B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Motivated, Fit, Safe and Skilful

Four Kinds of Games: Target, Net/Wall, Striking/Fielding and Territory

C2 A1.6 A1.4About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can sort games into four categories: target, net/wall, striking/fielding and territory.
I can name features that games in the same category have in common.
I can explain how a skill or idea from one game can help me in another game of the same kind.
I can describe the components of an individual activity and compare it with a game.

Words to know

category
A group of things that are alike in some way.

target game
A game where you send an object at a target, like curling or bocce.

net/wall game
A game where you send an object over a net or against a wall so the other side can't return it, like badminton or four square.

striking/fielding game
A game where one team strikes (hits or kicks) and runs to score, while the other team fields to get them out, like baseball or kickball.

territory game
A game where teams move into the other team's area to score in a goal or zone, like soccer, hockey or basketball.

transfer
Using a skill or idea you learned in one activity in a different activity.

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you learned that every activity has components: purpose, skills, rules, equipment, boundaries, scoring and safety. You saw that they are different in every activity.

This year you will look for what is the same. Games can be sorted into four categories. Games in the same category share many features, so what you learn in one helps you in the others!

The four categories

Ask: What is the main goal of the game?

A school gym with basketballs, a soccer ball, beanbags, hoops, a plastic bat and ball, small goals and a volleyball net. — The equipment gives clues about the game category: beanbags and hoops for target games, the net for net/wall games, the bat and ball for striking/fielding, and the goals for territory games. AI-generated image

Category	Main goal	Examples
Target	Send an object to land on or near a target, more accurately than others.	Curling, bocce, bowling, golf, disc golf, beanbag toss
Net/wall	Send an object over a net (or against a wall) so the other side can't return it.	Badminton, volleyball, tennis, pickleball, table tennis, four square
Striking/fielding	Strikers hit or kick the ball and run to score; fielders try to get them out.	Baseball, softball, kickball, cricket, T-ball
Territory	Move into the other team's territory to score in a goal or zone, and stop them scoring in yours.	Soccer, basketball, hockey, ringette, lacrosse, ultimate, football

The four categories of games, their main goals and examples.

The four categories of games and the main goal of each one.

Features games in a category share

Target games

Players often take turns.
Accuracy and choosing the right force matter most.
In some, you can block or knock away the other team's objects (curling, bocce).

Net/wall games

A court split by a net, or a wall to hit against.
You try to send the object to open space the other side can't reach.
After each hit, players return to a ready spot.

Striking/fielding games

Teams take turns striking and fielding (innings).
Strikers score by running between bases or wickets.
Fielders spread out to cover space and throw to get runners out.

Territory games

Both teams play in the same space at the same time.
Players switch quickly between offence (your team has the object) and defence.
Passing, moving to open space and marking players matter in all of them.

Transfer: one game helps another

Because games in a category are alike, skills and ideas transfer:

Moving to open space to get a pass works in soccer, basketball and ultimate.
Hitting to the empty part of the court works in badminton and pickleball.
Aiming and choosing force in beanbag toss helps in bocce and curling.

A tactic learned in one game transfers to other games in the same category.

Individual activities

Not every activity is a game against others. Individual activities include dance, gymnastics, swimming, skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skipping and running. They have components too, like skills, equipment, safety and often a personal goal (a time, a distance or a routine).

Snow snake is a traditional winter game played today by the Haudenosaunee and some other First Nations communities. Players slide a long, smooth wooden stick called a snake along a packed track of snow, and the snake that travels farthest scores. Makers carve and care for their snakes with great skill, and community tournaments are held in winter.

Worked example

Let's compare two net/wall games

How are badminton and volleyball alike and different?

Category: both are net/wall games.
Alike: a court split by a net; send the object over so the other side can't return it; aim for open space; get back to a ready position.
Different: badminton uses a racquet and shuttle and is played 1 vs 1 or 2 vs 2; volleyball uses hands and arms and a ball, with up to 3 touches per side and bigger teams.
Transfer: the tactic of hitting to open space works in both.

