15 Gym Class Activities That Would Never Be Allowed Now
These old-school gym class games were fun, chaotic, and wildly unsafe by today’s standards.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Back in the day, gym class was less about fitness and more about pure mayhem. Kids were thrown into activities that would send modern safety experts into full panic mode. Here are 15 gym class classics that would be banned in a heartbeat today.
1. Dodgeball to the Face
Wan San Yip on Unsplash
A game where kids could hurl rubber balls at each other’s heads with full force? Yikes. Fun, sure — but it often ended with bruises and bruised egos.
2. The Giant Parachute Stampede
Linsmaim on Wikimedia Commons
Lifting a massive parachute was magical, until everyone ran underneath in a tangled stampede. Kids tripped, bonked heads, and occasionally panicked mid-run.
3. Red Rover (a Shoulder Dislocator’s Dream)
Michael Sarver on Flickr
Red Rover dared kids to sprint full speed into linked arms. Someone always got clotheslined or flung backward like a ragdoll.
4. Crab Walk Races Across Filthy Floors
Wisconsin National Guard on Flickr
Walking on all fours, backwards, across a gym floor wasn’t just weird — it was a wrist injury waiting to happen. Plus, the amount of dirt and germs you collected? Gross.
5. Climbing the Rope to Nowhere
Leon Ardho on Pexels
“Touch the ceiling” was the goal, even if you didn’t have the strength. No harness, no mats — just raw rope and hope.
6. Bombardment (Dodgeball’s Meaner Cousin)
Gold Chain Collective on Unsplash
Bombardment was like dodgeball on steroids. Multiple balls flying at once, no safe zones, and chaos everywhere.
7. Floor Hockey with Real Sticks
PxHere
Hard plastic sticks, no padding, and a puck that could break toes. It was intense and slightly terrifying. Getting whacked was part of the game.
8. Tug of War on Concrete
Attareza Naufal on Unsplash
Two teams, one rope, and absolutely no grip-friendly flooring. Rope burns, scraped knees, and the occasional faceplant were guaranteed.
9. Mat Wrestling with Zero Rules
John Sachs on Flickr
Kids were tossed into “friendly matches” with no clue what they were doing. Someone always took it too far. It was WWE meets school gym.
10. Running Laps as Punishment
COD Newsroom on Flickr
“Forgot your gym clothes? Start running.” Laps were the universal punishment for anything and everything. Motivation through exhaustion is not exactly the best practice anymore.
11. Scooter Races (a.k.a. Ankle Killers)
Antonius Ferret on Pexels
Those plastic square scooters were fun until they clipped your heel or shot out from under you. Fast, low to the ground, and zero protection.
12. British Bulldog Free-for-All
RUN 4 FFWPU on Pexels
A game that involved sprinting into a mob of kids trying to tackle you? Bold. You needed speed, strength, and a high pain threshold.
13. Hurdles Without Proper Spacing
Wikimedia Commons
Rusty metal hurdles jammed close together? Yeah, safe. Kids would trip, fall hard, and sometimes take others down with them.
14. Climbing Wall Bars with No Supervision
Jezsuita Levéltár on Wikimedia Commons
Metal wall bars looked cool but were often used recklessly. Kids climbed, swung, and sometimes leapt off them like stuntmen.
15. Kickball with Zero Boundaries
University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu on Flickr
No cones, no lines; just chaos. Balls flew into parking lots, over fences, or at unsuspecting bystanders. Fun? Absolutely. Safe? Not even close.