Games and Energizers
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Here are some games to engage your students:
Alphabet Game
The teacher chooses a random letter, and any students who have that letter in their name changes spots. This can be varied by using colors.
I Love Game
A student stands in the middle of the circle and says: " I love (cats) ....", those who love the same thing change spots.
Mix it Up!
Students often sit by the same kids everyday in circle. This is a fun way to mix it up a
bit. Say something like, “if you have a dog, stand up.” Everyone with a dog at
home will stand up. These kids are then asked to switch seats. Continue with
other comments like “if you have a sister, stand up” etc...
Twenty Questions Game
Student in the circle spies an object in the classroom (or elsewhere) and other students
need to ask questions that will help them figure out what the object is. The
student who has spied the object can only answer "yes" or "no" to student
questions. Circle keeper counts the questions. At ten questions, keeper can ask
the student for a clue. At twenty questions if the circle hasn't guessed the
object, the student tells the circle what it was.
Eye Nod Game
All students sitting, with one student standing in center of circle. Sitting
students must make eye contact with someone else in circle and nod. Once they
nod, both must leave their chairs and either switch chairs or sit in any empty
chair (student may not go back to the chair they just left). Person standing who
has no chair can take any empty chair. Multiple students can be switching chairs
at any point. (As a safety precaution, students claim the empty chair by first
placing both hands on the empty seat then sitting. If two students claim the
same chair, student with their hands on the bottom wins). Game can be stopped
periodically and student left standing is pointed out. Game is then started
again.
Bead Game - I'VE DONE SOMETHING YOU HAVEN'T DONE
Have each person introduce themselves and then state something they have done this
summer that they think no one else in the class has done. If someone else has
also done it, the student who has done it also gets a bead, if no one has done
it, the student gets 4 beads. Most beads wins!
Pass the Ball
Have a student leave the classroom. Explain to the class that they need to pass an
object around the circle, but they don’t want to person out in the hall to find
it. Show the kids how they can pretend to be passing it to confuse the person.
Invite the person back in and give them 3-4 chances to find the object/ball.
Follow the Leader
A volunteer leaves the room. Assign on leader in the circle, everyone needs to
follow their actions. The volunteer returns, and needs to figure out who is the
group leader.
Fortunately/Unfortunately
Tell a story one sentence at a time. Have students use "fortunately" and
"unfortunately" alternately as the first word of the sentence.
Variation
1: The teacher sits in the centre of the circle and points to a student, who
starts the story, then points to a new student, who adds a word, and so
on.
Frozen Pictures
Students perform a selected scene and, at a critical point in the action or at the height
of a dramatic moment, they are directed to "freeze," creating a still frame or
"frozen picture." After an interval, actors are directed to resume action until
the next "freeze" is called. Examples of scenes that lend themselves to the
"frozen picture" activity might be a bank robbery, a roller coaster ride, beach
volleyball, or a blind date.
Sound Pictures
The leader or one member of the group acts as conductor, whilst the rest of the
group are the 'orchestra'. Using their voices (and body percussion if
appropriate!), the group paints a sound picture of a particular theme, for
example the seaside, a city, a jungle. The leader controls the shape of the
piece by raising her hand to increase the volume or bringing it to touch the
floor for silence.
Two Truths- One Lie
Highly
recommended for getting to know each other in a new group. Tell your partner
three things about yourself - two of which are true and one of which is a lie.
For example, you might tell your partner about your hobbies, your work, where
you live, your family or where you have travelled. Afterwards, your partner
tries to guess which was the lie. You might choose to tell three everyday facts
or three more unusual things - but remember - only one of them should be a lie.
Make sure each person listens carefully to what their partner says!
One Word At A Time
In a circle, the story is started, with each person in turn adding one word. It
usually starts with 'Once - upon - a - time'. The idea is to keep your thoughts
free flowing, so that you don't try to guess what is coming or force the story
in a particular direction. It is not always easy to maintain a logical flow for
the story, although it is always amusing. If the group is too large, break into
smaller groups.
Cross The Circle
Everyone
is numbered around the circle as 1,2,3. Then, when you call their number,
everyone
must
cross the circle in role as…..a ballerina……….a panther………an astronaut……..someone
who’s stuck in the mud……..a fashion model……whatever you can think of
Alphabet Game
The teacher chooses a random letter, and any students who have that letter in their name changes spots. This can be varied by using colors.
