Goose, Goose, Goose
This kid-friendly game is great for teaching strategic thinking. Participants sit in a circle, and one child travels around the perimeter, touching each head and yelling “duck” as he goes. They eventually choose one youngster to play the “goose,” and they race around the circle trying to capture that child before the “goose” catches them. The “goose” returns to their own seat if they reach the end without being tagged, and the original player continues around the circle.
As the children become more experienced with the game, they begin to consider how to select a “goose” (for example, someone who isn’t paying attention) who will allow them to return to their seats without being tagged. Duck, Duck, Goose helps children to plan ahead and provides instant feedback on the quality of their choices.
Chairs with Musical Instruments
This game teaches kids how to calmly resolve conflicts, deal with disappointment, and learn patience. Set one fewer chair in a circle than the number of children participating in the game, and then play music while the youngsters move around the circle. When the music stops, the kids must attempt to sit in a chair. Children who do not receive a chair are not permitted to participate. Then take a chair out of the way and start over.
As a game of Musical Chairs proceeds, youngsters must learn to deal with the frustration of being eliminated from the game, which requires patience and courteous waiting. They must also learn to use their words to resolve disputes about whose chair is whose or who was the “first” to arrive. Make sure an adult is there to guarantee that arguments are resolved peacefully and that children who are no longer participating in the game remain cheerful.
Says Simon
Simon Says is a great game for teaching youngsters to pay attention to instructions while also allowing them to experience leadership. Simon Says is a game in which one child urges their classmates to perform stupid things by saying things like “Simon Says tap your head” or “Simon Says leap like monkeys.” The other children will then perform the action—but only if the leader adds “Simon says” to their instructions.
Kids that don’t pay attention rapidly learn that if they don’t pay attention, they’ll be the only ones doing the foolish activity. That motivates students to pay great attention to the complete set of instructions before beginning.
Your Boat is Rowing
Children’s self-awareness is a vital skill to acquire as part of the learning process. One of the reasons we require children to evaluate their own learning at Whitby is because of this. This can begin with physical self-awareness when children are young. Knowing how to control one’s body is an important life skill for children to learn. The game is simple: line up two youngsters facing each other, knees bent in front of them, holding hands. Tell them to rock back and forth to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” They’ll have to work together and keep a constant eye on their own moves. It’s preferable to play this game with a CD or a YouTube song so you may include a “freeze” aspect by quickly halting the music. This encourages kids to pay attention to aural cues and match their physical motions to them.
Hide and Seek is a popular game.
Hide and Seek is a fun way to teach problem-solving skills. Children must examine their alternatives in order to choose the best possible hiding area in order to stay hidden for the longest possible time. Because youngsters must consider aspects such as which hiding spots will provide the most cover from the most vantage points, this develops spatial awareness. Kids will take a more in-depth assessment approach as they develop familiarity with the game, thinking about which places are frequently used during free play and hence most likely to be reviewed first.
