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TGfU Category: Target Games

Locations: Gymnasium, large indoor or outdoor space

Game/Sport Connections

Target Games are activities in which players send an object toward a target while avoiding any obstacles. By playing these games, participants develop skills and tactics to play other target games or games that require the application of similar skills, concepts and strategies. (e.g., Archery, Bocce, Bowling, Croquet, Curling, Golf, horseshoes, shuffleboard, Snow Snake).

Activity Overview

Participants learn about and practice aim and accuracy as they send an object toward targets different distances away.

Key Movement Skills, Concepts and Strategies

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies for effectively sending an object toward a target. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Considerations

• Incorporate some or all of the variations listed in the “Variations” section while planning the activity. This will help to best meet the diverse backgrounds, identities, needs and interests of participants and maximize the fun, inclusion, participation and success of everyone.
• To elevate participant voice and choice, periodically pause the activity and share the variations with participants. Ask them to determine how they would like to change the activity to maximize the fun, inclusion, meaningful participation and success for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.

Equipment

• 1 floor marker per group (e.g., baseball base, floor marker, non-marking tape)
• 1 hula hoop per group
• 1 object to send that does not easily roll per participant (e.g., slightly deflated balls, bean bags, yarn or sponge balls, discs, rubber chicken)
• 3 objects to mark the sending lines per group (e.g., cones, pylons, floor markers, non-marking tape)

Safety

• Inspect the equipment and activity area to identify and remove hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction.
• Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area at a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Share the boundaries with participants.
• Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
• Instruct participants to be aware of their surroundings, including other participants during play.

How to Play

• Divide participants into pairs or small groups (e.g., three to four).
• Provide each group with a hula hoop, a floor marker and 3 objects to mark their sending lines.
• Participants place a hula hoop at one end of the playing area and place a floor marker in the center of the hula hoop.
• Participants set up their area by marking 3 sending lines at a range of distances from the hula hoop.
• Participants select an object to send.
• Participants take turns attempting tos end the object into the hoop and onto the floor marker from their choice of the three distances.
• When the object is sent from the closest sending line and lands inside the hoop but not on the floor marker, the participant scores 1 point. If the object lands and stays on the floor marker, the participant scores 2 points. The score is multiplied by two if the object is sent from the sending line at the medium distance and multiplied by three if the object is sent from the sending line at the farthest distance. Participants try to reach exactly 21 points in as few attempts as possible. If a participant scores over 21 as a result of sending object from a line worth more points than they require to reach 21 then the participant’s score goes down to 11 and the game continues.
• After a period of play, provide participants with some or all of the variations. Ask them to decide how they might change the game to enhance their fun, challenge, and success. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.

Image: Visual Depiction of the Activity Instructions

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity ask open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement skills, strategies and tactical solutions during the activity. Examples include:

• What force or effort are you applying to send your object from the various distances?
• How did you maintain control of the object you are sending when you were closer to or farther away from the target?
• How did you choose which sending line from which to send your object?
• How did your strategy change as your score changed?
• Which games or sports might you have played or know about that use similar rules and strategies to the ones used in this game?

Variations

• Decrease or increase the distance between the sending lines and the target.
• Change the object participants choose to send (e.g., rubber chicken, soft-skinned ball, beanbag).
• Send the object various ways (e.g., using their non-dominant hand, using an overhand throw, throwing from a sitting position).
• Decide which objects to send from various distances (e.g., a soft-skinned ball at the first sending line, a beanbag at the second sending line, a table tennis ball at the third sending line).
• Remove the floor marker and only use a hula hoop as the target.
• Use a smaller target (e.g., a piece of tape to mark the target) within the hula hoop.
• Adjust the scoring system.
• Set a time limit for the game and participants work cooperatively to accumulate as many points as they can score within that time frame.
• Have pairs play against another pair, working cooperatively to accumulate 21 points before the other pair.
• Have participants change partners at the end of each round of play, A round of play ends when one pair has accumulated 21 points.