Thanksgiving PE Game by Teach Simple

About this resource

What's inside this resource

Wiley Coyotes vs the Wild Turkeys is a full-class tag game for physical education: students split into two teams, with the larger 'Turkey' group defending hula-hoop nests full of foam-ball eggs while 'Coyote' taggers try to steal one egg per tag and deposit it in a bucket before time runs out. A lesson-plan template lists the equipment (hula hoops, foam balls, colored jerseys, buckets, pool-noodle taggers), a warm-up slot, a group activity where students read animal fact cards about turkeys and coyotes before playing, and blank fields for the teacher to fill in the specific grade level and learning target. The plan lists five numbered SHAPE America national PE standards addressed by the activity and offers modifications such as varying team size or allowing a strategy break. The file also embeds two links to the seller's Teachers Pay Teachers store. The same lesson-plan structure used here — equipment list, warm-up slot, and SHAPE America standards — is available on its own as a blank PE lesson plan template for building additional gym lessons.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Demonstrate dodging and fleeing agility while avoiding taggers during active gameplay.
Apply teamwork and strategy by coordinating with teammates to guard or recover 'eggs' from the shared buckets.
Recall factual details about turkey and coyote behavior introduced on the pre-game animal fact cards.

Teaching tips

Assign the Coyote role in rotation so every student gets a turn at both roles across multiple rounds, as the plan suggests.
Read the turkey and coyote fact cards aloud or project them before starting, since the game links to a Science connection.
Use the blank 'Learning Target' and 'Grade Level(s)' fields to adapt the same game plan across multiple grade levels.

Skills covered

Agility and dodging — students flee and change direction to avoid being tagged while protecting or stealing 'eggs.'
Team strategy — students decide as a group how to guard buckets and time steal-back attempts on defended nests.
Cross-curricular animal facts — students read short fact cards about turkey and coyote biology and behavior before playing.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

What happens to a Turkey after they're tagged by a Coyote?

The plan doesn't specify a set exercise — it leaves the choice open, stating only that a tagged Turkey must perform some specific exercise chosen by the teacher before rejoining play.

Can Turkeys get a stolen egg back once a Coyote has deposited it in a bucket?

Yes — Turkeys are allowed to steal their egg back from a guarded bucket and return it to their nest, though doing so risks being tagged again by the Coyote guarding it.

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Resource details

Concepts & topics

Core concepts

Agility
Tag games
Physical education standards

Topics

Thanksgiving PE games November coyotes turkeys

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