They share the main goal and tactics of net/wall games, but their equipment, number of players and touches are different.

Worked example

Let's sort a new game

In "Pin Guard", one team tries to knock down the other team's plastic bottles by rolling a ball across the gym, while the other team guards the bottles and intercepts the ball. Both teams play at the same time. Which category is it?

Is there a target? Yes, the bottles.
But do both teams play in the same space at the same time, attacking and defending? Yes.
Do players switch quickly between offence (rolling) and defence (guarding)? Yes.
Many gym games mix features. Because both teams invade and defend at the same time, it fits best as a territory game, with a target as the goal.

Territory game (with a target as the goal). It's okay that games mix features; look at the main goal and how teams play.

Hands-on activity

Four-category backyard games

You need: rolled socks or a soft ball, a laundry basket, a skipping rope or string tied between two chairs, 2 markers for bases, 2 markers for a goal and a few family members.

Target: Toss socks into the basket from 3 steps away. Take turns. Closest or most in wins.
Net/wall: Tie a rope between two chairs as a net. Tap a soft ball or a balloon (grown-up handles balloons) back and forth over it. Try to land it where your partner isn't.
Striking/fielding: Mini kickball: one person kicks a rolled ball and runs to the base and back; the fielder fetches the ball and touches home first to get them out.
Territory: 1 vs 1 or 2 vs 2. Pass or dribble the ball to score between the other team's markers.
After each game, say which category it was and one feature it shares with a real sport.

Safety: Clear space, soft balls, gentle play, no pushing. Pick up balloon pieces right away.

Just for fun

Funny but true: in curling, players use brooms to sweep the ice in front of the stone to help it slide. It's the only sport where doing chores can win you the game!

Your turn

Name the four categories of games.

Which category is curling?

Which category is ringette?

Which category is kickball?

What is the main goal in a net/wall game?

Name one feature that all territory games share.

Do it and check: Play 3 rounds of sock toss. Then say which category it is and why.

More practice: warm-up

Which category is badminton?

Which category is basketball?

Which category is bowling?

Which category is baseball?

What does transfer mean?

More practice: on your own

How are soccer and hockey alike? Name two features.

Why do striking/fielding teams spread out in the field?

Four square uses a ball and a court with four squares. Players hit the ball into another square so the other player can't return it. Which category, and why?

Give an example of a skill that transfers from beanbag toss to bocce.

Name three components of skating as an individual activity.

Challenge

Make up a new game for one category. Name the category and describe the goal, equipment and one rule.

Snow snake and curling are both winter activities. Compare them: one way they are alike and one way they are different.

A friend says, "I'm good at badminton, so I'll never be good at volleyball." Use transfer to respond.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which game is a target game?

Which game is a net/wall game?

Which game is a striking/fielding game?

Which is a feature of territory games?

Hitting the shuttle to an empty part of the court is a tactic for which category?

What does transfer mean in physical education?

In snow snake, which snake scores?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 4 students identify common features of different physical activities, sorting games into four categories (target, net/wall, striking/fielding, territory), and recognize how skills and tactics transfer among games in the same category. They also think about the components of individual activities.

How to help at home:

When you watch or play sports, ask: "Which category is that? What other game is it like?"
Play one quick game from each category in the backyard or park.
Share games from your own childhood or culture and sort them together.

Common difficulties:

Games that mix features (for example, a gym game with a target in a territory game). Focus on the main goal and how teams play; it is fine to say a game mixes categories.
Thinking a sport has to be played on a team to be a game. Target and net/wall games are often 1 vs 1.

About snow snake: Snow snake is a traditional winter game of the Haudenosaunee and some other First Nations, still played in communities today, including at winter tournaments. If you would like to learn more, look for resources made by First Nations communities or organizations.

Social-emotional learning: Sorting and comparing games and inventing new ones builds critical and creative thinking; playing games with family builds healthy relationships.