Hobbies And Interests
Simon Says
Setting: Indoors or Outdoors
Materials: None
Directions: The game leader (an adult) gives the group instructions. If "Simon says" precedes the instructions (Simon says, "Jump up and down."), players must follow those instructions. Players who don&'t follow the instructions are out. If the instructions do not begin with "Simon says," players do nothing. Players who follow those instructions are out. Declare "Oh no, Simon didn&'t say." The game leader should be mindful of the setting. When playing outdoors, Simon might say to spin around in circles; when playing indoors, Simon might say to stand on one foot. As the game progresses, the game leader may need to give instructions more quickly.
Duck, Duck, Goose
Setting: Outdoors
Materials: None
Directions: Have all players except one sit in a circle, facing each other. The last player will be "it." The player who is "it" walks around the circle, touching the other players on the head and saying "Duck." When he finds a target, he touches that person&'s head and calls her "Goose." The "goose" chases "it" around the circle. If the "goose" tags him, he remains "it" for another round. If he gets all the way around the circle and sits in the open spot left by the "goose," then she becomes "it" and play resumes. For older students (provided all in the group have normal hearing), exchange "Gray Duck" and "Green Duck" for "Duck" and "Goose" respectively.
Costume Shuttle Runs
Setting: Outdoors
Materials: Cones, rope or chalk to mark boundaries
Clothing items for each team (shirt, tie or scarf, hat, glasses, vest)
Directions: Divide players into equal teams, 6 to 10 members per team. Have half of the members of each team line up at the starting line. Place piles of clothing opposite each team. (The distance from the starting line to the clothing depends upon the age of the players. Five to 10 meters is good for younger students.) The remaining team members will line up behind the piles of clothing. Each team member must run from the starting line to the clothing line and put on a piece of clothing. The team member then returns to the starting line and repeats the process until he is wearing all of the clothes from the pile. (As a variation, players may put on all of the clothes at one time.) He then returns to the starting line and takes off all the clothing items from the game. He goes to the end of his line and sits down. Once he sits down, the next player on the team (whoever is first in the line now facing the pile of clothing, now at the original starting line) begins the process. The first team to get all team members through the process wins. This game also works well indoors in a gymnasium.