Key Stage 1 PE · Games

KS1 team games: rules, teamwork and fair play for parents

In Years 1 and 2 children take part in simple team games for the first time in a structured way. The National Curriculum asks them to take part in team games, in competitive and co-operative activities, and to begin to develop simple tactics. Much of the early learning is social: understanding rules, taking turns, sharing equipment, encouraging teammates and coping with winning and losing.

Team games, rules and fair play, explained

A five-year-old’s idea of a game is often chaotic: everyone chases the ball, rules change halfway through, and the first child to get upset can end the game. Over two years teachers gradually move children towards games with clear rules, small teams and a shared aim. Many lessons use games with two or three players on each side, because in a small group every child gets a go and nobody can hide.

Schools choose the games they use, but they usually include a mixture. Target games involve throwing or rolling something at a goal or hoop. Passing games involve moving a ball or beanbag between teammates. Chasing and tag games involve dodging. Relay games involve taking turns to run and pass on a baton or beanbag. Not every school uses all of these, and many adapt well-known playground games. The skills practised are the same: moving, throwing, catching and working with others.

Alongside the physical skills there is a lot of attention on fair play. Children are taught to listen to instructions, follow the rules even when nobody is watching, and accept decisions from a teacher or a referee. They are encouraged to say “well done” to other teams and to treat mistakes as a normal part of learning. Teachers often stop a game and ask a question such as “Was that fair? How could we change it?”, because children at this age are often very good at spotting unfairness when asked.

The curriculum describes both competitive and co-operative activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations. Competing can mean playing against another team or trying to beat your own earlier score. Co-operating means working with teammates towards a shared goal, such as keeping a ball moving round a circle without dropping it. Both are valuable, and many lessons mix the two so that children learn that you can try hard to win and still be a good team member.

Words your child will hear

Team: A group of players working together to reach the same goal.
Rule: An agreed instruction about how a game must be played, so that it is safe and fair.
Fair play: Playing honestly, following the rules and being kind to other players.
Turn: Your chance to play before the next person has theirs.
Opponent: A player on the other team.
Teammate: A player on your own team, working with you.
Score: The number of points a team or player has earned.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 1 says:

Pupils should be taught to participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
Pupils should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: inventing a fair team game

How can a small group of children make up a team game with clear rules, play it and make it fairer?

Choose a simple aim together. For example: “Each team takes beanbags from a pile on the start line and tries to get as many as possible into its own hoop in two minutes.” Say the aim aloud so everyone understands.
Agree three rules. For example: only one beanbag can be carried at a time, you may not take a beanbag out of another team’s hoop, and everyone must have a turn at carrying.
Make teams of two or three. Mark a start line and the edges of the playing area with cushions or chalk so everyone knows where the boundaries are, and place one hoop for each team.
Play for two minutes, then stop and count the score. A parent or older child can act as the referee, calling out when a rule is broken without making anyone feel bad.
Ask three questions: Was it fair? Did everyone get a go? What could we change? Perhaps a team was bigger, or the hoops were at different distances.
Change one rule, such as placing the hoops the same distance from the start line, and play again. Finish by saying something kind to the other team.

A good outcome is not who won but whether the children could explain the rules, play by them, notice when something was unfair and suggest a fix. For example, “we moved the hoops so they were the same distance, and we made a rule that everyone has a turn”. That shows understanding of fair play, teamwork and rules, which are the heart of this topic.

Common mistakes and how to help

Believing the only point of a game is to win

Children see winners praised and losers upset, and they conclude that anything else is a waste of effort.

What helps: Praise effort, kindness and good teamwork as well as results. Ask afterwards “what was your best moment?” rather than “did you win?”.

Thinking the best teammate is the one who scores

Scoring is exciting and visible, so children keep the ball to themselves and ignore players who are free.

What helps: Add a rule that everyone must touch the ball before you can score. Point out and praise the pass that made the goal possible.

Arguing about rules, or changing them to suit yourself

At five and six, children are still learning that rules apply to everyone, and they can feel unfairly treated if they are caught out.

What helps: Agree the rules before you start and repeat them. Let your child act as referee sometimes so they see why the rules matter.

Being very upset about losing and deciding they hate games

Strong feelings are normal at this age. Children are only just learning how to manage disappointment and some find it overwhelming.

What helps: Acknowledge the feeling (“it’s hard when you really wanted to win”), then talk about what went well. Play games with short rounds, so that a loss is quickly followed by a fresh start.

How to help at home

Play family games with turns. Board games, card games and garden games all teach waiting, following rules and coping with losing. Take turns to be the one who explains the rules to everyone.
Make up a game together. Let your child invent a team game using whatever is around the house, such as cushions and beanbags. Agree on the rules first, play a round and change one rule afterwards.
Co-operative challenges. Try to pass a soft ball round a circle of family members without dropping it, and count how many passes you can make. A shared target helps children enjoy teamwork rather than competition.
Practise being a good winner and loser. Shake hands or say “good game” after any game, even at home. Model it yourself when you lose, as children copy what adults do much more than what they say.

Leads on to

Key Stage 2: Invasion games
Key Stage 2: Net and wall games
Key Stage 2: Striking and fielding games
Key Stage 2: Attacking and defending