Home Alone
Overview
Objective: Develop athletic defensive stance, 360 degree awareness, and safe tagging and equipment handling
Why teach this lesson? It teaches practical tools (using a motto/mantra and breathing) to respond to failure.
Materials: Hula hoops and cones (or other item to represent a key)
Number of players: 2+
Instructions
Lay out hoops in a playing area. One player stands in each hoop and has a cone (the “key”). They must protect the key!
Everyone else is a thief. Their goal is to steal a key without getting tagged by the player in the hoop. If they successfully snatch a key, but the person in the house tags them without stepping out of the hoop, the thief must give back the key. If successful, the thief and person in the hoop switch places. They do not run around with the key!
If tagged, they go to the side and say the motto jumping with each word: “I never lose, I either win or I learn! Nelson Mandela!” They take three breaths and then return to the game. This interrupts the natural emotional response (frustration) when “losing” this game.
NOTE: For many young people, this may be the first time they lose a game with a competitive element. Therefore it is important to directly address the emotions they might feel prior to starting the game. Show them how you would respond when they steal the cone from you. Have them practice losing the cone before starting the game.
Tips
After explaining the game, review Safety Questions:
1. How can we tag in this game safely? Should we swing our arms around us? - Tag arms, not heads or torsos.
2. What should you do if someone steals your key? - Go to the side and do the motto then return as thief.
3. Is it safe to slide? Why should we stand on our feet? - No, if knees touch the ground it is like being “tagged.”
Reflection Questions
1. How did it feel when you were in your “home” (hula hoop) and someone was trying to steal your key?
2. How did it feel when you didn’t have a home and you were trying to steal someone’s key?
3. It’s important for us to use our imaginations when we play games. What would you do to improve this game?
Game adapted from Home Alone by Defreitas.