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Capture the Fruits and Veggies!

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-Objective:

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In this invasion game, teams try to be the first to capture all their fruit or veggie balls, or the most of their fruit or veggie balls in the predetermined amount of time, from the opposing team’s territory.

-Fundamental Movement Skills:

  • Locomotor

    • Dodge

    • Run​

-Equipment List:

  • 12 Rainbow® Flag Belt Sets--Each Flag Belt includes 6 FoodGroup Flags (1 food from each food group (Fruit, Vegetables, Grain, Dairy, Protein, Grain/Junk Food—change the Junk Food to another Grain)

  • 8 Yellow Junk Food Pinnies (JFT)

  • 4 Healthy Helper Pinnies (HH) -- 1 broccoli (green), 1 apple (red), 1 muffin (orange), 1 dairy (blue)

  • 6 Coated-Foam balls with Fruit images

  • 6 Coated-Foam balls with Vegetable images

  • 6 Pairs of pinnies to distinguish the two teams—not included

  • 1 VersaBag™ Mesh Storage Bag

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-Equipment Link:

-Setting Up:

  • Divide playing area in half with a Safe Zone at either end. Place all the fruit balls in the one Safe Zone, and all the veggie balls in the opposite Safe Zone (In the Safe Zone players cannot be tagged).

  • Designate 8 JFTs (yellow pinnies) who are positioned in a scattered position in the playing area.

  • Designate 4 HHs (Healthy Helper pinnies) who are positioned in a scattered position in the playing area.

  • Divide the rest of the players into 2 teams. Use pinnies (not included) to distinguish teams. Designate one team as Fruits and the other as Veggies—players cannot be tagged in their half of the playing area. Each player has a Flag Belt with 6 FoodGroup Flags on it, each flag depicting a different food group. Players may arrange FoodGroup Flags on their belt in any order they choose. If there are more than 12 players divide the FoodGroup Flags equally among all players and have players who do not have a Flag Belt tuck the Velcro end of the FoodGroup Flags over their waist band of their shorts.

Establish a length of playing time (5-10 minutes).

-Instructions:

  • Teams begin on their respective sides--Veggies on the side with balls with fruits on them and Fruits on the side with balls with veggies on them.

  • At the leader’s signal, players go into their opponent’s territory, take a fruit or veggie ball (depending on which team they belong to) and bring it back to their team’s playing area without getting a flag pulled by a JFT.

  • If a player’s food flag is pulled:

    • The tagger gives the flag to the tagged player.

    • If the player is returning with a ball, this player rolls the ball back over the other team’s end line.

    • The tagged players are ‘frenzied’ and do an exercise (predetermined by the leader prior to the start of the game; ex: hops, jumping jacks….). HHs tag the player to ‘un-frenzy’ them. Unfrenzied players return to their side of the gym, and replace their flag. They are then able to return to game play.

Safety

  • Ensure that the Safe Zone is sufficiently wide so that if players fall when reaching the Safe Zone they will not land against a wall.

Variation

  • Use fewer HHs.

  • Do not use any JFTs or HHs but players from each team have at least 3 FoodGroup Flags on their belts, players are safe on their own half, and players attempt to cross the other team’s half to retrieve one of their team’s balls. When crossing, a team member from the opposition team attempts to pull a flag from the intruder. If a flag from the intruder is pulled, that player retrieves the flag does 10 jumping jacks and returns safely to their own half to resume play. If the intruder was returning with a ball, the ball must be tossed back behind the opposition court before the intruder returns safely to their half to resume play.

-Questions & Notes:

  • On Offense

    • What is the most effective strategy to most quickly get the 6 balls?

  • On Defense

    • What is the most effective way to prevent players from getting the 6 balls?

  • What are the four/five food groups and how many servings are recommended for your age group?

Equipment Adaptation:

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