I Love Game
A student stands in the middle of the circle and says: " I love (cats) ....", those who love the same thing change spots.
Mix it Up!
Students often sit by the same kids everyday in circle. This is a fun way to mix it up a
bit. Say something like, “if you have a dog, stand up.” Everyone with a dog at
home will stand up. These kids are then asked to switch seats. Continue with
other comments like “if you have a sister, stand up” etc...
Twenty Questions Game
Student in the circle spies an object in the classroom (or elsewhere) and other students
need to ask questions that will help them figure out what the object is. The
student who has spied the object can only answer "yes" or "no" to student
questions. Circle keeper counts the questions. At ten questions, keeper can ask
the student for a clue. At twenty questions if the circle hasn't guessed the
object, the student tells the circle what it was.
Eye Nod Game
All students sitting, with one student standing in center of circle. Sitting
students must make eye contact with someone else in circle and nod. Once they
nod, both must leave their chairs and either switch chairs or sit in any empty
chair (student may not go back to the chair they just left). Person standing who
has no chair can take any empty chair. Multiple students can be switching chairs
at any point. (As a safety precaution, students claim the empty chair by first
placing both hands on the empty seat then sitting. If two students claim the
same chair, student with their hands on the bottom wins). Game can be stopped
periodically and student left standing is pointed out. Game is then started
again.
Bead Game - I'VE DONE SOMETHING YOU HAVEN'T DONE
Have each person introduce themselves and then state something they have done this
summer that they think no one else in the class has done. If someone else has
also done it, the student who has done it also gets a bead, if no one has done
it, the student gets 4 beads. Most beads wins!
Pass the Ball
Have a student leave the classroom. Explain to the class that they need to pass an
object around the circle, but they don’t want to person out in the hall to find
it. Show the kids how they can pretend to be passing it to confuse the person.
Invite the person back in and give them 3-4 chances to find the object/ball.
Follow the Leader
A volunteer leaves the room. Assign on leader in the circle, everyone needs to
follow their actions. The volunteer returns, and needs to figure out who is the
group leader.
Fortunately/Unfortunately
Tell a story one sentence at a time. Have students use "fortunately" and
"unfortunately" alternately as the first word of the sentence.
Variation
1: The teacher sits in the centre of the circle and points to a student, who
starts the story, then points to a new student, who adds a word, and so
on.
Frozen Pictures
Students perform a selected scene and, at a critical point in the action or at the height
of a dramatic moment, they are directed to "freeze," creating a still frame or
"frozen picture." After an interval, actors are directed to resume action until
the next "freeze" is called. Examples of scenes that lend themselves to the
"frozen picture" activity might be a bank robbery, a roller coaster ride, beach
volleyball, or a blind date.
Sound Pictures
The leader or one member of the group acts as conductor, whilst the rest of the
group are the 'orchestra'. Using their voices (and body percussion if
appropriate!), the group paints a sound picture of a particular theme, for
example the seaside, a city, a jungle. The leader controls the shape of the
piece by raising her hand to increase the volume or bringing it to touch the
floor for silence.
Two Truths- One Lie
Highly
recommended for getting to know each other in a new group. Tell your partner
three things about yourself - two of which are true and one of which is a lie.
For example, you might tell your partner about your hobbies, your work, where
you live, your family or where you have travelled. Afterwards, your partner
tries to guess which was the lie. You might choose to tell three everyday facts
or three more unusual things - but remember - only one of them should be a lie.
Make sure each person listens carefully to what their partner says!
One Word At A Time
In a circle, the story is started, with each person in turn adding one word. It
usually starts with 'Once - upon - a - time'. The idea is to keep your thoughts
free flowing, so that you don't try to guess what is coming or force the story
in a particular direction. It is not always easy to maintain a logical flow for
the story, although it is always amusing. If the group is too large, break into
smaller groups.
Cross The Circle
Everyone
is numbered around the circle as 1,2,3. Then, when you call their number,
everyone
must
cross the circle in role as…..a ballerina……….a panther………an astronaut……..someone
who’s stuck in the mud……..a fashion model……whatever you can think of
