Simon Says with a Twist
Variation: Do as I say and not as I do. As you give commands you do something else. Challenge is to do what you say and not imitate your motions.
4 Corners
One volunteer closes his eyes. Everyone else goes to one of the four corners of the room, which are numbered. The volunteer calls out one of the numbers, and all in that corner sit down. The remaining kids then choose a corner and the activity is repeated until there are only 4 remaining. At that point each child must go to his own corner. If no one is in the corner called, the volunteer chooses another number. Last one remaining gets to be new volunteer.
More fun is to have only those in the corner called remain in the game -- all others are out. It speeds up the game and lets you play it again. Also, those in the corner called are the "winners," not the "losers."
More fun than above: When the volunteer calls out a number, ONLY those at that corner stay in the game. The game goes faster and can then be repeated.
Touch a Color
Everyone wanders around the room as music plays. When it stops the teacher calls out a color and everyone must touch something that color by the time the teacher counts to ten.
4 Up, Stand Up (or 7 Up, Stand Up)
4 (or 7) volunteers come up front. Everyone else puts their heads down with eyes closed. The 4 wander around room and each tap someone. Those tapped raise their hands. When the 4 are back up front everyone opens their eyes, and those with raised hands stand up. They each get one guess as to who tapped them. If right they change places.
Hunt for Hidden Pieces
Two sets of pieces to a puzzle, etc. are hidden around the room. The two puzzles are color-coded for the two teams. At a signal they race to find their pieces and complete their puzzle. Each piece found must be brought to a designated spot for assembly. For Thanksgiving the puzzle can be parts of a complete dinner, called "Fill Your Plate First."
Categories
There are two teams. A volunteer from one teams comes up to the board. On cards are written various categories, such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, candy bars, models of cars, sports teams, flowers, insects, land animals, sea creatures, things in the kitchen, things in the living room, colors, games, etc. They are in pairs for each team of equal difficulty. The card is shown to the class and the volunteer, who then has a designated amount of time to write as many examples in that category as he can. Those on his team shout out answers to help him.
Alternately, one volunteer from each team may come up at the same time. Each of them and their team is shown a card with a different category. Both teams are shouting answers to their team member at the same time.
Category pairs:
cereals, candy bars
flowers, bugs
things in the kitchen, things in the living room
countries, cities
flavors of ice cream, models of cars
fruits, vegetables
land animals, sea creatures
dogs, cars
famous people, insects
sports teams, flowers
Rhyming Categories
The teacher calls out pairs or sets of words that rhyme. Some fit the category (such as things to eat, things that can be gifts, etc.) and some do not. If they fit the kids clap in front of their bodies. If they don't fit, they clap behind. Example:
Eatable - Uneatable
potatoes - tomatoes - tornadoes - fork - pork - cork - honey - money - ham - lamb - jam - cream - dream - scream - turkey - Albuquerque - jerky - chips - dips - lips - lake - cake - snake - peas - keys - trees - cheese - eggs - pegs - mice - rice - ice - meat - feet - wheat - jello - fellow - marshmallow - fritos - cheetos - mosquitoes
Silence
The kids in silence arrange themselves according to some plan. By height, by their birthdays (they display their birthday on a post-it note), by telephone number, etc. Height is the only one that reqires no thought or preparation or skills beyond those of a first-grader.
Act Out
One student simply acts out some activity (e.g.cooking) and the other students guess what that student is doing. The student who guesses correctly acts out another acitvity...
flying a kite, cooking, painting a house, watching TV, blowing a bubble with bubble gum, shopping for groceries, washing the dishes, riding a roller coaster, wrapping a present, mowing the lawn, picking flowers, climbing a tree, playing soccer
(Visual with these activities printed out is in my documents, games)
Fill in the Blanks
Everyone writes down a "thing" on on piece of paper. They are collected and put in a bag. Then the teacher or a good reader reads a story that has blank spaces for all the nouns. Each time the reader comes to a blank he reaches in the bag and pulls out a word to fill it in.
Alternately, ask everyone to think of a thing and then call on those who raise their hands and fill in the blanks in the story ahead of time with those words. Then read the story.
I Spy
Have 2 teams. One kid comes up and says I spy something red. His team members raise hands and take guesses. Total up how many guesses it takes for each round.
River Rats or Tightrope
Entire group walks around room in a big circle. On the floor are one or more rugs. Play music, when it stops all on rugs are eliminated. Last 6 get candy.
Or put masking tape about 6 feet long on floor as the tightrope. Group walks around perimeter of room and when they come to tightrope must stay on tape. When music stops, all on tightrope have fallen off and must sit down.
Candy, Candy, Who's Got the Candy?
One volunteer comes up front. Several pieces of candy are given out randomly to kids. At the music, everyone passes his candy to someone else or pretends to. Those without any candy can pretend to pass it, too. When music stops, the volunteer gets one or more guesses to choose someone with candy. If he is right, he gets all the candy. If he is wrong, those holding it get to keep it.
The group can form a large circle for this game. Give the candy out only to those on one side of the circle, so "it" can see all who have it at the start. You might want to make a rule that those who first get the candy must pass it right away to prevent them from "hoarding" it and making it too easy to guess who has it.
Macaroni and Cheese
2 members from each team string macaroni and yellow beads ("cheese") on opposite ends of a long string as 2 members from the other team do the same. After a given amount of time, the team with the longest accumulation wins.
