Here’s a kids’ game you can use at the end of your martial arts class as a reward. Takes like 3 minutes and students will leave your dojo on a “high”. This is just one game in my 50 Kids Karate Games package that kids of all ages love.

(Actually, adults have been know to enjoy this one too – but shhhhhhh! Adults aren’t supposed to have fun, especially in a karate class! It’s supposed to be more like consentual torture, right?)

The game is called Tag-Ball.

Works like this:

You and an assistant instructor are on one team. Your students make up the other team. Your team’s job is to eliminate your students by tagging them with the ball (a soft inflatable ball will do just fine). Their job is to avoid being eliminated.

The rules of the Basic Game are these:

1. When in possession of the ball, you may not move.
2. When you don’t have the ball, you can run to position close to your students.
3. You can throw the ball to your assistant instructor(s), and they can throw it to you, and when you’re close to a student, reach out and tag them with the ball (you cannot throw the ball at a student to eliminate them).
4. Once a student is eliminated they sit down on the side of the mat.

Here are 2 more variations of the basic game.

1. Infection –  When a student is eliminated they’re not out – they’re infected. That means they join your team until only one student remains uninfected. They are declared the winner.
2. Role Reversal – In this variation, students must eliminate the instructors. This is a hoot. Kids will break all kinds of rules trying to eliminate you. They’ll chase after you when in possession of the ball, throw the ball at you, etc.

   (Usually I set a time limit on this variation, because the kids rarely eliminate a single instructor. You know, because we move like ninja-cats…)

   In all seriousness, it’s actually a good agility game to teach teamwork, as well as athleticism and hand-eye coordination.

That’s it for today…

Enjoy,

Jason