Let's Play!

Wolf and Chickens -

Materials: none

1. Two lines are draw approximately 40 feet apart.
2. The children are the “chickens” and line up behind one of the lines. One child is the wolf and stands between the two lines.
3. The wolf pretends to be a chicken and says, “Cluck, cluck” and flaps his arms. But when the wolf shouts, “Wolf,” all the chickens must run to the other line. If the wolf tags them, they must become wolves, too, and help the wolf catch the other chickens.
4. The game continues until all the chickens are caught. The last one caught becomes the wolf for the next game.

• A similar game called “sharks and minnows” can be played. Have the minnows get behind a line as the shark tries to catch them when “shark” is called.

Red Light

Materials: none

1. Two lines are draw 30 feet apart. The children stand behind one line while “it” stands on the opposite line.
2. “It” turns her back to the other players and calls out, “One, two, three, red light!” On this signal, “it” turns and faces the other players. If anyone is caught moving, the player is sent back to the starting line.
3. The first one to tag “it” becomes the new leader.

Statue

Materials: none

1. Divide the children into groups of four or five.
2. Each group thinks of a statue they can make with their bodies. (It could relate to song, nursery rhyme, book, theme, etc.)
3. Groups perform their statue for their classmates, while classmates try to guess what their title or theme might be.

• Increase the size of the groups to see how many people they can incorporate into their statue.

Follow the Leader

Materials: none

1. One person is chosen to be the leader. The rest of the class marches behind the leader and does just what the leader does.
2. The leader can walk, hop, run, skip, wave their arms, go under something, slide down the slide, and so forth.
3. After several minutes another child is chosen to be the leader.

Jump the Creek

Materials: 2 jump ropes

1. Place the two ropes on the ground a few inches apart to make a “creek.”
2. Have the children line up single file and try to jump over the creek one at a time without stepping on a rope.
3. After every child has jumped, move the ropes a little farther apart to make the creek wider.
4. Continue moving the ropes farther apart and letting the children jump over them. When a player can no longer jump over the rope, he must stand to the side of the game and be a cheerleader.
5. The object of the game is to see how far the children can jump.

• You can play a similar game by drawing lines in the sand or dirt.

Silent Ball

Materials: koosh ball or other soft ball

1. Have the children form a circle.
2. Give one child the ball. He or she throws it to another child without calling the child’s name or saying anything.
3. If a child fails to catch the ball or drops the ball, the child is out of the game.
4. Continue throwing the ball silently until there are just two players left.

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