Hobbies And Interests
Hot Potato
A good old-fashioned favorite, "hot potato" is played by seating all children in a circle about an arm's width apart from one another. Kids pass the hot potato (which can be a beanbag or small stuffed animal) from player to player as music plays. Whoever is left holding the potato when the music stops is "out." The game continues until there is only one player left. Encourage the kids to spread out as the group gets smaller so the game becomes more challenging.
Musical Chairs
Musical chairs involves setting up a circle of chairs with the backs of each chair facing the center of the circle. Chairs should be about 2 feet apart. Start out with one chair fewer than the number of kids who are playing. For example, if you have 10 children, start with nine chairs. Kids stand about a foot from the chairs, and as music plays, they walk around the circle of chairs. When the music stops, the object of the game is to find a chair. Whoever is left standing is "out." One additional chair is removed after each round and the game continues until one child remains.
Parachute Fun
Parachute play during circle time lends itself to numerous fun activities. Children are seated in a circle with the parachute open on the floor in front of them. The children each grab the parachute by its edges and lift it high in the air, and then down again. You can toss a stuffed toy or plastic balls into the center of the chute with a goal of "popping" it out by the up-and-down movements. Kids can also take turns running through the center of the chute and exchanging places with the child directly across from them. The fun is in the breezy wind tunnel-like environment under the parachute.
The Animal Game
One child is selected to think of an animal, and the rest of the children take turns, one by one, asking yes-or-no questions to try to determine what the animal is. When it's his turn, a child can ask a question or make a guess. If the child guesses correctly, he gets to choose the animal for the next round.