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Healthy Healthy Hippos

Quick Links Information: Activity Description (PDF) Resources: HHH Core Training (PDF) HHH Jump Rope 1 (PDF) HHH Jump Rope 2 (PDF) HHH Dynamic Flexibility (PDF) HHH Muscular Fitness (PDF) HHH Yoga (PDF)

Activity Description and Rules:

The objective of the activity is for each team to get all the cards of their designated color. Included in each deck of cards are 12 cards of each color (blue, red, green, and purple) and 10 Go Swimming cards.

How to play:

Players are first divided into four teams (a blue, a green, a red, and a purple team). Each team runs to the middle and selects one card and then runs back to their team with the card. The entire team performs the activity on the card. If the blue team selects a blue card they keep the card. If the blue team selects one of the other three colors or a go swimming card, the team performs the activity and then runs and puts the card back in the pile. The team then selects another card. The first team to get all of their colored cards wins. There are several versions of this activity (i.e. jump rope 1 and 2, core fitness, dynamic flexibility, muscular fitness, and yoga).

Below is a picture of one of the cards. The Healthy Healthy Hippo card (on the left) would be printed on the back of the blue Spiderman card (on the right). Each deck has 58 cards.

Equipment:

1. Four colored cones (red, blue, green, and purple) or four cones and then tie colored pinnies to the cones.
2. Playing cards
3. Hula Hoop to be placed in the center of the square to hold the deck of cards.

Playing Space and Set-Up:

The playing space is four colored cones positioned into a square. The larger the square the more the students are moving. The deck of cards should be placed face down in the center of the square.

Game Modifications:

Version #1: If the team selects another teams’ card they complete the activity at the colored cone represented on the card and then put the card back in the middle. When the team gets a card with their color, they complete the activity as a team and then keep the card until they get all of their color. (If this is the first time students are playing the activity, have the teams try to get 4 cards with their color and then build to getting all 12 cards with their color.)

Version #2: Reduce the number of cards the students are trying to collect. Start with four cards of their color for each team. Build up to all 12 cards for each team.

Version #3: Have teams wear pedometers. The team that gets to a set number of steps first wins. (ex. 1000 or 2000 steps as a team). An average number of steps per team can be used when there are different numbers of students per team.

Version #4: Have teams play for a set time (i.e. 3 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.). The teams keep every card that they complete. The team’s goal is to see how many cards they can collect in the time allocated.

Print Directions:

There are two cards per PDF page. Print page 2-30 on white card stock. Once these are printed turn the page over and print page 1 (the Healthy Healthy Hippos card) on the other side of the card. Cut the cards and then laminate.  

**This game was created in collaboration with the 2009-2010 JMU PHETE Graduate Class (Kelly Blair, Andrew Camporeale, Mark Casstevens, Lindsey Felton, Ryan Geck, Brandon Leonard, Heather Lille, John Parks, Amanda Perry, Jessica Piscopo, Kyle Regetz, Emily Stewart, and Ashley Yates).