5 Flexibility Games for Physical Education

In addition to having resistance to perform daily activities, it is essential to have flexibility, since this property is responsible for the level of movement that our joints are capable of achieving. If flexibility is stimulated from an early age, it will be easier to develop it in adulthood, in order to maintain the best physical condition possible. 

Flexibility is the ability to move the different joints within a certain range of space, according to the natural conditions of the human body. This movement covers various directions and angles and its level of reach varies from person to person. 

When talking about flexibility, sport is a related aspect. In this sense, it is a characteristic that can be improved through regular practice, in order to obtain a better physical condition, which translates into greater speed, agility and firmness when executing any type of movement. 

To do this, there are various exercises to work on flexibility that can be practiced from children, in physical education classes, as games, making the activity not tedious and much less uncomfortable for the participants.

Below you will find some warm-up games for children, which can be included as part of the flexibility session in physical education, for primary and secondary groups.

hat off

It is a game that can be played in pairs. Each child will wear a hat and must be positioned in front of the other keeping a certain distance with their legs stretched out and open. When prompted, children should try to remove each other’s hats without losing theirs . If either of them achieves this goal, he will win the game.

By practicing this activity, the child will perform flexibility stretches in both their lower and upper limbs. Specifically, the hip muscle groups, the abductors of the legs, the abdominals and, of course, the entire trunk area are involved.

If you want to add more difficulty to the game, you can ask the children to place one of their arms in the area of ​​​​the back, which will involve greater stimulation of the trunk and make it more difficult to remove the partner’s hat with just one hand.

the regatta

With this game it is possible to put into practice various stretches for children, by involving the trunk area, the arms and also the region of the legs and waist.

To play it, the group must be divided into two rows. You can separate the girls from the boys or make a mixed division. The first member of the line will be given a ball and he must pass it to the next partner. This process must be repeated until the last person in the row is reached and the one in which the last member receives the ball first will win.

Now, to pass the ball there are some modalities. The most common is to turn the trunk and place the ball on the ground, so that the partner catches it immediately. At no point in the process should the ball hit the ground. However, there are also other ways to deliver the ball: below between the legs, above the head or on one of the sides.

The limb

This is one of the most fun flexibility activities for children and focuses on improving the level of movement in the back and hip areas, promoting the strengthening of the muscles of the lower back, buttocks and legs..

For this game, you can set up a large group or small groups, with two children holding a stick at about chest height. Next, the rest of the children must pass under the pole, without having contact with it, requiring them to lean backwards without losing their balance. 

The player or the group with the most players who complete the process correctly, either once or several times, as established in the rules, will win. To add difficulty, the stick will need to be lowered after each round, requiring you to lean further and further in order to pass. If the group is small, the children who do not achieve the feat will be eliminated and the last child left in line will win.

the twister

With this famous flexibility game in physical education, children will be able to stretch their upper and lower extremities effectively. To do this, they must stand on a platform with colored circles placed at a certain distance. 

Next, instructions should be given to place the hand or foot in a circle of a specific color. This will make the children have to stretch to reach the requested position and those who lose their balance will be expelled from the game. Finally, the participant who manages to adopt the postures without falling to the ground will win.

The alphabet

To carry out a group flexibility session, this game can be played, which consists of forming letters using the body. Thus, once the letter is assigned, the children must determine how to position themselves on the floor to form it.

The rest of the groups must guess what letter it is and, according to the rules, the group that has the most correct answers when structuring the letter can win. With this practice, children will be able to perform a full body stretch and be aware of how it can be used to communicate something.

Keep in mind that these games are just a representation of the types of flexibility that exist, but you can look into other options. For example, yoga is one of the best known flexibility sports worldwide and can be practiced by people of any age. In fact, there are many gyms that offer group sessions. As a requirement, it is only necessary to use conventional yoga mats, or a towel, in order to have a more comfortable support surface.

When you decide to get going, remember that the flexibility warm-up is essential for the execution of any physical activity, so it should not be left out before starting a practice. 

If you follow these simple tips, you will be able to see the benefits of flexibility in every moment of your daily life, by achieving the ability to move without feeling pain or discomfort in various activities.