Hula Hoop Foursquare

Sports equipment in the Playworks program, Hamilton Elementary School, Baltimore, Maryland.
  1. Autonomous/Self-access Games
  2. Recess Games
  3. Rotational Games

  • Any Size

  • Ages 3-5

  • Hula Hoops

  • Less Than 10 minutes

Development Goal

To develop coordination.

Before You Start

  • Demonstrate how to hula hoop.
  • Have one player stand at each hula hoop and the rest of the group stand in line outside the playing space.
  • Review the rules of the game.
  • Have players repeat the rules back to you.

Set Up

Place four hula hoops in a square. This works well on a four square court with one in each square.

How to Play

  • Every player may begin hula hooping when the first person in line gives the magic word, such as Hoop!
  • All players continue hooping as long as they can.
  • If a player drops their hoop, that player leaves the hula hoop on the ground and goes to the end of the line.
  • The first player in line, goes into the empty spot and play begins again.

Variations

  • After the magic word, players count twenty or sign a short song. At the end, all players rotate spaces as in standard foursquare.
  • Players who have not dropped the hula hoop must continue hooping while the new player enters the game.
  • A player who stays in for three consecutive rounds gets a round of applause from the group then must go to the end of the line.
  • Allow players to hula hoop around their arm, knees, neck or other parts of the body.