“What is the one piece of equipment you must have as a physical education teacher?”
It’s a question that comes up regularly on social media and in conversations with fellow PE teachers. I love having great music playing in the gym. Students respond to an updated playlist coming through a good sound system. Equipment like hula hoops and pool noodles are incredibly versatile, offering endless possibilities for fitness, cooperative, and competitive activities. And then, of course, there are jump ropes. Jumping rope is one of those fundamental skills that, in my opinion, every child should learn.
But without hesitation, my answer is a stopwatch. I honestly can’t imagine teaching PE without my trusty Timex.
I remember when my own three children were very young. They were 6, 5, and 3 when I created a simple backyard obstacle course for them. Nothing fancy—just a collection of obstacles they could crawl under, jump over, climb through, and sprint across before crossing the finish line. At first, they loved it. They would happily make their way through the course at their own pace.
Eventually, though, they grew bored with the same sequence of prepositional challenges.
That all changed when I introduced my stopwatch.
“How fast can you get through the course? I’ll time you.”
That simple question transformed the level of competition in the Cahill household.
Suddenly, my kids were obsessed with setting personal records. Then came the inevitable next step: trying to beat each other’s records. To this day, now 14, 13, and 11 years old, they still enjoy being timed—whether they’re racing through a mountain bike course, running the bases, or swimming a lap in the pool.
“Can you time me to see how long it takes me to get ready for bed?”
Yep. Even that.
Our students are no different. At Trinity School, we emphasize the importance of pursuing a personal best rather than constantly comparing ourselves to others. Of course, we’re not naïve enough to think students don’t naturally want to know how they stack up against their peers. They do. But the stopwatch gives us a way to channel that competitive instinct toward improvement.
“How many successful tosses and catches can you and your partner complete in 45 seconds?”
“How long can you hold a plank?”
“Can you touch all four walls of the gym in less than 10 seconds?”
“When I say go, you’ll have 35 seconds to collect all the equipment, return it to the correct container, and line up quietly.”
And during my morning running program, I’ll often hear:
“Can you time me to see how long it takes me to run a lap?”
There are countless ways to use a stopwatch to motivate students throughout the PE day. It can turn an ordinary activity into a challenge, give students an immediate measure of improvement, and—perhaps most importantly—make them want to try again.
Below are two of my all-time favorite ways to use a stopwatch.
1. The 150 Lap Challenge (adjust the number of laps based on class size, age level, and lap distance)
With a little pep talk about teamwork, this challenge is guaranteed to get your students excited to run. The objective is simple: as a class, complete 150 laps as quickly as possible.
If you have the ability to connect an iPad timer to a projector, even better. Watching the seconds tick away on a giant screen adds another layer of excitement. But don’t worry if you don’t have that technology. I’ve found that a simple stopwatch can create plenty of energy.
As students run, I keep track of the class’s cumulative lap total and provide updates along the way:
“25 laps!”
“75 laps!”
“100 laps!”
“125 laps!”
“150 laps—DONE!”
The moment the class reaches 150 laps, I stop the clock and announce their time. I record each class’s score so we can revisit the challenge later in the year. Occasionally, I’ll post the class times in the gym, which inevitably leads to some friendly class-versus-class competition the next time we take on the challenge.
2. Beat the Clock
I use this game religiously throughout the year to reinforce signals, routines, and formations. It’s especially valuable during the first few weeks of school, but it never seems to lose its appeal.
I’ll begin by having the class perform a locomotor skill. When they hear a designated signal—music, a whistle, or whatever signal I’ve established—they stop, look, and listen. Then I give them a challenge and a specific amount of time to complete it.
“You have 10 seconds to form a perfect circle around me.”
“You have 12 seconds to quietly line up at the door in your class line order.”
“You have 7 seconds to find your own personal space.”
As the year progresses, I gradually make the challenges more difficult by giving them less time or adding more complicated tasks.
After each challenge, I playfully announce the score. The class earns a point when they beat the clock, and I earn a point when they don’t.
It’s simple, fast-paced, and surprisingly motivating. Best of all, students quickly learn that following directions, moving efficiently, and working together can be just as much fun as the game itself.
You won’t regret adding this challenge to your PE toolbox, especially during those first few weeks of school.
Bonus Game: Omnikin Beachball Challenge
This is a quick, simple challenge with one goal: keep the ball in the air for as long as possible. I always encourage students to aim for a personal best, but I also share the school record to add another layer of motivation.
After three or four initial attempts, we gather in a circle and talk about what worked, what didn’t, and what they might do differently. This is often when students begin to develop a strategy for improving their performance and, hopefully, setting a new personal record.
You might be thinking about all the fancy timer apps available on your devices. One of my favorites is the Tabata Pro timer, which has countless features. I have it, and I use it frequently.
But there’s still something wonderfully simple and strangely motivating about a good old-fashioned stopwatch strapped to your wrist, ready to BEEP!
It’s always there. It never needs to be charged. It’s easy to use. And it does exactly what you need it to do.
After reading this post, how long will it take you to leave a comment sharing how you use a stopwatch to challenge and motivate your students?
Ready, set, GO!
If you enjoyed this post, consider following my blog to receive future posts and fitness challenges.
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justybubpe.
Check out my Facebook group called Keeping Kids in Motion!
I agree stop watches are great motivators….I use a stopwatch for fluency activities in the classroom like reading sight words in writing words quickly! Great article and fun activities.
Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Thank you