Games, Exercises and Warm Ups

Burnside High School – Mr. Truman - 27/2/2012

This basic game can be adapted for 2, 3, 4 or 5 players with one sitting out each time a new
idea is brought into the circle. Discussion is useful on accepting others’ ideas, developing
and extending them, as well as “listening in a role”.

1) Story building
On the board write up a list of characters that are offered by the group. List enough for there
to be one character between two actors. Give the characters out in order round the circle in
pairs. The pair thinks of a repetitive action to suit the character and a sound to accompany
it. They can use own voice or instruments. Time is given to prepare. The work is shared.

Decide where and when the story takes place. Write on the board e.g. “it was night in the fair
ground”. Then continue the story using all the characters listed on the board. Take offers
from the class.

Perform the scenario with the teacher narrating. The actors move using repetitive action
while their partner provides the sound and voice .

The roles can then be swapped over so the musicians are the actors. Both groups are totally
involved in the process. The teacher helps the improvisation fit together and may decide on
places for action etc beforehand.

2) Story building II
Develop a new character through three words and actions plus playing the storyteller role,
as well as own character. Create a story in groups of 4 using the chosen words and actions
repetitively as well as the story teller role to link it together.

3) Following instructed action

Two performers sit on chairs in front of an audience. Two people in the audience give the
actors instructions. The actors do as requested without any expression or without
developing their own ideas. E.g. “man in the blue shirt – stand up. Woman with brown eyes
blink. Man in the blue shirt wave to the woman. Woman with the brown eyes – yawn.” Etc.

This exercise encourages discipline but also the skill of immediate acceptance

4) Car Improvisation
The group of 4 sit in pairs. Two are actors – passenger/driver, the other two are audience.
Each actor is given an emotion on a card e.g. anxious, happy, fearful, nervous, calm, cheerful.
The class can make these to begin the lesson. Neither actor knows what the other actors
emotion is. They work together within the car setting to improvise a scene. They focus on
their given emotion which may reach a point of change if it is followed through fully.

The pair as audience feedback ideas that worked well. Obviously accepting ideas given and
developing them is important. They now change so the actors become audience.

5) Improvisation / movement using poetry as a starter.

“No Ordinary Sun” Honë Tuwhare.
Words and phrases from the poem are written on card and placed around the room. Read
the poem and discuss. Find a movement to express the rhythm of the words. Choose a
word/phrase, experiment with sound, movement and space. Capture the essence of the
word. Try several other words.
 Choose one and show your sound/movement sculpture to another.
 Your partner echoes your piece of work. Swap.
 Choose one idea in the pair. Develop it. Use repeats and silence. Add stillness.
 Repeat the same process using the other person’s word. Add repeats, silence, stillness.
Refine.
 Put ideas together. Focus on movement and the rhythm of the words and the floor pattern
created.
 Perform for another group or the class. Three pairs could perform together being
conscious of others’ work. This improvised approach works well. It can also be
choreographed by the rest of the group discussing where the pairs need to stand, who
begins and order of working. Adding silence and stillness gives clarity to the work.

The piece could then be worked on to fine tune it if desired. This would make two lessons.
The teacher could read the poem.

6) Music
Listen to a piece of music e.g. “Signs of Life” from A Momentary Lapse of Reason by Pink
Floyd. Use one pastel. “Dreamland” pastels are great.
 Draw a response as you listen again.
 In groups compare the common elements in the drawings. Choose an idea to explore
 Plan an environment deciding on the essence of the music. One third of the class group
visits the environment while one third of the rest of the class watches and draws or
observes the response to the environment. The environment can be made using vocal
sound, instruments, movement, isolated words, as long as it captures the chosen “essence”.
Repeat using other environments.
 Reflection – observers give feedback on the mood and environment they saw.

7) Improvisation using a picture as an initial stimulus.

 The group carefully examines the picture/painting.
 They respond by writing single words on a page making a word collage.
 Using the ideas from the poetry work, circle four words that link into a theme.
 Experiment on own with words making a movement/word collage – use repeats, levels,
silence, stillness. Record.
 Define what the theme is. Write it down.
 Students work in groups of four putting similar themes together. The class share first their
own themes so groups can be formed by those who have similar thematic interests.
 Groups perform their own work simultaneously.
 Each person now shows work to group.
 Refine by choreographing each offering without changing it so that the piece flows
together. Focus on movement, voice and eye contact, and use of space.

