Run through the jungle
Age Range: 5-11
I’ve used this with as many as 180 kids at once.
Children are running through the ‘jungle’ and run into many animals, etc that they need to get away from. The teacher can give appropriate commands, and the children carry out a suitable action:
- jump over logs
- duck under branches
- high knees through quicksand
- run from the tiger
- tip toe past the snake
- talk to the monkeys (ooh, ooh, aah, aah), etc.
This really gets kids’ hearts pumping and they have a blast!
Team sitting
Age range 5-11
This task is an exercise for children to work as a class – learning to be a ‘team’! They must also be very careful and help each other as much as possible.
Children are to stand in a circle, as close together as possible, then turn to face right – their left arm should be in the centre of the circle. Get the children to move a step in so that they are physically body to body with the children in front – it has to be so for the exercise to work!!!
On three, all children should try to sit! They will find that the person behind will support them, therefore so will the person behind them and so on – weight is evenly distributed! They will be able to almost hover!!
Messy Rooms
Age Range: 5-11
You will need 20 tennis balls. Split the hall / gym in half and split the class in 2 groups.
The aim of the game is to have the least amount of balls at your side. The children will roll all their tennis balls to the other side of the room, while the other team tries to pass them all back. After a fixed amount of time, count up the number of tennis balls on each side.
The side with the lowest number of tennis balls is the winner!
Sharks
Age range 5-11
Have a set of hoops scattered about the floor, with children moving about ‘swimming’. The stroke can be changed with older children, e.g. front crawl / back stroke / running backwards.
When the teacher shouts “sharks”, the children must get into hoops as quickly as possible (2 children to a hoop).
Remove one hoop each time you shout “sharks”, and ask the children to help when they are out to still make them feel part of it.
When only two people are left make them touch the wall at each side of the hall on the way round the hoop to avoid cheating!
Brilliant fun!
Washing clothes
Age range 5-11
Try the washing game with the children in your class. Commands are as follows:
- Skirt – Children sit on floor with legs stretched out wide.
- Trousers – Children sit on floor with legs outstretched together.
- Shorts – Children sit on floor hugging legs into stomach.
- Dress – Children stand up with legs outstretched.
- Washing machine – Jump up and down on the spot.
- Spin Dryer – Spin around on the spot.
Noughts and Crosses
Age range 5-11
You will need 9 hoops and 6 bibs or bean bags. The children a divided into two teams. Each team has different colour bibs or bean bags (ie one team has yellow bibs and the other red). The first two students from each line run out to the hoops and deposit a bib or bag into a hoop and return to their line. The second and third in line repeats this process. Students are then able to re-deposit the bibs to attempt to achieve “a line of three” either horizontally or diagonally in the hoops – as in the game noughts and crosses. A fast pace game with pressure!
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