Creating Games With a Purpose

A Framework for PreK-5 Physical Educators

Jan Bishop, Constance Kapral, Amanda Amtmanis

• Publisher: Human Kinetics
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN: 9781718236035
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Elementary Education

Develop educational games for physical education classes.

Games are vital to student learning in the elementary physical education classroom, but not all games are rooted in appropriate practices and help educators meet standards. Creating Games With a Purpose: A Framework for PreK-5 Physical Educators provides preK-5 physical educators with step-by-step guidance to design games with contextually specific, culturally rich, and student-centered lessons to fulfill educational purposes.

Educators will explore the framework created by the authors to build games intended to match the motor skills of diverse groups of children and meet their social and emotional needs. Using this framework, the text walks PE teachers through the steps of developing games, from the initial conception of an idea to assessing and modifying games. Pedagogical strategies such as differentiation, guided questioning, and contextual considerations further support appropriate educational practices.

The authors present over 35 ready-to-use lesson plans aligned with Grade-Span Learning Indicators from the SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards. Many of these lesson plans offer opportunities for collaboration with other disciplines.

The book is broken into three sections. Part I focuses on the role of play in the lives of humans, both past and present. Nurturing creativity within play opportunities and understanding how the delivery of games affects learning outcomes are explored. Part II introduces the Physical Education Creative Framework (PE-CF) and guides educators through ready-to-use sample games for use in preK to grade 5. In part III educators get to practice designing games with guided questions that incorporate the National Physical Education Standards and the PE-CF. Pedagogical aids throughout the text include chapter objectives, boxes, sidebars, and visual elements such as charts, graphs, and diagrams of games.

Related online materials for the games in chapters 3 through 8 are delivered via HKPropel. The games are presented so that the teacher can transfer the information into the lesson plan format they find useful. Suggested teaching styles, how to introduce the game, ways to expand or deepen student learning outcomes, and contextual considerations to keep in mind are included in the game descriptions, and there are task cards, posters, exit slips, and game materials that can be printed for the reader's use. Nine videos show teachers guiding students through some of the games in the book.

Creating Games With a Purpose gives physical educators a framework to construct games that challenge and inspire elementary students to make choices, solve problems, take on leadership, and gain knowledge—all through play.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is not included with this ebook version but may be purchased separately.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• About the HKPropel Learning Content
• Part I: Linking Play, Creativity, and Teaching With Intent
• Part II: The Physical Education Creative Framework in Action
• Part III: Applying the Physical Education Creative Framework
• Index
• About the Authors