Fun Outdoor PE Games for the Autumn Term
Autumn weather may be cooler, but outdoor PE doesn’t need to stop. Discover fun games, practical tips and resources to keep pupils active, whatever the season.
Autumn is here. Mornings are cooler, the grass is wetter and there are suddenly leaves everywhere! But that doesn’t mean outdoor PE needs to stop.
We shared lots of ideas in our Summer Outdoor PE Guide, but getting outside shouldn’t finish when summer does. With a little preparation, children can keep enjoying active PE throughout the autumn term.
Below, we’ve shared some fun outdoor PE games, practical tips for colder days and a few PE Planning resources to help keep your pupils moving as the weather begins to change.
Why keep PE outdoors during Autumn?
Outdoor space gives children more room to move, explore and play. It is particularly useful for running, chasing, sending, receiving and invasion games that can feel restricted in a small hall.
Of course, October weather can be unpredictable. One minute it’s bright and crisp; the next it’s raining sideways! We aren’t suggesting taking a class outside whatever the conditions. Check the space, use your judgement and be ready to make a sensible change if you need to.
On most cooler days, outdoor PE is still perfectly manageable. Get the children moving quickly and they will usually warm up far sooner than the adults!
Prepare for cooler outdoor PE lessons
In our experience, wet leaves can cause more problems than a little rain. Take a couple of minutes to check the space and add a few cones, to make the lesson much safer and easier to manage.
Here are a few other things I would think about before taking a class outside at this time of year:
- Remind pupils about suitable kit. Depending on your school policy, this might include tracksuit bottoms, a sweatshirt or fleece and suitable outdoor trainers. Spare socks can also be useful on damp days.
- Remember the adults too! A warm or waterproof layer makes supervising and teaching outdoors far more comfortable.
- Check the surface before the lesson. Look out for wet leaves, mud, puddles, ice or any other hazards. Move the activity or reduce the playing area if part of the space is unsuitable.
- Have equipment ready. The less time children spend waiting while cones and bibs are organised, the better.
- Use an active warm-up. Begin with gentle movement and build the intensity gradually. On colder days, avoid a warm-up with long explanations or children waiting in queues.
- Keep instructions short. Bring pupils together briefly, explain the next task and get them moving again.
- Have a simple Plan B. If the weather or surface becomes unsafe, know how you will adapt the activity or move indoors.
One small thing that really helps is having a sheltered meeting point where pupils know to gather for instructions. Good routines matter even more when it is windy, chilly or beginning to drizzle.
Fun outdoor PE games for Autumn
End-zone challenge
Create two end zones and split pupils into small teams. Teams score by moving the ball into their end zone through passing and movement. Players cannot run while holding the ball, which encourages teammates to move into space.
Use a rugby ball for a tag rugby focus, a larger ball for younger pupils or allow controlled passing with the feet for football. Keep the teams small so that every child has opportunities to receive and use the ball.
Through the Gates
Scatter pairs of cones around the area to create lots of small gates. Working in pairs, pupils score a point each time they pass a ball through a different gate.
The game can be adapted in plenty of ways. Pupils could roll, throw or kick the ball, depending on the lesson focus. They could also dribble through the gates using their feet or a hockey stick. Make gates wider for pupils who need more success, or smaller for those ready for an extra challenge.
Colour Corners
Mark four corners of the space with different coloured cones. Pupils travel around the area using a movement you choose—jogging, skipping, side-stepping or hopping. Call a colour and challenge them to reach that corner safely.
Rather than eliminating the last pupil, give everyone a new challenge and play again. You could ask children to travel with a partner, change direction on a signal or perform a balance when they arrive.
This is an easy way to develop listening, spatial awareness and different ways of moving.
Follow the Leader
Place pupils in groups of four or five. The leader travels around the space, changing their speed, direction and movement. The rest of the group follows before another pupil takes the lead.
For older children, add a ball or ask leaders to create movements linked to the lesson. It is simple, needs very little equipment and gives children a chance to be creative.
Autumn sports that work well outdoors
I’ve always found autumn a good time for invasion games. The children stay active, there is plenty of natural progression, opportunities for small sided games and activities can easily be adjusted to suit the space available.
Our Football lesson plans cover Years 1 to 6, progressing from simple movement and ball control to passing, dribbling, defending and decision-making. Football activities are easy to adapt to a playground, MUGA or field, and small games mean more touches of the ball for every pupil.
Tag Rugby lesson plans are another strong autumn option. The non-contact nature of tag rugby makes it suitable for primary schools, while passing, tagging and evasion activities keep children active and encourage teamwork.
Our Hockey lesson plans develop stick control, dribbling, passing and game understanding across Years 1 to 6. Hockey can work particularly well on a playground or MUGA, as long as the surface is safe and pupils have clear rules about space, stick height and equipment.
Whichever sport you are teaching, I would avoid finishing with one large game for the whole class. Smaller teams and more playing areas take a little more setting up, but every child gets more touches, more decisions and far less time standing still.
Use Autumn themes to add extra fun
Seasonal themes can give familiar activities a fresh feel. A standard relay can become a pumpkin-delivery challenge. A movement game can include spooky characters, and a target activity can become a Halloween points challenge.
Our Calendar Resources include one-off activities linked to events throughout the school year, including Halloween ideas for October. And if the weather really does keep you inside, why not bring World Gymnastics to your school? Pupils could watch a short performance, research a gymnast or discipline, practise a sequence and then perform it to the class.
We wouldn’t suggest that you need to theme every lesson, but the occasional seasonal activity can lift the energy… Especially towards the end of a busy half term!
Encourage outdoor activity beyond PE lessons
Outdoor activity doesn’t have to be limited to the class PE timetable. Playtimes, lunchtimes and clubs are all useful opportunities to help children stay active as autumn draws in.
Our Lunchtime Games Resources include simple activities for Foundation, KS1 and KS2. Games such as Rob the Nest, Target Throw, Biathlon and Speed Bounce can be organised by lunchtime supervisors, sports coaches or trained Play Leaders.
You could choose one or two activities each week, set up a clearly marked area and rotate the games regularly. This provides structure without taking away children’s choice and can encourage pupils who are unsure how to join in with playground games.
For an extra-curricular club, use the same principle: keep the setup simple, offer lots of turns and choose activities that can be adapted quickly if the space or weather changes.
Don’t pack away outdoor PE just yet!
Autumn weather may be cooler and less predictable, but there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy PE outside. Suitable clothing, an active warm-up, safe surfaces and flexible activities can make a big difference.
In our experience, the best fun outdoor PE games don’t need lots of equipment or complicated rules. Keep children moving, cut down the queues and be ready to adjust the activity for the weather and the class in front of you.
And if the rain really does take over, that’s when it is time to use the hall and save the outdoor game for another day!
If you need any help with your lesson plans or choosing activities for your pupils, please get in touch. We’re always happy to help.
