Great Games

for
Morning Meeting

2013 Karli Lomax

http://creatingathoughtfulclassroom.blogspot.com/
Dear Teachers,

The following download includes 10 cards

that explain the rules for some great
games that may be played during morning
meeting or any community-building time
you choose to have in your classroom.

Simply print on card stock (or back with

construction paper for sturdiness), cut,
laminate and keep on a ring for easy
reference.

WARNING: Your students may request to

play these games EVERY DAY! They are
that fun!

Enjoy,
Karli
2013 Karli Lomax
 Beat the Bunny
Materials: 1 small (tennis) ball
1 large (dodge or beach) ball

1.Have students sit in a large circle.

2.Explain that the farmer is angry that the bunny keeps sneaking into his garden and eating his carrots! He wants
to catch that bothersome bunny!
3.Start passing the bunny (small ball) from person to person around the circle.
4.When the bunny is about half way around, start passing the farmer (large ball) in the same direction.
5.The game ends once the farmer catches the bunny (or one person gets stuck with both balls at the same time!)

Variations:
To increase the challenge, start the farmer sooner when the bunny is only a quarter of the way around the
circle.
Make it seasonal or thematic by using puppets, stuffed toys or beanie babies. (For example, a bear chasing
Goldilocks, or Santa chasing the Grinch) The possibilities are endless! Just rename the game and play! Changing
the characters in this game brings novelty and renewed interest to the activity.

2013 Karli Lomax

Food, Friends & Fireworks!

Materials: none!

1.To start, introduce and explain the three motions of the game:
Food- rub your belly and say mmmmm.
Friends- hold out both arms wide and say heeeeyyyy.
Fireworks- clap both hands over your head and then say aahhhhhhh as you slowly lower your arms to
your sides.
2.Assign partners and have them stand back to back.
3.Tell them that they are going to try to match one of the three motions with their partner. They cant talk or try
the show each other which motion they will pick- thats cheating!
4.Count to three and say Go!
5.Both partners turn around and face each other and immediately make the motion and sound that they had
chosen.
6.If the pair matches, they give a cheerful "Yes!" and give each other a high five!.
If they do not match they say, D'Oh and lightly bump themselves on the head.
7.Continue play with the same partner.
8.After 3 turns have everyone switch partners and play some more!

Variations:
Play with groups of 3 to make it more challenging! 2013 Karli Lomax
 Grandmas Attic

Materials: Alphabet chart (optional)

1.Have all the children sit in a large circle.

2.The first player says, "In my grandma's attic, I found (name something that starts with A).
3.The next player repeats the same phrase, the object beginning with the "A," and then adds something that
begins with a "B.
4.Continue this way, each player reciting the previous items and then adding another, all the way through the
alphabet to "Z."

Variations:
For a challenge, ask students to add a motion along with their word. For example, if they say apple, they
could motion like they are holding and biting an apple.
Another challenge, work backwards and start with Z!

Tips:
Younger children may benefit from seeing an alphabet chart displayed nearby.
Discuss the word attic with your ELLs and explain it is usually the place in a home where many things are
2013 Karli Lomax
stored.

Duckie, Wuckie

Materials: none!

1.Have all the children stand in a large circle with one child in the middle; that child is it.
2.The child in the middle asks one classmate in the circle, Would you be my Duckie Wuckie? That students has
to respond No, I will not be your Duckie Wuckie. without smiling or laughing.
3.If the student cannot say the entire response without laughing or smiling, they switch places and become it.
4.If they are able to say it with a straight face, they are safe and the it must move on to ask the next child in
the circle.
5.If they say Yes by mistake, they must become it. (This is HILARIOUS when this really happens because the
child is just caught up in the game, but some students will do this on purpose so that they can become it, and
then others follow suit! As you can imagine, it disrupts the flow of the game.)

Variations:
This is a very simple game, but the kids love getting silly with it! You could rename it Honey Bunny at Easter
time!

2013 Karli Lomax

 Button, Button
Materials: 1 button
CD player and music

1.Have all the children sit in a large circle with one child sitting in the middle.
2.The child in the center will close her eyes while a button is passed around the circle behind the backs of the
children.
3.Passing begins once the music starts, and it stops when the music is paused.
4.Ask, Button, Button, who has the button?
5.The child in the middle opens her eyes and then has three chances to guess who has the button.

Variations:
To make it challenging, use a small button! For younger children you may want to use a different object entirely
( like a large pom-pom, or small squishy ball) and just rename the game.

