Pancake flip: a 15-minute 2nd grade PE game with paper plates

1. Spread the plates across the space, half colored side up and half white side up.
2. Split into two teams: the colored team and the white team. Each team flips plates to show its side.
3. Teach the rules: flip one plate at a time with one hand, no guarding plates, and no touching a plate someone else is flipping.
4. Play for 45 seconds. When time is up, everyone freezes with hands on heads.
5. Count the plates for each side together, by 2s or by 5s.
6. Rest for 30 seconds, switch teams and play again. Try a new way to travel between flips, such as skipping or side steps.

Safety: flip with hands only, with no diving or sliding; look up before moving to a new plate so no one bumps heads; wear sneakers on tile or wood floors; take a water break between rounds. Every session: warm up first, clear the space, keep water nearby, and stop if anything hurts or a student feels dizzy or unwell.

Differentiation: students who need support can flip plates from a chair placed in the space, or play a round at walking pace. Students who are ready can flip with the other hand only. English learners can count the plates in any language.

Quick check: ask a team captain how many plates their team has and how they counted them.

For a full year of free grade 2 PE sessions, see Move Every Day from UpOnly Learning.

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