Texas Bluebonnet Reading Relay Races 

Texas Librarians feel free to add in any additional relay races. Include your name.

 

Lawn Boy

Players: 2 per team

Equipment: Dry Erase board or butcher paper – one for each team, markers, and erasers

Preparation: Write down math problem prior to relay

The Law of Increasing Demand Challenge. Two players from each team will solve Duane’s math problem.

Duane charges $40 to mow a lawn. Duane has to mow three lawns a day and he has to mow them every week. If he mows three lawns a day, once a week, and he works for seven days, with no days off, how much money does he make? Once coach has determined the answer is correct they can run and tag the next player.

Players: 2

Equipment: None

Preparation: None

Human Lawnmower Relay:Player one takes hold of the feet of Player Two. Player Two must walk across to the finish line on his/her hands while the Player One holds his feet. At the finish line the players change positions and walk back across the gym. Once across the finish line player tags the next player.

Atherton: House of Power

Equipment: A sponge and two buckets; one bucket full of water, the other empty.

Players:  whole class

Preparation: One bucket filled with water and the other bucket marked with a fill line in black marker.

Wet and Wild. Provide each team with a sponge and two buckets; one bucket full of water, the other empty. Place the full bucket at the head of the line and place the empty bucket at the end of the line. Give the sponge to the first student in line. That student dunks the sponge in the bucket of water and passes it over his or her head to the next student in line. The second student does the same thing, and so on. When the sponge reaches the last student, that student squeezes the water left in the sponge into the empty bucket and runs to the head of the line. Everyone else on the team takes a step back as the student who was at the end, and is now at the front, soaks the sponge and passes it back to the next student... As you can see, the benefit of really soaking the sponge is that more water might make its way into the empty bucket; the disadvantage is that the students in line are probably going to get wetter as the sponge is passed. Set a fill mark on the bucket. The team that reaches the fill mark first is the winning team http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp315-02.shtml

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Players: 2 partners per team

Equipment: None

Preparation: None

The Mechanical Automaton RaceOne partner stands perfectly rigid, as if he or she were a mechanical automaton doll. The other partner lifts the automaton's foot and places it forward, walking the "automaton" to the goal, one foot at a time. When the partners reach the goal they tag the next player

http://www.childrenparty.com/index.html

Players: 1 per team

Equipment: 5 Classroom Chairs/team

Preparation: placed in a row leaving a yard between each

Train Station Tunnel. Players stand on either side of the gym. First player must crawl through the “tunnel” and then tag the other team mate who must then return the same way.

 

Crossing Box Chitto

Required: Paper plates

Players: 1 per team

Preparation: None

Cross the River Race. Player holds 2 “stones”. They are to place the “stones” in front of them to step across the course. When they step to the second one, they are to pick up the first one while standing on one foot. Once they pick up the first one they place that one in front and step on it. The object is to go across the course stepping on only the “stones” without stepping on the floor. If they step on the floor they must return to the starting line and start again. They must cross the full length of the gym and tag the next teammate.

http://www.funattic.com/game_relay1.htm

One –Handed Catch

Players: 1 per team

Equipment: cotton balls, a plate, a spoon, and a blindfold for each player.

Preparation: bowl filled with cotton balls,

One-Handed, Blind-Folded Cotton Ball Transfer. Spoons and steady hands required.

Blindfold players. Using a spoon, they must try to transfer the most cotton balls from the bowl to the plate. Since this is one-handed, players can't use their other hand to keep their cotton balls on their spoons. Once finished, player can tag the next teammate.

Sent in by: Nathan of Crystal Beach, ON http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/onehandedblindfolded.html?print

 

One Potato, Two Potato

 

Players: whole class in a line

Equipment: Potatoes

Preparation: None

Potato Relay. The object is to pass the potato from one teammate to the next from under the chin without using your hands. If groups are uneven first players must go to back of line to make it even.