8) Tableau Story
Divide into groups of 4-5. Give a topic e.g. “Crash” or “Emergency” – something dramatic.
Students form a tableau which shows the climax of a possible storyline – freeze and show to
other people.

Now students are to present the 30 seconds leading up to the climax. This has movement
with dialogue. Include the climax. Now they present the 30 seconds which comes after the
climax – movement with dialogue.

9) Story telling
As a class, make a list of ‘items’ and one character on the board e.g. a tin of fruit salad, a
bottle of sunblock, a pair of scissors, Mrs Green.

Each group creates an improvisation using the items on the list. Perform to class.

As an extension for character development, all the “Mrs Greens” come together for a
spontaneous improvisation e.g. in doctor’s waiting room.

10) The Diary

One student discovers a diary (e.g. in the attic, under a bed, buried in the garden etc). They
open it and begin to read aloud the contents e.g. “Mon 13th June 1968, yesterday was the best
day of my life. Kate and I went to see the Beatles…”

As they read, students come in to act out the events that are being read. They can also
improvise dialogue.

11) Look Up and Bang!

Everyone standing in a circle with heads down. Someone say ‘up’. When you look up if you
are looking at someone and they are looking at you, try to shoot them saying ‘Bang!’ before
they shoot you. In a tie the one with the most energy wins.

12) Red Elbow

Students play in pairs. The leader calls out a colour and a body part e.g. yellow thumb. Each
pair has to find a way for them both to place that part of the body on that colouri.e. find
something yellow in the room and put their thumbs together on it. Check what colours do
occur in your room, or collect colour samples to place around the room.
 Unusual colours: magenta, violet, sky blue, turquoise, maroon
 Parts of the body: patella, femur, tibia, ear lobe, sternum, fibula, index finger, tibia

13) Bodyguard
Everyone picks someone to be their bodyguard, and somebody to be their assassin. Don`t say
out loud who picked who for what, keep it to yourself.

Game starts, and everyone tries to protect themselves from their assassin, by trying to keep
their bodyguard between themselves and their assassin.

After several minutes of chaos everyone reveals who was picked for what.

14) Adoration
Start with the children spaced out. Then name an object in the room (e.g. something yellow,
a wall, a spot on the ground, a spider, a piece of litter, teacher etc.). Then, the students have
to run over to that object, get down on their knees and 'adore' the object by repeatedly
bowing and exclaiming 'oh, (wall) we love you'. Change the object continuously and give
students different options so they're not all in one corner (e.g. a wall, a window). Explain
importance of safety!

15) Chains
Choose two 'catchers', who link arms/hold hands. They chase the others (as in 'tig') and
catch them. If you are caught, you join the chain. When four people are in the chain, the chain
splits into 2 sets of 2. This goes on until you have a WINNER!

16) Whizz / Block / Boing

Group stands in a circle. One person starts the game by saying ‘whizz’ and pointing an open
hand across their body to next person. Next person can continue i.e. ‘whizz’ to the next
person Or say ‘Block’ and hold up their opposite fist. This makes the whizz go back in the
opposite direction. Or say ‘Boing’ while doing a movement like a spring and holding both
fists up. This makes the whizz skip over the next student. Players are out when they make a
mistake or flinch. Game ends when there are 3 players left.

Note:On the first round get the players to let the whizz go all the way around, so they get
used to it. Have a couple of warm ups before you start the elimination.

17) Make a list of things they have to do before they come back to the circle.
Nobody leaves until the list is finished. You can make up whatever you like. Touch five things
that are pink, touch all four corners of the room. Give three people a hug, give two a hongi,
jump up and down ten times and do a roll on the floor.

18) Cross Crawl

Stand. Place your right elbow across the body to the left knee as you raise it, and then do the
same thing for the left hand on the right knee just as if you were marching. Count to twenty. I
count in Te Reo. As a class we all have responsibility to keep the counting going but we don’t
all have to count the whole time.

