Hobbies And Interests
Circle Games
Circle games are a great way to entertain larger groups of kids. A game of "Muddy Piggy" can accommodate a classroom of children. Have the kids sit in a circle and hand the first player a stuffed pig. You can glue pieces of brown felt to the stuffed pig to represent mud and dirt. This game is similar to "Hot Potato." The children pass the stuffed pig around the circle as music plays. When the music stops, the child holding the pig is out. The last child to avoid elimination wins.
"My Piggy Like to Eat ____" is a memory challenge game. The first child says "My Piggy Like to Eat____," filling in the blank with the name of a food. Each successive child will need to restate this phrase and list all of the foods previously mentioned, adding an additional food item at the end. Anyone who forgets something on the list is eliminated. A simple but funny game is to ask children to recite a poem or read a book in the voice of Porky Pig without laughing.
Backyard Games
Why not stage a backyard "OlymPigs?" Adapt traditional backyard games with a piggy twist. For a "Pigs in a Blanket" relay race, have the children divide into two teams and compete by rolling themselves up in a blanket and then rolling, blanket and all, to a designated spot and back. The first team to have all players complete the task wins. Plan a tug of war contest over a center area filled with straw. The team that is able to successfully pull opponents into the straw "pig pen" wins. Fill pink balloons with water for a "Catch the Piggy" water balloon toss.
Pig Themes
Many popular children's books feature pig characters. Games that relate to these characters can be a great way to reinforce the story. For the familiar story of the "Three Little Pigs," see which teams can make the strongest wall from a selection of stack-able materials such as sugar cubes, toy blocks or marshmallows. Blow an electric fan on the finished walls. Whichever wall stands up best to breeze wins. Dramatic play can be enjoyable as well. The Three Little Pigs is a relatively easy story for children to act out.
The classic children's book "Charlotte's Web" might be another catalyst for pig-themed games. Take the children outdoors and have them mimic Charlotte the spider by spelling out words using silly string. For the popular picture book, "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," stage a relay race that involves some of the activities in the book. Kids can complete a list of tasks such as blowing a bubble, gathering rubber duckies or putting on big shoes and tap dancing.