Hobbies And Interests
Queenie, Queenie
Play this traditional English singing game, presented by Woodlands Junior School, by first gathering the students in an open area. Pick one of the students to stand several feet apart from the others, facing away from them. Give this student a ball and tell her to throw it behind her. One of the students in the group has to attempt to catch the ball midair and hide it behind his back. After the student hides the ball, the players all sing: "Queenie, Queenie/ Who&'s got the ball?/ Are they short, or are they tall? Are they hairy, or are they bald?/ You don&'t know because you don&'t have the ball." The player, or Queenie, turns around and tries to guess who stole her ball. The player who took the ball then switches places with the Queenie and the game continues.
Peel Banana
If you need a game for younger children on the playground, play this game from the Devon County Council website. Begin by assembling the students into a circle and standing in front of them. Altogether, sing each of the following lines twice: "Peel banana, peel peel banana; Mash banana, mash mash banana; Lick banana, lick lick banana." As you sing the lines of the song, you want to mimic the motions the song calls for. So when you sing the "Peel banana" lyric, pretend you have a banana in your hands and that you&'re peeling it. The students will follow your lead. Continue the singing game by adding more actions you can do with a banana.
A Tisket, A Tasket
To give the students a bit of exercise while they sing, play this traditional game, presented by the Utah State Office of Education. Begin by seating the students in a circle. Pick one student out of the group to move around the circle with a handkerchief or cloth in her hand. As she walks around the group, waving the kerchief in the air, she sings: "A tisket, a tasket/ A green and yellow basket/ I wrote a letter to my love and on the way I dropped it." Once the player gets to the end of the song, she throws the kerchief behind another player on the ground. That player then has to get up and chase her. The first player tries to steal the other player&'s seat before getting tagged by him. If tagged, the first player has to move around the circle again. If she steals his seat, the other player assumes the first player&'s role and the game continues.