Ciicle games help builu the classioom 'ensemble': they aie non-competitive anu aie

playeu in the spiiit of the gioup succeeuing. Playeis shoulu not tiy to catch each
othei out: insteau they shoulu suppoit each othei so that the entiie gioup 'wins'.
Leauei uiiections shoulu focus on this builuing of a suppoitive atmospheie as well as
builuing eneigy by encouiaging the playeis to keep things moving.

Foi these games to be most successful, playeis have to make suie that they make
cleai eye contact with othei playeis: chiluien can expeiience uiscomfoit with this at
fiist but with gentle peisistence they uo oveicome this.
!"#$%& ()*&+
These games aie uesigneu to uevelop tiust anu goou gioup woik in the class,
alongsiue ueveloping anu piacticing mathematical skills.


,"-./)-./0-
Age Level: Any
Aims: Quick thinking, gioup cohesion, waim-up, teamwoik
,"-./)-./0- is a tiauitional waim-up game that foims the basis of mathematical
vaiiations. It is best intiouuceu in its tiauitional foim anu then playeu with a
mathematical slant - suggestions foi this follow.
The goal of the game is to pass the woius - zip, zap, zop - anu eneigy aiounu the
ciicle as quickly anu smoothly as possible - this is haiuei than it seems. You may
finu that it takes seveial tiies to get into the ihythm of the game. Bon't give up!
Eventually, the gioup will begin to go at a pace.
1"#&$2"3( 24& -%)5 ,"-./)-./0-
Stait with eveiyone stanuing in a ciicle.
0ne peison makes eye contact with someone acioss
the ciicle, takes a small step foiwaiu, claps anu
points while saying "#$ (they then step back into
place in the ciicle).
The peison who ieceiveu the "#$ then makes eye
contact, steps, claps anu points at anothei, while
saying "%$ (again then stepping back into place).
The peison ieceiving the "%$ then steps, makes
eye contact, claps anu points to someone while
saying "&$.
The pattein continues, "#$' "%$' "&$' "#$' "%$' "&$((((
Encouiage the playeis to be 'ieauy' to be ieceiveis:
hanus out of pockets, aims unfoluing, watching
wheie the sounu has got to. Also playeis shoulu not
spenu time uelibeiating ovei who to senu the sounu
to: they uon't look foi theii 'fiienus' but someone
acioss the ciicle who is ieauy to 'catch' the sounu.
)* +&, -%./0 122 2324+&.2'
052. 052+ -%./0 122 +&,'
1& +&,/66 .227 0& 8&32(
9%:2 #0 324+ -62%4 ;5&
+&, %42 12.7#.< 052 1&,.7
0&(
=&./0 0%:2 0&& 6&.<
0& -5&&12 1&82&.2
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;&4:#.< 0& 6&&: <&&7 %1
% <4&,$(

670.809#.+":
Age Level: Any
Aims: Counting skills, gioup cohesion, teamwoik
670.809#.+": is a mathematical vaiiation on /"-./)-./0-: chiluien will neeu
to be familiai with how to play /"-./)-./0- befoie leaining this game.
The goal of the game is foi the class to count in a numbei pattein in a smooth anu
quick fashion. 0nlike counting iounu the ciicle, the challenge heie is that playeis
cannot anticipate when theii tuin will come anu so have to keep on listening. Can
the class woik togethei to pass the numbeis iounu the ciicle in a smooth anu faiily
swift way.
670.809#.+":
The basic play is the same as foi /"-./)-./0-, only
this time what is passeu aiounu the ciicle is a
continuous counting in 2's - 2, 4, 6, 8, 1u
0ne peison makes eye contact with someone acioss
the ciicle, takes a small step foiwaiu, claps anu
points while saying 0;& (they then step back into
place in the ciicle).
The peison who ieceiveu the 0;& then makes eye
contact, steps, claps anu points at anothei, while
saying *&,4 (again then stepping back into place).
The peison ieceiving the *&,4 then steps, makes
eye contact, claps anu points to someone while
saying 1#@.
The count continues, 0;&' *&,4' 1#@' 2#<50' 02.' 0;2632((((
If the count gets 'stuck' with a playei, tell them
the numbei quite quickly anu in a non-
juugemental way - theie shoulu be minimum
sense of inuiviuual accountability anu maximum
focus on the gioup as a whole succeeuing.
1"#&$2"3( 24& -%)5
A22$ ;%0-5#.< %.7
6#102.#.< 0& ?2
42%7+(
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vaiiations:
Stait the count at 26, 42, SS.
Stait the count at 1uu anu count backwaiu in 2s.
Count on in Ss, 1us, Ss .

