Hobbies And Interests
What's The Time, Mr Wolf?
One child is chosen as the Wolf. He stands with his back to the rest of the children, who line up about 10 feet away. The children call out, "What's the time, Mr. Wolf?" He turns and calls out a time of his choosing, such as "Three o'clock!" then turns his back again. The children take three steps forward -- the number of steps should correspond with the time he calls. Play proceeds and the children gradually creep closer. When they have almost reached him he turns and calls, "Dinnertime!" then chases the others back to the start, aiming to capture one child who becomes the next Wolf. This game is especially appropriate at this age as it reinforces learning about counting and time-telling.
Duck, Duck, Goose!
Have the children sit in a circle. Choose one child to be the Fox. She walks around the outside of the circle tapping each child in turn on the head and saying, "Duck," until she reaches one she decides to nominate as the Goose instead. The Goose must then get up and chase the Fox around the circle trying to tag her before she reaches the empty space and sits down. If the Goose tags the Fox, the Fox must take another turn. If the Fox reaches the empty space first, the Goose becomes the next Fox. This game works well for 3- to 8-year-olds as it is a structured chasing game with clear rules which can be played safely and supervised easily, while providing excitement, anticipation and fun.
Water Relay Race
This game is best played outdoors on grass. Children 3 to 8 will enjoy it as it teaches teamwork, has clearly visible and understandable results, and requires age-appropriate physical skills. Divide the children into teams of six. Have them line up and place a half-filled bucket of water at the head of the line. Give the first player in each team a paper cup. Blow the whistle to start. The first player fills his cup with water and runs to a plastic measuring jug placed about 10 feet away. He pours his water into the jug, then runs back to his line where he passes the cup to the next player and takes his place at the back of the line. The game ends when all the players have had a turn. The team with the most water in its jug is the winner.
Cats' Tails Game
Cut long strips of cloth to represent a cat's tail for each child. Tuck it into the back of her waistband. Have the "cats" chase each other trying to tread on each other's tails. When a child loses her tail she is out of the game. The last player left with a tail is the winner. This game works well for children 3 to 8 as it is based on a type of game children in this age range already love -- it is essentially a controlled tag game -- and individual rounds do not last too long.