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Children's Games to Play in a Circle

Circle games liven up free time when children are involved. Circle games work well in classrooms, camps, daycare centers and other environments with large groups of kids. Circle games work best with at least 10 children involved, although they can be adapted to fit smaller or larger groups. These circle games fit kids from preschool age to teens.

Parachute Games
- Incorporate a play parachute into circle games. Large parachutes allow each person around the circle to grab on and manipulate the parachute. Many different games work well with parachutes. Place foam balls on the parachute and shake it to make the balls pop. Pretend the parachute is a lake or ocean. Give the kids a description of the ocean, such as calm and lightly breezy or lots of crashing waves, and have them move the parachute to resemble the waves given the specified conditions. Use the parachute to create a carousel, moving around in a circle while skipping or hopping. Encourage the kids to create their own games with the parachute.
Sparkle
- Start by announcing a word that the participants will spell. Select the word based on the age of the participants. Go around the circle, having each person say one letter in the word. If a player says an incorrect letter, she is out of the game. Continue until the word is complete. The next person in the circle says "Sparkle." The following person is out of the game. Announce a new word and begin the game again, continuing until most of the participants are out of the game. For variety, change Sparkle into a math game. Identify a number larger than one. Go around the circle, having each person say a number in order. When the designated number is reached, the person says "Sparkle" instead of the number. For example, if the number selected is five, the fifth person should say "Sparkle." The person next in the circle is out of the game. Each time a multiple of the number is reached, the word "Sparkle" should replace it.
Beach Ball Trivia
- Inflate an inexpensive beach ball for this circle game. Use a permanent marker to divide the ball into sections. Write a question in each section of the beach ball. Adjust the questions to change the intent of the game. As an icebreaker, write questions that allow the participants to share details about themselves. Ideas include favorite hobby, something funny that happened to the person or the number of siblings in his family. For an educational game, write review questions for the given subject in each section. Pass the beach ball to someone in the circle. Designate a particular finger to identify the question to be answered. The person who catches the ball answers the question that rests below the designated finger. She then throws the beach ball to another person in the circle. Continue passing the ball and answering questions. Keep the balls handy as a filler when you have extra time.

Kids Games