All My Children

Elephant, Palm Tree, Boat

Description of game:

In this fast-paced game, children need to think quickly and work together to pantomime different objects.

Most suitable for:

1st through 4th graders Requirements:

• 5-10 minutes
• Any indoor or outdoor space big enough for a seated circle

Pre-game setup: None

How to play

1. The group sits in a circle. The teacher points to a student and says his or her name, immediatelyfollowed by the name of one of three objects. For example: “Breffni, elephant.” This student and the student immediately to the right and to the left stand. The three students then pantomime the named object, using specific movements:

• Elephant—The center person joins both arms together, points them downward, and sways them from side to side to mimic a trunk. The two people on either side make half-circles with their arms to mimic ears.
• 
• Palm tree—The center person raises both arms high in the air and sways them to mimic windblown fronds. The other two people hold their arms out to the side and sway them like a hula dancer.
• Boat—The center person stands on one leg, covers one eye with a hand to pretend to be a pirate, and salutes with the other hand. The people on either side paddle the boat.

1. When the trio has successfully pantomimed the object, the teacher points to another student: “Shona, boat.” Shona then becomes the middle person of the next trio, who will pantomime a boat.

Helpful hints

1. Since children will need to learn and remember nine new movements, it’s important to practice the movements with them before starting the game. With a young class, you might want to begin the game with only one object.
2. You can ask the children to suggest new objects or creative movements for depicting them. This allows children to feel ownership of the game.
3. Younger children might forget that the trio consists of the named child plus the child to his/her immediate right and left and that only the group of three stands to do a movement. To help them remember, practice calling the name of a student and then having the appropriate group of three stand up.
4. When you first play the game, go slowly, allowing plenty of time for the children to make the shapes. As the game progresses, you can pick up the pace.

No-Look Countdown

Description of game:

This is a fun, quick game to use in an extra few minutes. Most suitable for:

1st through 4th graders

Requirements:

• 5 minutes

• Children must be able to count to 10 and, for a variation, backwards from 10 to 1

• Pre-game setup: None

How to play

Working in groups of ten, children try to count to ten with each child saying one number.

The rules are that:

• Only one child can speak at a time.
• Children can’t indicate in any way (pointing, looking, nodding, etc.) who is going to say the next number.
• Groups can’t plan a strategy in advance.
• Players can’t simply go around in a circle, each saying a number in sequence.

Helpful hints

1. If you have a small class, you can work with fewer than ten children in a group. If this makes the game too easy, have the class play as one large group.
2. It’s important to keep this game fast and light. If a group makes a mistake, have them quickly start over until they get to ten. If groups seem to get frustrated, either mix up the groups and try again or save the game for another day.

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