Rooms

OBJECT - Switch rooms quickly, or be eliminated.

GAME TYPE - Elimination game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. It doesn't matter how many people you have to play this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - An area, inside or outside, sectioned off into at least four squares. The squares can be in a box shape, or in a line. The squares also need to be labeled with the name of a different room - living room, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Set up the playing area as described above.
2. Have all players stand in one room.
3. You call out a room. All players must move to that room.
4. The last player to make it to the room is eliminated.
5. If you call out a room where everyone already is, they must stay there. Anyone who moves to another room is eliminated.
6. The last person standing is the winner.

As a variation, you can set a time limit for moving into the enxt room, like five seconds. Anyone who doesn't make it in that time is out.

THIS WORKS ON - Following directions (going to specific room), attending (to what room is being called)

Pass The Present

OBJECT - Open the present!

GAME TYPE - Passing game.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You need enough people to make a circle.

WHAT YOU NEED - Music, and several prewrapped presents. The presents should be wrapped with several layers of paper.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Players sit in a circle.
2. When the music starts, players pass a present from person to person.
3. Whenever the music stops, whoever is holding the present gets to unwrap one layer of wrapping paper.
4. The music starts again and the present gets passed.
5. Keep going until someone unwraps the last layer of paper. Whoever unwraps the last layer gets to keep the present.
6. Repeat with another present.

This is a great Christmas game, but can be used for other occasions as well. When you wrap the presents, try to make it very difficult to unwrap more than one layer at once. Also, make sure everyone gets something.

THIS WORKS ON - Sharing (passing the present), fine motor (unwrapping presents), attending (listening to the music), following directions (only unwrapping one layer)

Seated Volleyball

OBJECT - Don't let the ball touch the ground!

GAME TYPE - One team games.

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. You need at least six people to make the game work well.

WHAT YOU NEED - Either a beach ball or a balloon, and chairs

HOW TO PLAY:

1. All players sit in chairs in a circle.
2. One player hits the beach ball or balloon up in the air.
3. Another player hits the ball when it comes down.
4. Repeat this as long as possible. Don't let the ball touch the ground!
5. No player may hit the ball twice in a row.
6. No player may leave their seat to hit the ball.
7. No spikes are allowed (hitting the ball very hard).
8. Score one point for the team every time the ball is hit successfully. If the ball hits the ground, start the scoring over.
9. Try to get the highest score possible!

You can also play a more individual version, where players get points if they hit the ball and someone else can hit it before it touches the ground.

THIS WORKS ON - Teamwork (working together to achieve the highest score possible), eye-hand coordination (being able to see the ball and hit it so others can hit it), following directions (being able to follow the rules), attending (paying attention to when the ball comes to you).

Catch the Leader

OBJECT - For IT, discover the leader from the group. For everyone else, keep that from happening.

GAME TYPE - Observation game

WHO'S IT FOR - Group Three. You should have at least six people to play this game, but the more the merrier.

WHAT YOU NEED - One chair per person (except for IT), or everyone can just sit on the floor.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. All players sit in a circle.
2. One person is chosen as IT and leaves the room.
3. Once IT is gone, another player is chosen to be the leader.
4. The leader begins a simple, repetitive movement that can be easily imitated by all other players. This could be clapping hands, nodding head, tapping feet, etc.
5. Once the movement has started, IT returns to the room.
6. IT must try to figure out who the leader is.
7. The leader must change the movement every once in a while. If you want, you can set a thirty second time limit before the leader MUST change the movement. Otherwise, the leader will never change, and IT has no chance.
8. All other players must imitate whatever the leader is doing, which means they have to pay attention to the leader. However, they can't give the leader away, so they shouldn't look directly at the leader.
9. IT has three guesses to catch the leader. If IT is successful, the leader becomes the new IT. If IT is unsuccessful, you can make him/her go again, or you can choose a new IT.

It is very important that the group protect the leader. They must pay close attention so the movement changes can be imitated immediately.

THIS GAME WORKS ON - Teamwork (group working together to fool IT), competition (everyone against IT), attending (paying attention to when the movements change), imitation (imitating what the movement is), logic (IT must work out who the leader is).

Apples to Oranges

OBJECT - Don't get caught with the wrong fruit when the music stops, or be out of the game!

GAME TYPE - Elimination Game

WHO'S IT FOR - Group One. There should be about six to ten students for this game.

WHAT YOU NEED - Music, chairs, an apple, an orange, and cards to represent the fruit. The fruit can be real or plastic...plastic fruit will most likely last longer as it can't be eaten. As the game progresses, you may want to use other fruit. Be creative.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. All players sit in a circle.
2. For the first round, only use the apple. No cards are needed in this first round.
3. When the music starts, pass the apple from person to person.
4. When the music stops, whoever is caught holding the apple is out.
5. The last person remaining in the circle is the winner!
6. After the first round, have all players sit in a circle again.
7. This time, use an apple and an orange. You will need an apple card and an orange card.
8. When the music starts, players pass the fruit around the circle one at a time (no player should be holding both the apple and orange at once).
9. When the music stops, draw a card at random. Whoever is holding the fruit that is on the card is out.
10. At the end of the round, the last two players will each be passing the fruit back and forth to each other. Whoever is left holding the fruit not on the card that is drawn is the winner!

In subsequent rounds, if the students are getting it, feel free to add more fruit, such as a banana, a lemon, or a peach.

THIS GAME WORKS ON - Social interaction (by passing the fruits to their peers), attending (paying attention to when the music stops), following directions (by following rules and passing when they're supposed to).