LIGHTS OUT
By Timmery Welsh, with assistance from Jade Taylor and Trinity Bellerose
Objective: To avoid being tagged or hit with a ball; to be the last student standing. The theme is similar to a Zombie Apocalypse, where there are zombies who come out only in the dark, but there are also zombies who come out only in the light. The objective is not to be tagged by a zombie at any time.
Materials: Pinnies (two different colors), 2 dodgeballs, 4 large mats
Age level: Any age level, but most appropriately for grades 4-7 (who can handle activities in the dark)
Roles:
- Daytime zombies (two students who are ‘it’ and ‘tag’ civilians during the day. In this case, these are the two students who are running around with the lights on, hitting the other students with a dodgeball). These two zombies need to have the same color of pinnie. During the NIGHT, these zombies can’t tag anyone BUT should be sneaking around in the hiding spots to surprise the civilians when daytime is back!
- Nighttime zombies (two students who are ‘it’ and ‘tag’ civilians during the night. In this case, these are the two students who are running around with the lights off, tagging the other students with their hands). These two zombies need to have the same color of pinnie. During the DAY, these zombies can’t tag anyone BUT should be sneaking around in the hiding spots to surprise the civilians when nighttime is back!
- Civilians (all other students)
Instructions:
- Choose four people to be ‘it’. Two of them have one color of pinnie on (say red) and the other two have a different color on (say blue). Decide which zombies are the daytime zombies and which two are the nighttime zombies. Let’s say blue is lights-on/daytime and red is lights-off/nighttime.
- In the four corners of the gymnasium there need to be mats up (have them standing up if possible and about 1-2 meters away from the corner). This is an area for the individuals who are ‘it’. No one can touch these mats during the game or they are automatically ‘out’.
- Start with the lights on (the red zombies [people who are it in red pinnies]) are hiding behind a mat in the corner. When the teacher yells ‘RUN’, everyone needs to avoid being tagged by a zombie (in this situation, those individuals wearing blue). To be ‘tagged’, these zombies can only hit you with a dodgeball. They can’t ‘tag’ with their body parts or even with a ball-they can only throw the ball and hit you in order for you to get out.
- The teacher then turns the lights off at any time*. As soon as the lights go off, the zombies who were alive in the light (blue in this case), hide behind any mat they choose. Then the other zombies (in this case, red) come out and tag students. They tag with their hands only (normal tag rules in this situation).
- The teacher decides when to turn the lights back on, then off, on, etc. until all individuals are out!
MODIFICATIONS:
1-Instead of everyone sitting ‘out’ when they are tagged or hit with a ball, they become zombies too (the same color as the zombie that hit/tagged them)
2-Revival #1-when a student gets ‘out’ from either a dodgeball or from being tagged, they need to come to the side of the gym where the teacher is and do a physical activity of the teacher’s choice (jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, wall-sits, etc.). They have to do a certain number of the exercise to be ‘revived’ and join back in the game.
3-Revival #2-At any time the teacher may choose to revive those who are out (if it’s taking too long), by yelling ‘Revival’.
4-Revival #3-Choose a student to be the medic, who can’t be tagged by a zombie, who can save the students who get tagged by a zombie. They can drag them to safety with a roller cart, or give them a high-five, or whatever you choose to revive them back to join the game
4-To make being the zombie more difficult, possibly have them drag an item, such as a hula hoop, so they can’t tag as easily
*When the lights go off, I ALWAYS leave 1-2 lights on somewhere in the gym (equipment room, storage room, door to the hallway, etc.) for safety precautions!
