes taking a day off so easy!

My Emergency Sub Plans and Editable Substitute Binder includes:

Pre-Made Emergency Sub Plans

• 5 Hour-long detailed and specific lesson plans that are ready to go from printer to gym or field. Each activity requires minimal set-up and preparation, so students spend their time playing, not waiting.
• Learning Activities: Each day includes 4 – 6 different activities (drills, games, relays, etc.) to keep your students engaged and motivated to develop their skills in a fun and high-paced environment.
• Diagrams: Each learning activity is accompanied by a diagram to help the guest teacher set up the activities
• Key Teaching Points: Each learning activity includes a number of key teaching points to help your substitute improve form and technique in your students, even if they have very little Phys Ed teaching experience. Diagrams and/or visuals are provided to assist with setup and skill technique.
• Key Questions: Each debrief provides specific questions to allow students to reflect on what they learned during the lesson.

Editable Sub Binder

• 5 Cover Page Options
• 3 Binder Spine Sizes (1″, 1.5″, and 2″)
• Welcome Letter
• Sub Feedback Form
• School Contact Information
• School Information
• Emergency Procedures (when in the gym or elsewhere)
• Class Rosters
• Movable Attendance Seating Plans
• Student Information
• Expectations
• Favourite Games / Time Fillers
• Blank Templates

You can shop Emergency Sub Plans and Editable Substitute Binder by clicking here.

What are your go-to activities when you have a substitute? Send me a message over on Instagram @teachingpak and let me know!

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Have fun out there!

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5 Simple Tips for Creating a Sub Plan that Works!

I was proud of them.  They were detailed, yet simple.  Would it take a little time to read them?  Yes, but definitely no longer than previous  lesson plans I had written.  I soon realized that it was slightly larger than I had originally hoped (it was multiple pages), however still very easy to read.  I had spent a great deal of time on them, so there was no turning back now.  As is the usual routine when one of us is absent, I wanted to fully inform and consult with my co-worker about what I needed done.  All I would need from him is to let my substitute have access to the equipment and for him to keep an eye on the person.   So,  I handed him the papers, a gleeful, large smile plastered on my face.  I intently watched him skim through them.  What seemed like a decent amount of time (probably too long a period), he glanced up at me.  

“Donn, are you sure that you want to leave this?” He asked.  I became shocked and slightly annoyed at his question.  “Why not”, I retorted.  “I know it seems like a lot, however, if I don’t leave detailed PE sub plans, my kids will be missing a chunk of my unit.  I don’t want them to be way behind.  It is simple to follow…”

“Yea it’s easy to understand.”  He looked at me with the hint of skepticism.  “However you know how messed up things can be when it comes to subs,” he warned.  He was right.  My co-worker was referring to the many occasions where problems and snags with substitutes seemed all too common when one of us is out.

I waved off the suggestion.  “That shouldn’t be an issue.  I specifically put in Subfinder” (the computer program we use to request and/or arrange for a substitute) “for Ms. *****, and she was available.  No problem.”  This particular sub was well schooled in how to handle children, and one of the few, very competent educators suited for the gym.

He didn’t push the issue any further.  He told me that it would not be a problem, wished me the best of luck, and each went our merry way…

…Fast forward to me coming back to work.  I arrived early to get ready for the day.  In walks my co-worker with a smile on his face.  “So, did you miss me,” I asked.

He laughed, “Not really,” he kiddingly replied.  Then his look turned quickly to concern.  “However your PE sub plans weren’t exactly followed the way you wanted them to.  Too many issues happened.”

He proceeded to explain that on the first day, one of our buses was in an accident, and children would be arriving to school late.  There was a need for additional staff for bus duty, and he needed to go out to help.  Apparently at that same time, the main office became extremely chaotic when the secretarial staff learned that too many teachers needed coverage for an in-district meeting, and coverage was short.   A different substitute, not the one that was scheduled to be me, arrived approximately five minutes before my first class was to arrive.  This person, who now had very little time to read through and organize the equipment properly decided to do a simple game of kickball instead.  It apparently was going so well for her that she decided to do that activity the entire day!  On the second day, another person arrived to fill my position.  It turned out this would be the sub’s first time being in the gymnasium, and felt too overwhelmed being in dress shoes and a business suit for what my plans were dictating.

What a disaster.  After all that time and effort it took, my kids were unable to do what I had hoped.  This debacle taught me some valuable lessons and techniques when creating PE sub plans for the future that I will share below.

5 Simple Tips for Creating PE Sub Plans:

• Still add in detail to write-ups, like diagrams; however keep the games “short and sweet”.  If it is takes too long to explain or write a certain activity, scrap it.
•  We all have a few activities that are simple to set-up and use minimal equipment.  Select games that keep students engaged and moving. Try to select activities that students have been taught already, so it isn’t completely new to them.
• If you want to continue with your current unit, Keep It Simple. Try using short, simple instructions for tasks that are easy to perform. Also, include activities or skills that students have already learned
• Keeping pertinant information in an easy-to-find place means it will be seen. Ideas of what to include: schedule, necessary books or tools (attendance, discipline log, etc.), bathroom passes, pertinent student information (students with special needs, medical info, etc.)
• ​​Provide a squeeze or electronic whistle for the substitute. In my experience, subs rarely come with one, and since students tend to act differently on Sub days, it absolutely comes in handy.