19)The Puppet.
Same arm same leg. Lifting your legs with imaginary strings. Counting to twenty. I count in
Te Reo. As a class we all have responsibility to keep the counting going but we don’t all have
to count the whole time.

20) Look behind and touch your foot.

Squatting and arms extended to the side. Bending and looking behind touch your left hand to
your right foot. Come back to centre and then the same on the opposite side. Count to
twenty.

21) Finger-ear/nose swap.

One finger touches your nose. The other crosses it and touches your ear. Then you swap the
hands to touch the opposite. Then swap them. Swap, swap faster and faster.

22) Thumbs Up Thumbs down

Hold your hands out in front of your body. On one hand one thumb is up. On the other hand
your index finger is pointing. Then swap them. Swap, swap faster and faster.

23) Pat your head and rub your tummy.

Make the swaps faster and then specify which way the hand has to rub. i.e. Rub your tummy
to the left. Rub it to the right. While keeping the rate of the swaps steady and quick.

24) Figure 8s with two arms extended

Hold your hands out in front holding them together fully extended. Then make the biggest
figure 8 you can 8 times. You can try figure 8’s with your knee, elbow, toes etc

25) Ball Game

Buy a cheap ball and write the numbers 1-20 around it. Get students standing in a circle and
throw the ball to a student. The number closest to their left thumb is the number of the
question they should answer. You could include the following questions:

 Do you have a theme song? Or what is your current favourite?

 What is your favourite food?
 What sort of bird would you be?
 If you had to lose one body part what would it be?
 What is your greatest fear?
 What is your favourite TV programme?
 What do you need more of right now?
 If you were on a desert island who would you take with you?
 What New Zealand town does not deserve a place on the map?
 Is chocolate a breakfast food?
 If you were a teacher what subject would you teach?
 If you were an evil dictator, where would you rule?
 If you could bathe in a vat of any drink or food item, what would you choose?
 Favourite place in NZ is?
 What was your worst hair cut?
 What do you regard as the most repulsive form of music?
 Do you have any embarrassing stories?
 Favourite movie of all time is?
 Where would you most like to visit?
 What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?

26) Biddy Biddy Bop

Students begin by standing in a circle. One person is “in” and stands in the middle of the
circle. They make clear eye-contact with a fellow student and say the phrase, “Biddy-Biddy-
Bop”. The student in the outer rim of the circle must say “Bop” before the person who is in
finishes.

The game can be made more complex by adding some other cammands that the person who
is “in” can ask of the others.

 Elephant
 Toaster
 Aeroplane
 JFK
 Charlie’s Angels

Once the students are familiar with the poses, they can begin inventing their own.

27) Bang
Students stand in a circle. The teacher begins by calling a students name. That students
should duck while the two students standing on either side point and attempt to shoot the
ducking student by creating a gun with their fist and saying bang.. The last person to move is
out and sits down for the rest of the game. If they all move at a reasonable pace, allow them
to stay in. If the ducking student survives, they say another name and the game continues. If
the ducking student was shot, the person on their left with say another name.

Once you are down to two students, they stand back to back and get ready to duel. The last
student to go out tells the two duellers a word and then says a sentence that containes the
word. When the students hear the word in the sentence they turn and shoot.

28) People Map

An interesting way for people to get to know one another is to learn about the geographical
distribution of where people come from. Ask participants to create a human map, by
standing to indicate where they consider home. Indicate North, East, South & West, then
allow participants to position themselves to create a map. Ask the person who is the furthest
what their name is and where they come from. Proceed to ask each major cluster where
they come from. In this process, participants may refine or improve their map.

Optional: To extend the activity, ask participants to create a human map to show:
 where their mother/father was born
 where they would ideally like to live
 the fartherest place you've travelled

29) Get to Know You Sociometric Questions

This activity is simply a series of "sociometric" questions which require participants to
arrange themselves in space in relation to other people according to various individual and
social characteristics. Facilitator warmth and friendly encouragement will help to break
natural hesitancy. Laughter is very healthy. Leaders are to move amongst students and join
in as participants. We suggest you use about 10 questions for a session.

