Shark Attack

Learning

Evasion, scanning, change of direction, carrying and safe tag pulling.

Equipment

Tag belts, Rugby balls, Cones

Best group

10–30

Space / set up

Big ocean box, 4 safe islands in the corners. 1–2 sharks in tag belts.

Duration

8–12 minutes

Skills

Evasion, Tagging

• Mark a large ocean area.
• Place 2–4 safe islands around the space if using them.
• Choose one or two sharks. Other children begin as swimmers or ball carriers.

1. 1Children move around the ocean while sharks try to pull one tag.
2. 2If tagged, the child goes to a safe island, reattaches the tag, then rejoins.
3. 3Swap sharks frequently so different children experience defending.
4. 4Once confident, add rugby balls to the attackers.
5. 5Keep rounds short and energetic.

• “Sharks are coming!”
• “Find space!”
• “Protect your tags!”
• “Safe island — fix it and get back in!”

This activity is suitable for ages 3–7. Choose a stage to see the coaching guidance for that group.

Use one slow shark and large islands. Children may move without balls first.

• Very scalable because all children move at once.
• For 30, use a large enough area and several sharks rather than one child chasing everyone.
• Keep islands around the outside to prevent central congestion.

Make it easier

One slow shark, big islands, no balls to start.

Variations

• Crocodile River

  Children cross end-to-end instead of moving freely.

• Ball Shark

  Attackers carry a rugby ball.

• Rescue Shark

  A tagged child can be released by a teammate completing a handover.

Level it up

Attackers carry a rugby ball while they swim.

S: safe tagging, tags only • P: attack the space and keep moving