About the Author:

One Response

I can totally relate to you write up. Right now I have a co worker out until April and my principal wants me to write things up. If I don’t provide something it’s going to be crazy in our department. Our classes are too large to put together 50 kids each and no gym. So I’m going nuts right now. School start Monday and I cannot even think about my class and we have a new teacher in our department who is looking at me for guidance.

Thank you, Angela

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• Grades 2-4 SPECIALS and More
• Physical Education

Easy PE Substitute Plans Bundle

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Description

12 learning activities for any substitute to use (even if they aren't a PE sub!). Most activities have little to no equipment for safety. I just recently had to take 8 weeks for total knee replacement surgery, so I know the feeling of preparing for substitute. No worries, I have the planning done for you.

• 12 learning activities that involve little or no equipment, for safety, that are fun, active for your students. These are my students favorite activities!
• Bonus - a checklist of other important specific information, that is site specific to you, that your substitute would find useful.

Activities such as:

• Hot Dog Tag
• Partner 8 Pin
• Lay Down Tag
• Everyone's It
• Dead Ant Tag
• Bee Hive Tag
• 8 more activities 

More Resources Link

Among We - Among Us Themed Fitness & Social Game

Let us get fit and be social! Ditch the app, let us play in a more active, social way. My students loved this game and keep asking to play! Can you tell who the Imposter is?

This resource gives teachers video instructions and students colorful, fun, themed Google Slides game interface. Many videos describes how to set up and use various Zoom settings to play the game. I go into a lot of detail for Zoom but if you are familiar with Google Meets you could use the Google Slides Presentation and play it on that platform too.

Students must show cooperation and teamwork to find the Imposter.

PE FUN CLUB by Leslie Christine Physical Education, After-School Activities, Team Sports, Summer Camp, & Field Day Resources designed for you with love from a P.E. teacher with 30 years experience!  More Resources Link

Volleyball Individual & Partner Skills & Drills (30 Videos)

Check Out -  Video Preview  Resource provides 30 new fresh, fun, creative drills, skills, videos, and builds your confidence as a PE teacher and volleyball coach with these tools:

• 30 instructional videos & activities
• 5 Google slides of skills tips
• Progression from beginning to intermediate drills
• Additional modification for beginners
• Entire sample lesson on beginning skills for Pre- Kindergarten -2nd
• Challenges for each drill / skill

Volleyball is more fun with a friend or partner, get lots of ball touches with these individual and partner drills to improve ball control in passing, setting, spiking, and serving. No net is needed and can be done in small spaces.

Multi-Uses:

• team practices
• home activities
• summer camps

Click on the volleyball graphic for 28 video instructions and activities. Watch the video to learn the activity and skill tips yourself prior to demonstrating it for your athletes or show the video directly to your players so they see a visual of the activities. Videos show one advanced player and one beginning player so you can see a student athlete in action as well as proper volleyball technique.

Basketball Skills Obstacle Course  - teaching basic skills with a competitive, fun twist. Your students, grades Pre-K- 5th grade will love this activity! It can be used for soccer, volleyball, fitness and more. 10 instructional videos included, using real students to demonstrate the stations and games. Google Slides editable for your classroom needs. Small space, no basketball hoops, no problem, this resources is also for you.

PE Mini Golf Unit  - Pre-K-8th Grade

Learning Objective Activity: using teamwork, design and create your own mini golf hole, and safely practice the golf skill, putting. Benefits: (Why?) Physical Education & Stem Skills: creativity, engineering and design skills, teamwork, collaboration, problem solving, and golf skills.

• Peer Assessment
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• Skills and Safety Video  watch link now
• Golf Etiquette Quiz
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Create Your Own Dance - Tik TaK - PE Digital Distance Learning  Create Your Own Dance

• Safe way to follow the craze of Tik Tak in digital at home version (students aren't asked to go on Tik Tak). One week of PE digital learning - no planning, no prep.
• A fun competitive, fun element.
• Benefits: coordination, social skills, fitness, creative movement, learn new dance skills, fun, & smiles.
• To see a video preview:  Video Preview Dance
• Sign up for Flipgrid - students share their videos easily from their phones and can see their classmates videos. It is very motivating and great way to stay connected in healthy and happy way. It is safe and just for your classes. My school PE is optional (no grades), but Flipgrid gets everyone participating.
• Yes, I spelled Tik Tak wrong on purpose!