;<9)2"03+
Age Level: 8 anu upwaius
Aims: Calculation skills, gioup cohesion, teamwoik
;<9)2"03+ is a mathematical vaiiation on /"-./)-./0-: chiluien will neeu to be
familiai with how to play /"-./)-./0- befoie playing this game.
The goal of the game is foi the class to constiuct a seiies of mathematical equations
in a smooth anu quick fashion, foi example 05422 0#821 1#@ 2B,%61 2#<5022.(
Emphasise to the class that the point is N0T to tiy anu catch someone out by
making the equations too uifficult - numbeis shoulu be chosen so that othei playeis
aie maue to look goou.
1"#&$2"3( 24& -%)5
;<9)2"03+ =
Play is set up anu pioceeus as in /"-./)-./0-. In this
veision equations aie cieateu as the playeis, one at
a time say one (oi two) woiu(s) builuing to an
'equals' anu answei.
0ne peison makes eye contact with someone acioss
the ciicle, takes a small step foiwaiu, claps anu
points while saying, say, 0;& (they then step back
into place in the ciicle).
The peison who ieceiveu the 0;& then makes eye
contact, steps, claps anu points at anothei, while
saying, say, 0#821 (again then stepping back into
place).
The peison ieceiving the 0#821 then steps, makes
eye contact, claps anu points to someone saying,
say, 1#@.
This continues until someone says equals anu the
next playei completes the equation with an answei.
The playei ieceiving the answei staits a new
equation. Foi example 0;& 0#821 1#@ 2B,%61 0;2632
2#<50 $6,1 0;& 2B,%61 02. 0;2.0+ 7#3#727 ?+ anu so
on.
As playeis become moie confiuent, encouiage them
to extenu the equations cieateu to have moie than
one step:
C5422 0#821 1#@ $6,1 0;& 7#3#727 ?+ 02. 2B,%61 0;&(
=&./0 05#.: 0&& 6&.<(
D&, 7&./0 5%32 0& 6&&:
*&4 % *4#2.7 0& 12.7 052
.,8?24 0&(
A22$ 05#.<1 2%1+' 1& 05%0
+&,4 -6%118%021 -%.0
<#32 052 %.1;24(
A22$ #0 <&#.<' 7&./0
1%+ 2B,%61 0&& 1&&.(