30) Find someone who:

 had the same breakfast as you
 has the same shoe size (or has the same size hand)
 has a different religious belief
 you haven't met yet, but would really like to
 has the same favourite season
 has the same favourite sense
 Walk to / arrange yourselves according to:
 the place where you were born
 the place where you live
 a place you would like to visit
 a place where a memorable event took place for you
 Lineup according to:
 number of siblings
 thumb size
 number of glasses of water (or cups of caffeine) you drink per day
 introversion / extraversion
 how tired / alert you feel
 number of different countries you've visited

31) Name Pantomime

Participants stand in a circle, arms distance apart. Ask each person to think of an verb and
action which starts with the same letter as the person's first name e.g., "Jumping James". The
person does the action and yells out their action-name. Everyone then repeats the action
and the action-name. This requires pretty high level of instructor energy and drama, people
are pretty shy to start with. Really encourage everyone to join in and say the name and
action of everyone else. To really drill names home, go around again, it should be faster and
really get the blood moving. For participants who say "I can't think of anything", I say "Keep
thinking, we'll come back to you". If they still don't come up with anything, I ask the group to
help. Note I don't allow duplicate verbs either - must use a unique verb.

32) The Story of Your Name

What's in a name? More than we often realize. This is an interesting, novel way for people to
introduce themselves to others, especially in ethnically diverse groups. Ensure that an
appropriate group atmosphere is established in which people have already done some initial
warm-up activities and name games.
Ask participants to turn to a partner and explain what your name means (if anything) and
where it comes from. Most people reveal a surprising amount of interesting information
about where their name comes from and what it means.

The greater the ethnic and cultural diversity in the group, the better this exercise tends to
work. Can be specifically used to help build intercultural respect and understanding or to
more generally help develop self-identity and open respect and sharing.

Optional: The activity can be extended into revealing the background behind other names
e.g.,
 Nicknames
 Pets
 Alter-ego or "fantasy name"
 Names of children - or what would you name your children if you have them?

33) 2 Truths & a Lie

For large groups (e.g., 30+), it is best to split into smaller group sizes.
Hand out cards or paper and pens (or if participants bring their own, that's fine)
Explain that in this activity each person writes two truths and a lie about themself and then
we will try to guess each other's lie. The goal is to:
a) convince others that your lie is truth (and that one of your truths is the
lie)
b) to correctly guess other people's lies.

Allow approximately 5 minutes for writing 2 truths & a lie - this isn't easy for a lot of people -
there will some scribbling out, etc. The slower people will probably need to be urged along
to "put anything you can think of" down.

Announce that we will now walk around and chat to one another, like a cocktail party, and
ask about each other's truths and lies. The goal is to quiz each about each statement to help
determine which are the truths and which is the lie, whilst seducing other people into
thinking that your own lie is a truth. At the end we will cast our votes and find out the truth.

Emphasize that people should not reveal their lie, even if it seems others might have
guessed.

Allow min. 10-15 minutes of conversation time.

Gather together in a circle. Start with one person who reads their three statements aloud (to
remind everyone). Then read the statements again, stopping to allow a vote for each one.
e.g., "I am Turkish. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote] I am vegetarian. Who thinks that is a
lie? [Vote] I have a metal pin in my right leg. Who thinks that is a lie? [Vote]. OK, my lie
was "I am vegetarian."" The facilitator will need to help each person out, especially intially
until the basic format is understood. The facilitator may add drama and reinforcement, etc.
for correct guesses, tricky statements, etc.

The exercise can be run competitively, e.g., count up how many correct guesses of other
people's lies and take away the number of people who correctly guesses your own lie.
Highest score wins (honesty counts!).

34) Whop ‘em

One person is the “Whomp ‘Em Master.” That individual stands in the middle of circle with
the “Whomp ‘Em Sword.” (Could use Styrofoam tube or rolled up tube of newsprint, etc.)
The rest of the group sits in a circle with legs out toward center of circle (leaving enough
room for person standing in middle). The object of the game is for the “Whomp ‘Em Master”
to get stuck in the middle of circle. Someone starts off round by saying the name of a
member of the group. The Master must “Whomp” (hit) the legs of that member, before that
member says the name of another member. The game goes on until the Master hits an
individual before that individual can say another person’s name (can not repeat name that
has been said in round already.) When the Master succeeds in “Whomping” an individual,
that individual becomes the new Master. Quite crazy...but loads of fun! Best if played
following another name game, so individuals have a sense of who each other is.