Students Choose Safe Options:

• beginning dance tutorials
• advanced dance tutorials
• real PE student dancers examples (cartoon mode)
• teacher example (put yourself into the presentation, students love to see you shake it on the dance floor).
• editable for your needs
• how to put steps together to a dance
• Easy, no planning, ready to use, fun, dance activity for your PE classes
• My students LOVED this activity.
• Grades Pk-8th (recommend for 4th-8th, but I sent it to everyone in my school)

Hot Dog Tag Game - Preschool - 8th Grade PE Substitute Plans

More ideas? https://ampeduplearning.com/teacher-contributor-st...

Posted by Hailey Munroe on Jul 24th 2021

Love this b/c I can keep it on hand and at the ready.

Posted by Christine Marshall on Jul 23rd 2021

An Awesome Timesaver!!!

Easy PE Sub Plans

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Easy to implement and use.

PE Sub Plans

Posted by Nathan Geering on Feb 27th 2021

Life-saver. I found these when needing a lesson for the next day. I sent them to my sub and she loved them and said the kids really enjoyed them too. Thanks

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The Ultimate Sub Plan

Say Goodbye to the Nightmares of Taking a Day Off

It's the middle of the night. Your child is projectile vomiting and crawling backwards up the stairs. Their heads might as well be twisted around backwards. But that's not even the scariest part. Now you know you're going to have to call in a random sub. Your stomach sinks and you know you're flipping the coin of destiny that will determine who comes in to take your classes.

Just scratching the surface, here are some experiences I've had with random subs:

• I had one start a kickball game, then hang out on his phone, letting the kids go all Lord of the Flies on the rules. Ended in an all out brawl.
• I had one that was so oblivious that two kindergarteners had been fighting for a solid 10 minutes before she noticed. It had gotten to the point where one had his shoe off and was beating the other with it.
• I had one that used my whistle (gross... why?????)
• I had one that just stared out the window while third graders ran around with other third graders riding on their shoulders.
• I've had several that were just downright unkind and had no business being around children.

But, I've also had subs that were amazing. People that would come in, improvise, and make the kids' day. The kind of sub that makes the kids pretty much beg for me to take a sick day. Some subs have given me the best ideas to bring into my class.

The fact remains that you never know what you're going to get.

Before I got my first teaching gig, I substitute taught for a couple years and I loved it when I was given freedom to do my own thing. I tried leaving plans like that for a while, but I began to realize how rare it is that somebody wants to come in and do their own thing (that isn't Dodgeball).

If I know the sub, I leave some great ideas for full class games, but if I don't, I just give them the Ultimate Sub Plan. This plan has worked wonders. As long as there's a warm body in the room, it works out pretty well.

Please note that as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Know that I only recommend products I've personally used and believe are genuinely helpful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy them. You get great equipment and I get to keep offering as many resources as possible for free.

👆 These games are perfect for days with subs as well as warm up games and brain breaks to share with classroom teachers. Available free on my YouTube Channel . All games are also available ad-free (with early access to new games) at the PLAY: Inter active Arcade .

This plan has two very basic components:

• Choice of some favorite activities
• Activities that incite the fewest arguments

When they get to choose what they're doing, they'll stay more engaged. Bored students are the ones causing problems, so keep them from being bored. On the flip side, if they're way too into it, they can get aggressive about it, so sticking to games with minimal ambiguity keeps tempers from rising. In the event they do, that student can be told to pick another activity. And it would be a real bummer for them if they can't handle any of the choices available.

It's also important to have a Plan B. Sometimes kids just don't mix well with the sub you get. I tell my subs to try Plan A first and if things aren't going smoothly, have them all go back to their assigned spots and they can do games from the PLAY: Inter active Arcade.  That way I don't have to worry about kids destroying relationships with each other and they still get plenty of fun movement.

Here are the choices I give for Plan A:

3rd grade and up - K-2 does a pre-Gaga game called SLAPS see below

This is the primary activity. If you've never heard of it, they play in a small area called a pit (I just have mats near the corner to create it). The goal is to slap the ball towards others' legs to get them out. If they get out, they leave the pit. I have them play elimination style with 2 minutes to win it. I made a YouTube playlist for this with a countdown timer. It's perfect with my Apple TV and projector. The sub can just navigate to the playlist and hit play. If you don't have a projector, check out an interval timer like this (paid link) . When they play this way, I have them start the ball in the middle of the pit, they all have to touch one of the pit walls, and when the starting bell dings, they can leave the wall.

Out of Bounds - last to touch it when it goes out

Saying “you’re out” - Huge rule here, applicable every day, not just with subs. When you say "you're out," either they know they're out and you're rubbing it in or they don't know they're out and you aren't giving them any new information.

A game for Kindergarten - 2nd grade

Like Gaga Ball, you slap the ball toward others' legs. You're only out if you get hit in the legs or pick up a ball - because you can't slap it if you're picking it up. I don't use the word OUT with K-2, instead I'll say "You're TOAST!" The kids think it's hilarious and doesn't come with the negative feelings associated with being out. When you're out, you just run to the TOASTER. In my "gym," they're just running to the mats and jumping on top of them, then right back into the game.