>"%%5 ;<9)2"03+
Age Level: 8 anu upwaius
Aims: Calculation skills, gioup cohesion, teamwoik
>"%%5 ;<9)2"03+ is a mathematical vaiiation on /"-./)-./0-: chiluien will neeu
to be familiai with how to play /"-./)-./0- befoie playing this game.
>"%%5 ;<9)2"03+ is playeu the same way as Equations, except that theie is no
expectation that whoevei gets to speak aftei 2B,%61 is passeu to them has to give a
coiiect answei. In fact wiluly incoiiect answeis aie encouiageu, foi example 05422
0#821 1#@ 2B,%61 1232.0+E.#.2.
This vaiiation encouiages eveiyone to be moie playful in theii appioach to the game,
as the piessuie to accuiately iemembei anu iecall is lifteu. The 'payoff' is that moie
mathematical vocabulaiy is intiouuceu: this can leau to latei uiscussion about
meaning anu use. It also encouiages eveiyone to take pait anu lifts the feai of giving a
wiong answei.
1"#&$2"3( 24& -%)5 >"%%5 ;<9)2"03+
Play is set up anu pioceeus as in ;<9)2"03+. In this
veision equations aie cieateu as the playeis, one at a
time say one (oi two) woiu(s) builuing to an 'equals'
anu an outiageous answei.
0ne peison makes eye contact with someone acioss
the ciicle, takes a small step foiwaiu, claps anu
points while saying, say, 1232. (they then step back
into place in the ciicle).
The peison who ieceiveu the 1232. then makes eye
contact, steps, claps anu points at anothei, while saying,
say, 7#3#727 ?+ (again then stepping back into place).
The peison ieceiving the 7#3#727 ?+ then steps, makes
eye contact, claps anu points to someone saying, say,
1232.022..
This continues until someone says equals anu the next
playei completes the equation with a silly answei. The
playei ieceiving the answei staits a new equation. Foi
example 1232. 7#3#727 ?+ 1232.022. 2B,%61 2#<50+E1#@
2#<50 $6,1 .#.2 2B,%61 8#.,1 *&,4 anu so on.
As playeis become moie confiuent, encouiage them
to extenu the equations cieateu to have moie than
one step:
C5422 0#821 1#@ $6,1 0;& 7#3#727 ?+ 02. 0#821 FG 7#3#727
?+ HI $6,1 JG 1B,%427 2B,%61 05422 $&#.0 *#32(
=&./0 05#.: 0&& 6&.<(
D&, 7&./0 5%32 0& 6&&:
*&4 % *4#2.7 0& 12.7
052 .,8?24 0&(
A22$ #0 <&#.<' 7&./0
1%+ 2B,%61 0&& 1&&.(
C5422 $&#.0 *#32( D21K

?&+@ )3A
Age Level: Any
Aims: Nathematical application, gioup cohesion, teamwoik
?&+@ )3A is a collective stoiy builuing game: each playei auus one sentence to the
stoiy. Eveiy sentence must stait with the woius D21' %.7 so the stoiy builus on
what has gone befoie.
The fiist time chiluien play ?&+@ )3A@ it's likely that the stoiies they builu togethei
aie not veiy coheient oi imaginative: they will be so conceineu with theii own
'peifoimance' that they cannot listen to what is being offeieu by the othei chiluien.
As they become moie expeiienceu at playing the game, encouiage them to listen
moie caiefully to each othei. Ask them the tieat what is saiu as if it is the most
impoitant thing in the woilu anu to builu on it iathei than simply auu in anothei
ianuom piece of infoimation.
1"#&$2"3( 24& -%)5 ?&+@ )3A
In a ciicle, explain that the gioup is going to uevelop a
collective stoiy. Each peison is going to say one
sentence to auu to the stoiy.
Theie aie 270 #9%&+ about theii offeiings:
1) Eveiy sentence N0ST begin with the woius 5&+ )3A
anu so builu on what the peison befoie has saiu (except
the fiist sentence of the stoiy).
2) It has to incluue some mathematical infoimation.
As the chiluien to suggest a title foi theii stoiy. The
peison suggesting a title gets to stait. They also choose
whethei the stoiy will uevelop aiounu the ciicle clockwise
oi anti-clockwise
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9%4+L M4%.78% <&0 ,$ %0 I #. 052 8&4.#.< *&4 524 ?#< 7%+ &,0
N&L !"#$ &'( 152 ;%1 2@-#027 %?&,0 122#.< 524 G<4%.7-5#6742.
O%8L !"#$ &'( 152 ;%1 <&#.< 0& ;%6: H 8#621 0& 3#1#0 0528
P54#1L !"#$ &'( )
Can they make the stoiy inteiesting ANB uevelop
the mathematics.
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