35) Snowball
Students write their name on a piece of paper and one or two things about themselves.
Students may write their favorite television show and how many people in their family. Once
students have completed the paper they crumble the paper into a ball. When all students are
finished, they create a circle. On the count of 3, students throw snowballs into the center.
Students will pick up a snowball and read about a fellow classmate. Next, students sit in a
circle and introduce the person on the paper to the class.

36) Horse Race

Stand in a close circle. Teacher demonstrates actions first. Horse starts on low trot slapping
thighs. Moving to a faster pace, teacher yells “to the right”. Everyone responds by leaning to
the right and yelling to the right. Repeat again for “to the left”. When the teacher calls “over
the jump” everyone throws their arms in the air and says “Whooa!”. The command to go
“through the river” is responded to by wiggling fingers between the lips and making a red
Indian noise. Vary the speed of the trot and randomly call instructions. Let students take
turns calling the Instructions.

37) Captain’s Coming

Teacher names walls of the roam Bow, Port, Stern, Starboard as on a ship. Teacher calls
commands eg port, scrub the decks, shark attack person overboard, person the life boots,
hurricane, climb the rigging etc. Goal is not to be the lost person to complete the command.
Those out can help inspect the crew. Can also be played using stage directions eq centre
stage, stage right.

38) Cat ‘n’ Mouse

Students form two concentric circles with gaps between each pair. The pairs are the walls
and the gaps are the mouse holes. One pair is the cat and mouse. The aim is for the cat to tag
the mouse. If tagged, the roles reverse. To escape being tagged the mouse can stand in front
of a pair, which makes the back person the mouse.

39) Wacky Relay

Students are put into groups of 4-5. Instruct the students that they are relay teams, but that
this relay has a twist Student 1 is a normal car and runs down to the wall and back. Student 2
is a car with a flat tire, and must run with a limp. Student 3 has problems with their steering,
and must run whilst spinning around. Student 4 has a faulty horn, and must run beeping
loudly. Student 5 keeps stalling, and must run two steps forward and one step back. This
game con be played with variations e.g. animals, sports, occupations, and vegetables.

40) The Party Game

The teacher names a theme for the party i.e. movie stars. Students each think of a movie star
for themselves. The teacher calls go. Each students moves around the room and introduces
their imaginary star to other students. When you introduce and are introduced to a star, you
swap stars with person that you introduced your star to. ie I introduce Tom Cruise to Mary
and Mary introduces Brad Pitt to me. I then move off and introduce Brad Pitt to the next
person, and so on. The aim is not to lose anyone who was brought to the party It doesn’t
matter if students bring the same person, there will simply be two of someone in the room.
After one or two minutes the teacher stops the game. The students stand in a circle and say
who they bought to the party, and who they now have with them. The student who brought
the star they have with them can sit down. The aim is for all students to be sitting down, but
inevitably stars get lost or multiply. The game can also be played with book characters, TV
characters, precious objects, and characters from plays.

41) Exchange Game

In a circle, each person decides on an object which is important to them and places it in the
palm of their hand (miming, not in reality). The circle breaks up and each person meets one
other and exchanges their object, then moves on and exchanges the object that they have
received from the previous person. The game continues for a few minutes, then the group
comes back into the circle and tells what object they are now holding. What objects have
been lost or have changed along the way? How do you feel if your object has gone missing?
The type of objects can be varied according to the situation in which the game is being
played. An alternative to swapping the objects is to gather more and more objects (ie make it
a collective memory game.)

