Summer break and three-day weekends bring some great neighborhood games, such as a pick-up game at The Sandlot. In honor of summer play, the Game of the Week is… Pickle!
Skills Practiced: Throwing, catching, fielding, agility and timing, base running and position playing.
Before You Start:
• Place the bases 20-30’ apart and select 2 students to be the throwers at each base.
• Teach the rules of the game and ask the students to explain them back to you.
• Review the concepts of softball and baseball that you are reinforcing through this game.
• Model the activity with 2 volunteers.
- The students stand in between the two bases. The two throwers start by throwing the ball back and forth to each other.
- After the third throw, the students in the middle attempt to run to one of the bases. The throwers pass the ball quickly and try to tag the runners while holding the ball.
- The runners are only safe if they are standing on the bases.
- Runners count how many times they can advance to each base without being tagged.
- If a runner is tagged three times they switch positions with the thrower.
This can also be played with a kickball so that the throwers are allowed to tag a student by throwing the ball at a runner aiming for the waist or below.
“Pickle!!”
(Playworks does not condone name-calling.)
