Ghost Busters

 

Purpose: to apply movement, defensive, and invasive concepts and strategy. To improve underhand throwing skills.

Suggested Age: K-4

Equipment: Orange cones, pinnies, gatorskin balls (or any hand sized, soft ball), 6 hula hoops, 18 bowling pins, Ghost Buster theme song

Game Objective: the objective of the game is for the Ghost Busters to eliminate all of the Ghosts in the city before Midnight (when the song finishes). The objective for the Monsters is to protect the Ghosts from the Ghostbusters until Midnight. 

Set Up:
This game is played using the width of the gym, not the length. Near one of the sidelines set up 6 hula hoops and place 3 bowling pins in each. These pins are considered Ghosts. Using orange cones, form a half circle that covers about 2/3 of the gym. This area is considered the City.

Choose 4-8 students to go inside of the City and put on pinnies. These students are considered Monsters. The remainder of the students must start outside of the city. These students are considered Ghost Busters.

Turn down the lights in the gym if possible and make sure all of the balls are outside of the city to start. When the music starts the game begins.

Rules:

• Once the Ghost Busters theme song starts the Ghost Busters may pick up the balls and attempt to eliminate the Ghosts. In order to do this the Ghost Busters must throw underhand and must throw from outside of the city.
• Monsters are able to defend the Ghosts but they can only block the balls with their hands. If they intentionally block a ball with their feet they must eliminate one ghost. 
• Monsters cannot go in a hula-hoop and must keep in constant movement. A monster may stay at a hula hoop and continue to defend it, but they must keep sliding from side to side or around the hoop.
• Ghost Busters may run into the city to retrieve balls, but if they do they can be tagged by a Monster. If tagged they are "petrified" and cannot move. 
• In order to save a petrified Ghost Buster, another Ghost Buster must run into the city, grab their hand, and run back. On a successful save both Ghost Busters get free backs.
• When there is one minute until Midnight (one minute left on the clock), the Ghost Busters may enter the city to attack the Ghosts. They must still throw underhand and they can still be petrified, but they can now throw inside the city.
• If all of the Ghosts are eliminated before Midnight, the Ghost Busters win. If there is one or more Ghost by Midnight, or if all of the Ghost Busters are petrified the Monsters win.

Tips:

This is a great game to play close to Halloween or at the end of an Invasion or Tossing unit.

The last minute gets pretty crazy but this is often the students' favorite part of the game. Make sure to watch extra closely and enforce the rules.

Younger students may not be able to handle running into the city to attack during the last minute.

You can adjust the size of the city based on the ability level of your class.

This game can also be modified and played with Soccer Balls to work on developing kicking or passing accuracy. I would however caution attempting this modification with older students due to kicking power and would highly recommend using a soft ball.