Tic-Tac-Toe in the Snow!

Setting: Intramurals

Season: Winter

Activity Goal

Participants engage in a fun activity in a winter environment to build healthy relationships and social connections with others and for additional opportunities to be active throughout the school day.

For participant safety, please review the contents of the Beyond the Walls: Safety Considerations page for information on Safety Standards, Winter Safety Considerations, and Outdoor Playing Areas and Surfaces.

Equipment

• Hoops
• Pylons

How to Play

• Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to activity.
• Establish the boundaries for the designated play area and share them with participants.
• Divide participants into teams of three.
• Designate a playing area and design a Tic Tac Toe, 3 x 3 grid large enough for participants to sit, stand or lie down in the individual squares of the grid. Draw the grid in the snow or use hoops to designate the squares.
• Mark off a starting line a few meters away.
• Select two teams to play each round or create enough Tic Tac Toe grids for all teams to play.
• To begin a round of Tic Tac Toe, have one participant from each team play a game of Rock Paper Scissors to determine which team will start.
• Have teams alternate turns, with different teammates moving as quickly as they can to select and create a snow shape in a strategic spot in the playing grid. Each team must create at least one shape in the snow while standing, sitting, and lying down.
• Once a shape has been created, the team member tags another teammate to select and create another snow shape in a strategic spot in the playing grid.
• The game is completed when one team makes any three shapes in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) and has created at least one shape while standing, sitting, and lying down, or if neither team has been successful and the grid is full.

Adaptations

Consider these tips to maximize the challenge and the fun for participants.

• Invite participants to determine their three shapes before each round begins.
• Have participants explore different movements to get to and from the grid.
• Create larger teams to have team members remain in their grid space after creating their shape.

Modifications

Consider these tips to maximize inclusion and fun for all participants.

• For participants with challenges in processing multi-step instructions, create a role where their only task involves one action (e.g., running to the grid or creating the shape in the grid).
• For participants with mobility challenges, adjust the game's rules and invite the whole group to think of a way to make the game more static so that everyone is playing at the same level.