Hobbies And Interests
Introduction Game
Sometimes it can be difficult for children to talk about themselves and get comfortable with new people. This introduction game helps each child tell something about himself that is not going to be the same as the person before him. Before the event, write get-to-know-you questions on strips of paper and put them all into a bowl or bucket. Questions could ask about the loudest noise the child has ever heard, his nickname, his favorite movie star, the funniest movie he has ever seen or his favorite food. Gather all the children and have them sit in a circle, in chairs or even just on the floor. Start with a child, have him choose a slip of paper and answer the question, then move on around the circle.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Toss
For a messy but funny game, play the peanut butter sandwich toss. Divide the group into two even teams and have one member from each team put on an old t-shirt and sweatpants. Mark off a place for this person to stand and then make a line with masking tape approximately 5 to 6 feet away to show where the rest of the team will stand. Each team slathers a jar of peanut butter all over its designated team member, then the teams each get two loaves of bread. Team members stand at the line and throw slices of bread at the peanut butter-covered team member, trying to get them to stick. The child with the peanut butter cannot use her hands, cannot move forward or backward and can only pivot around. When all the bread has been thrown, the team with the most bread stuck is the winner.
Sit Down If...
This is an ideal game for a large group of children, since everyone can play at once and it can be played either inside or outside. Tell the entire group to stand up in the same area. Read through a list of actions with qualifiers, such as "Sit down if you are wearing red," "Sit down if you have blue eyes," "Sit down if you are the youngest child in your family" or "Sit down if you were born in August." Children sit down as you read through the list if they fit one of the commands. The last person left standing at the end is declared the winner of the game. This game cost nothing to play and works for all ages.
Keep the Balloon Up!
"Keep the Balloon Up" is another inexpensive game that will work for a large group of children. Blow up a balloon and have the whole group stand in a big circle. Throw a balloon up in the middle and during round one, have everyone keep the balloon off the floor. Each child can only run into the middle of the circle once and hit the balloon. During round two, throw the balloon up and when someone runs in to hit the balloon, they will say the name of someone else in the group. This person must then run in and hit the balloon next, then they say another name and the game continues through every child.
True or False
"True or False" works well with a large group of children. Have the entire group stand up and tell them they need to answer true or false to a list of questions you are going to ask. If they think a question is true, they will put their hands on their heads and if they feel it is false, then they will put their hands on their bottoms. Ask a questions and give 10-15 seconds for them to decide their answer. If they are correct, they continue playing, but if they are wrong they have to sit down and are out of the game. Continue until you get down to a single winner.