March Activities - Playground Games

Playground Games from Slovakia

White, Blue, Red

Number of players: 3
Instruments: skipping – rope
Every player has colour (white, blue or red).
Two players turn whit skipping – rope and they repeat names of colours.
One of the players skips over skipping – rope.
The next player is going to skip, if his colour isn’t skipped.


Red and Black

It’s fun for children and teacher, too. Teacher is the leader of the game.
Children are divided into teams: Red team and black team.
Teams stand on the line back to back. ( look at the picture)
Teacher commands: ”Now, red team is chasing!” – red team chase black team
and black team can rescue only in black team’s house.
If red team overtake somebody, he remains in their team. Game repeats.
Teacher can design chasing team.

Houses

Teacher is the leader of the game.Children divide into trinities.
Two pupils create house and the third pupil is inhabitant of the house. ( look at the picture)
Houses stand in all the playground. Teacher commands: ”One”- house change
”Two”- inhabitants change
”Three”- houses and inhabitants change.

Children must change for command. ____________________________________________

Playground games from Corvo

The Rope Game

Great warm up/lesson activity – children really enjoy this one – keeps everyone moving and paying attention all the time – great team game – good for coordination – works with whole class – suitable from Yr1 up

Resources: 2 long skipping ropes – 2x2 short ones tied together work just as well
Some cones/markers (optional)

Arrange the Teams:
Divide class into two teams
Within teams, children get into pairs
Arrange teams, cones and skipping ropes as below

How to play:
The first pair run forward and grab their skipping rope, one at each end.
They drag it along the ground so that the rest of the team have to jump over it one pair at a time.
When the last pair has jumped over the rope, the pair dragging the rope pull it taught, at shoulder height, and run it back over the heads of their team-mates who simultaneously now crouch below the rope.
The pair with the rope return it to it’s original position, tag the next pair and then join the back of the line.
Keep going until all have had one or two turns – winners first team to all complete agreed number of turns, return rope to start and all sit down quietly.

Cat and Mouse

Children sit in circle with two objects which can be called 'cat and 'mouse'. The mouse is passed around the circle and when halfway, the cat is sent around to catch the mouse. Cat can also change direction, in which case the mouse should try to stay opposite the cat in the circle.

Catch

One child closes his/her eyes and counts to 40 while others hide (hence the name 40-40). This child stands at the 'can' while counting. After s/he catches a person, the catcher brings that person back to the 'can', where they have to wait. However, another child who is not caught can 'free' the children in the 'can' by touching them while saying '40-40, I free all'. The child who 'frees all' (when all but himself/herself are caught) will be the catcher for the next game.

Mother May I?

The object of the game is for each of the children to try to touch the leader. The leader decides how each child progresses by saying, for example 'Laura, do a tomato' and Laura has to 'do' a tomato. The things to 'do' are: 'a tomato' (step backwards) 'a baby step' (small step) or 'a giant step' (big step) 'a umbrella' (turn around until leader says stop) 'a train' (say choo choo and go forward until leader says stop) (children should also make up new moves for themselves). Before the child does anything, the child must say 'Mother May I' and get a 'yes you may' reply.

Benchball

Benchball is played with 5 people on each team. One player is the catcher who stands on a bench . The object of the game is to throw the ball to your catcher and if he catches it , your team gets a point.

Red Light, Green Light, One, Two, Three

One person (the leader) stands facing a wall. Group of children stand 10 metres behind at 'the start'. The leader calls out 'Red Light, Green Light, One, Two, Three' and jumps around. During this time, the rest of the children try to run up and touch the leader. However, if the leader sees anyone move when s/he turns around, then that person has to return to 'the start'. The child who touches the leader first becomes the leader for the next game.