42) I’m Mr Tag 1, 2, 3

One person is Mr Tag, and announces in a loud voice “I’m Mr Tag, 1,2,3.” Her role is to try
and tag as many people as she can. If you are tagged then you are out… but you can avoid
being tagged by calling out someone else’s name loud and clear enough for all to hear. You
may only call if you are in immediate danger of being tagged. You may only call names of
people who are still in the game (if you call people who are already out then you are out too).
If a name is called then that person becomes Mr Tag and must say “I’m Mr Tag, 1,2,3..) before
tagging anyone. As people get out, reduce the size of the area that is available for the game
players. This game is great when played fast and with energy.

43) Yin Yang Pass

There are three moves in this games that are always played in the same order, Yin involves
raising one arm above the head in an arch, and calling Yin. Yang involves scooping the arm
across the body, and calling Yang. Both of the can be performed with either left or right arm.
Pass involves a silent bow. The game is played in a circle. One student starts with Yin. If they
Yin with their right arm, the game continues to the left if they Yin to the left, the games
continues to the right. The next student performs yang, which will either go back to the
sender, or will be passed onto the next student. The pass command sends the power across
the circle. The game continues with Yin etc and always follows the same cycle. Students go
out if they perform the incorrect gesture, call the wrong word, hesitate, or speak on pass.

44) 30 Seconds To
Students begin sitting in a circle. Teacher calls “You have 30 seconds to… (complete a list of
tasks)” Students must complete the task and sit down in the circle by the time you say the 30
seconds is up. Suggested tasks could be:
 Touch 2 walls
 Greet 2 people in a non-English language
 Shake hands with 3 people
 Do X amount of star-jumps
 Cross the room in a non-walking way
 Touch something red
 Sing a Nursery rhyme

45) Dog and Bone

The group forms two parallel lines facing each other at some distance away from each other.
Number each line off so that each number 1 is diagonal from the other ie
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
scarf holder
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
One player stands in the middle holding a scarf out from them and calls out a number. The
called players try to capture the scarf and take it back to their place without being tagged by
The other player. If the scarf is taken back successfully the team earns one point but if the
player holding the scarf is tagged by the other person before successfully getting back to
their place then the other team earns 2 points. Great for strategy, speed, anticipation etc.

46)Cars
The students work In pairs one behind the other both facing in the same direction. The child
at the back is the driver and puts his hands on the front students’ shoulders. Both children
begin walking with “the driver” steering and changing speed and direction. Change position.
Variation: this can become a trust activity. The “car” closes her eyes and must trust her
partner to steer her safely about.

47)Musical Bags (a la musical chairs)

Students sit in a circle on the floor with their bags behind them. Remove 2 bags to begin
with. Teacher plays some music and students dance around to specific instructions (e.g.
disco moves. Gangster moves, low level, high level, backwards). When the music stops,
students must sit in front of a bag. Any students that are not in front of a bag are eliminated
and became the judges. The game continues with the teacher continually removing bags.

48) Rats and Rabbits (Or crows and cranes)

Class divides into two lines and stands a few feet apart. One team is rats, the other rabbits.
Teachers calls words beginning with “r”. eg rrrrain, rrrrriver. When rats is called rats are it
and the rabbits have to run away from the rats to a designated safe place (could be the wall
behind). If a rabbit is tagged by a rat they must join the opposite team. Reverse happens
when rabbits, is called. If a student moved when another “r” word is called they must swap
sides. The team with the most people on it at the end-wins.

49) Grandma’s Keys

One student is chosen to be Grandma. They have a set of keys at their feet. They face away
from the class. The class lines up at the back of the room. Their objective is to creep up and
steal the keys and get them to the back of the room. Grandma can turn around when she
likes and the class must freeze. Anyone caught moving must be sent back to begin again. The
keys may not be thrown, they must be passed from hand to hand. ie the person holding them
must not move their feet. Once the keys have been picked up Grandma can have 1 guess each
time she turns around as to who has them. If she is correct the keys must come back to
Grandma.

50) Keeper of the Keys

One student is seated blindfolded in the centre of the class on a chair with a set of keys
underneath. The rest of the class are seated in a circle on the ground. Their aim is to steal the
keys by creeping in and taking them then returning to their seat It is a good idea to limit the
creepers to two at a time. The keeper of the keys can point if he/she hears a noise. If a class
member is pointed at they must return and wait to have another turn. The person who steals
the keys becomes the keeper of the keys for the next game.