Players: 1 per team

Equipment: 2 raw potatoes, 2 chairs and pots

Preparation: Setting up the potato, chairs, and pots

Potato Picker. Each team player will need one chair placed in front of them, a potato and a pot on the other side of the playing area. When signaled, the first players on each team will pull out one potato and place it on the chair in front of them. The potato should be placed close to the edge so that they can sit down on the chair. The object is to try to sit down and then stand up with the potato between their legs. They cannot use their hands. Once they are able to stand with the potato they will carefully wobble (walking backwards) over to the pot and drop the potato into the pot without using their hands. They will race back to their teammate, tag the player and that player will do the same. The team players must tag the next player for the next relay.

Just Grace

Players: 1 per team

Equipment: Red oven mitts, containers and toothpicks

Preparation: Pre-count toothpicks; place toothpicks and container on a table (Container should be small to make it challenging)

Pick Up Sticks: Players are to put on a red oven mitt and pick up toothpicks, placing them into a container. Ahead of time you should count out the same amount toothpicks for each team participating. Once each player has completed task they must tag the next player in the relay.

The Thing about Georgie

Players: 2 per team

Equipment: 1 pair of thick clean socks per team; event students must be wearing lace up shoes untied; 1 button-up shirt per team

Preparation: untied laces, unbutton shirts

Tie me up Button Me Down:Player must begin the relay with shoes untied. Players place the pair of socks over their hands and must tie their shoes. Once the shoes are tied they must tag the next player who must then button a button-up shirt. When they finish they can tag the next relay player who must do the same.

Team Moon

Players: 2 per team

Equipment: paper rockets, moon cutouts taped to the floor on one side of the gym

Preparation: Paper rockets should be made in advance, moon cutouts – one per team

Moon Landing: Each player needs a paper rocket.  There must be a taped 3ft diameter “moon” on the floor, on the other side of the gym. Players must fly there rocket as many times as it takes to land on the "moon." Once the player lands on the moon they can run and tag the next player. http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/airport.html?print

Sent in by: Shanny & Eric of Arlington, MA

What you Never Knew about Beds, Bedrooms, & Pajamas

Players: 1/team

Equipment: 3 sleeping bags/one per team, 9 cones/3 cones per team

Preparation: serpentine the 3 cones across the gym form one end to the other

Sleeping Bag Obstacle Course: To play, you need one sleeping bag for each team and something to wiggle around, like plastic cones. (You could use empty soda bottles for cones.)

First, set up a course by putting 3 cones in different places on the gym floor.

When the players have been tagged, the players of each team get into their sleeping bags and wiggle around the cones. (It works best if players hold the sleeping bag with their hands and use their arms and elbows to help them crawl.) When players get back to their team, they tag the next person in line. Sent in by: Ashlie of Houston, TX http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/games/sleepingbagobstaclec.html?print

Players: 1/team

Equipment: sleeping bags/one per team, 3 cones per team

Preparation: serpentine the 3 cones across the gym form one end to the other

Pillowcase Race: Played like the Potato Sack Race, players step into a pillowcase and must hop across the gym to tag the next layer in the relay.

 

How to Steal a Dog

Players: 1/team

Equipment: 3 balls one per team (Rubber playground balls work best.)

Preparation: none

Dog Ball: Use your head and follow your nose to win. Once the player of each team has been tagged he/she has to bark, get on her hands and knees and use her nose or forehead to roll the ball to the end of the course, around the marker and back. When players get back to their team, they tag the next person in line. Every player must bark before they set off. Sent in by: Erika of Churubusco, IN

Gabriel’s Horses

 

Players: 1 per team

Equipment: 3beach balls, cowboy hats, bandanas, stick horses

Preparation: none

Ride um Cowboy: Trouble rides a fast horse. How fast can you ride a “horse”? Dressed in cowboy regalia the player will have to put a stick horse and beach ball between their legs and ride to the finish.

Marvelous Mattie

Players: 1 per team

Equipment: 2 grocery size paper bags per player

Preparation: none

Two Bag Shuffle: Wearing paper bags on their feet, players will have to walk, shuffle, run to the finish line. (best to take shoes off)