Tips:
Remind children to keep their hands behind their backs at all times! If they dont actually have the button, some
students will forget to hide their hands making it easier to guess who really has the button!

2013 Karli Lomax

Quick Change

Materials: none!

1.Have all the children sit in a large circle with one child in the middle; that child is the quick changer.
2.The group looks closely at the quick changers appearance for about 1 minute.
3.The quick changer leaves the room and changes something small about his/her appearance. (taking down a
pony tail, rolling up a sleeve, untucking their shirt).
4.The quick changer then re-enters and returns to the middle of the circle.
5.Students must guess what was changed about his/her appearance.

Variations:
Change the amount of time given for observation.
Increase the challenge and increase the number of things changed.
Divide the whole group into pairs to complete this activity with all Partner #1s changing something and all
Partner #2s guessing what was changed.

Tips:
Before playing brainstorm and even list a number of easy ways that students may change their appearance.
This will also familiarize ELLs with related vocabulary. 2013 Karli Lomax
 Quack, Moo, Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Materials: 1 blindfold

1.Have all the children stand in a large circle with one child sitting in the middle. He/she is the farmer.
2.The farmer is blindfolded and stands in the center of the circle.
3.When the farmer says go, the players begin walking around in the circle.
4.When the farmer says stop, everyone must stop. The farmer then points in any direction and asks the
person closest to being pointed at to say, quack, moo OR cock-a-doodle-doo.
5.The person in the circle chooses one of the three animal sounds to make.
The farmer gets 3 guesses:
If the farmer guesses who it is correctly, then the person he/she pointed to becomes the new farmer.
If the farmer guesses incorrectly, the person makes another one of the animal sounds and the farmer guesses
again. If the farmer still guesses incorrectly, then the person in the circle makes the last of the three sounds,
and the farmer guesses on final time.
If the farmers guesses incorrectly 3 times, the person making the animal noises gets to pick the new farmer.

Variations:
You can change the game to match transportation, Beep-beep, Zoom-zoom, Choo-choo! for trucks, cars and
trains.
2013 Karli Lomax

Whos the Boss?

Materials: none!

1.Have all the children sit in a large circle.

2.Select one child to be it and send them out of the room.
3.Draw a name to choose one student to be the boss. He/she will make up actions that everyone else will copy
(clapping hands, snapping fingers, shrugging shoulders, giggling, etc.)
4.Invite the it student back into the room and have him/her sit or stand in the center of the circle and try to
guess who the boss is. He/she is allowed 3 guesses.
5.If the student guesses correctly, he/she can choose to go outside again or pick a new it.
6.If the student is unable to figure out who the boss is, then the boss can be the new it. If he/she declines,
then the teacher draws names to choose the new it and then the new boss.

Variations:
The boss could make different sounds for the group to copy.

Tips:
Before playing, brainstorm a list of actions for the boss to make so he/she doesnt draw a blank during the
game!
Suggest that the boss count up to a certain number each time he/she changes movements to avoid
continuing any one action for too long- this would make it very hard for the it student to guess who the boss
is! 2013 Karli Lomax
 Orange Race

Materials: orange or tennis ball

1.Have all the children stand in a large circle.

2.The first player holds the orange between his neck and chin.
3.Once you signal the start, the player must pass the orange to the next person in the circle who must receive
the orange under his/her chin- NO hands!
4.Players continue to pass the orange around the circle until everyone has had a turn.
5.If a player drops the orange, he/she must get down to pick it up with their neck and chin

Variations:
You may divide students into two teams to see which team can pass the orange faster.

Tips:
To keep it noncompetitive, use a stopwatch to keep the time and challenge the whole group to beat their time!

2013 Karli Lomax

Whats my Job?

Materials: none!

1.Have all the children sit in a large circle.

2.Select one child to be it. He/she will choose an occupation to act out in the middle of the circle.
3.Students try to guess what the job is.
4.The person who guesses correctly becomes it and the game continues.

Variations:
Students could act our different sports (basketball, hockey) and/or games and activities (hopscotch, jumping
rope).

Tips:
Before playing, brainstorm a list of occupations (or sports) so the it student has some ideas.

2013 Karli Lomax

 Credits
Thanks for downloading this freebie.
I hope you find it helpful! Please visit my blog
for more ideas & inspiration.

Karli

K 2013 Karli Lomax

Fonts by:
Jen Jones-Hello Literacy
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jen-Jones-hello-LiteracyFont
KG fonts
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kimberly-Geswein-Fonts
Clip art by:
KPM Doodles
http://www.etsy.com/shop/kpmdoodles