Balloon Bounce
Divide the room into two teams. Kids must stay in their seats. One team starts, and keeps a balloon up in the air as long as possible. Each time it is batted up is one point, and points are accumulated until it touches the floor, someone gets up from his seat, or the same person hits it more than twice in a row. The other team then tries. Highest score wins.
Balloon Barrage
Divide room into two teams. Kids must stay in their seats. With help from assistants, an equal number (3 to 6) of balloons for each team are released into their space, one at a time. (Each team's balloons are of a different color, so if a team's balloon strays into the other team's territory, it won't be touched.) The object of the game is to keep your team's balloons in the air. You may not touch a balloon twice in a row, only after someone else has touched it. The penalty for doing so or for getting up from a seated position is to have one of your team's balloons removed from play by an adult. If a balloon touches the floor it is out of play. The last team with a balloon in the air is the winner.
Balloon Volleyball
Two teachers hold a string stretched across the middle of the room for the net.
To choose which team serves first, teacher thinks of a number from one to 10. A child from each team guesses the number. Closest one serves first.
Serve is by kids farthest from net. The team can hit the balloon no more than 3 times to get it over the net or the other team scores. Also, a team is scored against if someone gets up from his seat, or if the balloon touches the floor on its side of the net (it's ok if it hits the desks), if the balloon or a player touches the net, or if the balloon goes under the net. When play ends for any of these reasons, the other team serves. Game is up when a team gets at least 8 points after an equal number of serves by each team.
Pictionary
A Kid picks a slip of paper from a bag with name of object written on it. He draws the object on the blackboard for his team, which has a limited time to guess it. If they don't, the other team has 5 seconds to guess. Or have kids on team raise their hands if they think they know. A child is called on to answer. Score is kept of how many guesses it takes with a limit of 10. Lowest score wins.
Musical Chairs variations
a. Pass prize around and when music stops, person to left of one holding it is out but gets to keep prize.
b. Instead of chairs, use marks or paper plates on floor, 1 less than number playing.. When music stops, everyone goes to plate. The person left out is out. Remove one plate and continue.
Getting to Know You (icebreaker)
Everyone walks around the room as music plays. When it stops each child finds someone who is not in his class, says his name and tells something about himself called out by the leader:
My middle name is_______.
I have ____ sisters and _____ brothers.
My favorite color is____________.
I love my Mom because she _______________.
Someday I would like to ____________.
My favorite place to go is____________.
The best thing that ever happened to me was_____________.
My favorite thing to do is______________.
I can't wait until summer vacation so I can______________.
My favorite flavor of ice cream is_______________.
When I'm really hungry I like to eat_____________.
The funniest thing that ever happened to me was the time I__________________.
If I could travel anywhere in the world I would go to_________________.
Bigger or Bust
Several volunteers each blow up a balloon. The object is to blow it up the biggest without breaking it. Have the kids count to 10 as the players blow, then stop so all the players can compare balloons, then count again. Repeat until someone's bursts, or all decide to stop. Biggest wins.
Ball or Balloon Relay Race
First members of each team race, holding ball or balloon between their knees. If they drop it, they must retrieve it and continue. When they reach finish line, they pick up ball and run back to next person in line.
Hoop Race
Divide the group in two equal teams. If one team has one less than the other, have a volunteer fill in on that team. The teams line up facing each other. A hula hoop is given to the first person in each line. On the signal they step through the hoop and pass it over their heads, giving it to the next in line to repeat. The first team to finish wins.
Pop the "Balloon"
Have the whole group form one large circle, holding hands. Explain that they will become a deflated balloon which will blow itself up until it pops, and everyone falls down. Have the group, still holding hands, come together in the center as tightly as possible. Then tell them to start blowing, as they expand the circle. Continue until the circle stretches and breaks at some point, "popping the balloon," when everyone falls down.
Who Is the Monkey?
The players choose the leader. He/she goes out. While the leader is absent the players choose the monkey. When the leader returns, "the monkey" begins to make movements - to shake the head, to stamp with the foot etc. The players repeat all the movements. They must do it so as the leader cannot understand who is the monkey. If the leader guesses who "the monkey" is, "the monkey" becomes the leader in the next round.
Backdraw
2 Volunteers: one sees a simple picture you have drawn (you can show it to the audience or not).
The one who didn't see it stands facing the blackboard. The other one draws the picture on the first one's back as he tries to draw it on the board. If the audience hasn't seen the picture they can guess what it is.
Variation: have 3 volunteers line up in front of board. The last one draws the picture on the second one's back and he draws it on the first one's back. He draws it on the board.
Barnyard
Give each child a slip of paper with the name of an animal written on it. Tell everyone to keep it a secret. Collect the slips. On the signal everyone walks around making the noise their animal makes, tries to find others of their kind, and come together in a group. No words are allowed. Suggested animals: chicken, pig, cow, duck, dog, cat, donkey.
REVIEW GAMES
Balloon Bounce: Divide group into two teams, ask questions alternately. If answered correctly, person gets to bounce a balloon in the air with one hand behind his back. Team gets 1000 points for each bounce until it touches the floor. Person not allowed to move feet. After a maximum of 20 bounces the team gets a bonus of 5000 points and turn ends.