Tag

Skills:

Physical: coordinated running, balance, gross motor skill, agility, lower limb coordination

Cognitive: visual processing, selective attention, sustained attention, divided attention

Social: understanding of personal space, turn taking

Number of participants:

3 or more

Equipment:

none

Description:

  1. one child is the “tagger” and chases the other children
  2. the “tagger” tries to tag/touch one of the other children
  3. tagged/touched child then becomes the “tagger”
  4. repeat

Wheelchair friendly?

Yes, use a pool noodle to as the tagger to extend reach

Modifications to make the activity easier:

Change the environment: make the activity area smaller to decrease physical demand

Change the task:

  • have the runners freeze once they are tagged to decrease physical demand
  • cue the “it” on who to chase (i.e., child closest to them) to decrease cognitive demand

Modifications to make the activity harder:

Change the environment:

  • make the activity area larger to increase physical demand
  • give a time limit in which to tag another child to increase physical demand

Change the task:

  • have a child grab a flag from another child to complete the tag to increase physical and social demand
  • have the child change directions while side stepping (i.e., 3 side steps to left, 3 side steps to right) to increase physical and cognitive demand

Goal examples:

  • the child will be able to alternate with a friend between chasing and running away at appropriate times for 4 out of 5 games
  • I can play tag with my friends