Hobbies And Interests
Pass the Parcel Game
Pass the Parcel Game offers kids the chance to sit on the floor, be repeatedly surprised and grow a little patience. This requires a little preparation and a lot of gift wrap. Prior to play, fill a small box with enough candies and trinket toys for all participating students. Next, take the box, wrap it, and place it in a bigger box and then wrap that. Wrap as many layers in as many boxes as you can tolerate wrapping.
To begin playing, all kids form a circle in an open space and take a seat on the floor. You will need a music player to continue at this point. If you're having a holiday party, consider using applicable tunes to the celebration. Hand the box to one student and play the music for an unspecified amount of time while the group passes the box around the circle to one another. Whoever has the box when the music stops gets to unwrap a layer. Play continues until the last box is unwrapped. The student who unwraps the last box gets to hand out treats to all the participants. Consider using more layers of gift wrap and fewer boxes. Also, you could have students only partially unwrap the box when they get it to give all students the opportunity to tear into the gift wrap.
Classroom Memory
Classroom Memory is a fun, playful game that encourages children to follow directions, focus and practice using their memorization skills. You can play this game with kids in groups, or students can participate as individuals. Whether you choose to play on teams or separately, make sure to use everyday classroom objects for the items: pencils; pens; different types, shapes and sizes of erasers; a CD; chalk; a ruler; index cards; a calculator; a dictionary; paper clips; staples and stapler; even a teacher's mug or cup. Students can sit at their desks or you can form a circle on the floor.
Display the items for a certain period of time in plain view of all students so they can memorize the objects. Give younger children a longer period of time to memorize them. After the allotted time has passed, cover the items up and have players tell you what they remember seeing. The person or team that remembers the most items wins. For a more challenging twist on this game, instruct students to also add the exact order or placement of items they viewed.
Blindfolded Shoe Shuffle
Blindfolded Shoe Shuffle gives kids the opportunity to shed their shoes for a while in the classroom. You'll need a larger open area for this game. You are also designated as honorary referee. Have all students form a circle and then hand out a blindfold to each student. To begin play, instruct each student to sit down in their spot, take off their shoes and toss them into a pile in the middle of the circle. After all students have done this, mix up the shoes. Tell players to carefully rise to their feet and then shout "Go!" The goal is for a student to find his own two shoes, get put them back on his feet properly, fully laced, buckled or velcroed, and then return to his original spot on the outside of the circle. The first person to complete all these steps wins.