51) Wink Murder

Students all sit on the floor with their eyes closed. The teacher selects a murderer by tapping
him or her on the back. The class all stands and begins walking around. The murderer tries
to murder other students by winking at them. If a student is winked at they must walk a
further three paces, then die dramatically. Other students may accuse a suspect by raising
their hands. If they are correct the game restarts. If they are wrong they must also die. The
class champion is the student with the greatest number of bodies to his/her credit.

52) Giants, Wizards and Goblins

Like paper, scissors and stone but with full body and voice. Decide on poses and sounds for
each of the three monsters. Class divides into two teams. Each team secretly decides whether
they will be giants, wizards or goblins. Each team lines up and steps in on the teacher’s count
of three. On three they strike their pose. Giants beat wizards, wizards beat goblins, goblins
beat giants. The winners chase the losers back to their starting paint (a wall is good).
Captives join the other side. The side with the most wins at the end.

53) Ball Grid

You need two balls. Students stand in a circle with hands raised. Teacher starts by throwing
ball to a student. That student passes the ball on. Once a student has had the ball passed to
them they lower their hand. Students must remember who passed them the ball and who
they passed to. The class then works on passing the ball around in the same order, then
within a time limit. When they are good at this ask them to pass the ball around backwards.
Then you can try two balls started at different intervals or one ball going forwards, one
backwards, or multiple balls.

54)Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (or NEWS)

Students sit in circle. The class numbers off Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, t,2,3… until all class
members have a number or name. Matthew is the top spot. Matthew starts the game by
starting a rhythm of two slaps on the thighs and two finger clicks. The class joins in the
rhythm. Matthew calls Matthew Matthew (with slaps) and another name or number from the
circle eg 4,4 (on clicks). Without breaking the rhythm 4 must call their own number with the
slaps and someone else with the clicks. You may not call your neighbours (ie 4 cannot call 3
or 5) or the person who called you. In this case 4 may not call Matthew back. You are out if
you call a neighbour, your caller or If you hesitate or break the rhythm. If you are out you
move to the bottom number of the class and everyone below you moves up one. ie 3 will
move to 4 if 4 goes out. The aim of the game is to get to be Matthew.

55) Fruit Salad

Sitting in a circle, people are divided up according to fruit names eg — apple, orange, banana.
apple, orange...etc (can be any category that you wish eg vehicles). One person is without a
chair; standing in the middle of the circle. They call out a fruit. All the people who are that
fruit need to swap chairs, while the person without a chair tries to steal one. If fruit salad is
called, all the people swap. Variations: no names, people ask questions eg everyone who has
had weetbix for breakfast this morning. Consider adding rules eg you may not swap with the
person right next to you.

56) Go Stop
Initially the group is told that there are two instructions only — go and stop. When
instructed to go the group walks around the room filling in space, ensuring that they are not
touching anyone. When stop is called, the group freezes. After some time reverse the
instructions so that go means stop and stop means go. Add other instructions initially with
the correct meaning and then reverse the meanings eg — jump and sit.

57) Pick up a Straw

This tag game involves the teacher throwing straws on the ground and the students running
around to music. When the music stops the students must retrieve a straw. This game
continues with the teacher removing straws from the floor. Students are eliminated when
they fail to retrieve a straw.
58)Shape Stuck in the Mud (Frozen Candles)
Played as normal stuck in the mud game, with one person as “it” tagging others. If you are
tagged you make a frozen shape and hold it until someone else comes to mirror the shape
you have made, releasing you. This avoids the problems of children going between other’s
legs.

59) Ladders
Class divides into two teams and sit in pairs with legs extended to form a ladder. The pairs
number off 1 to …(15 if 30 in the class). Teacher calls a number. That pair must jump up and
run over the legs of the bottom part of the ladder, around the outside and over the legs of the
top part of the ladder to sit back in their original position. The next person on the team then
runs and so on until the whole team has run. First person finished wins.

Tag Games are used for developing co-operative skills, energizing, safety, rules, use of space,
warming up body.

60) Hug Tag

Appoint an ‘it’ person. Rules are similar to normal tag, ie you can tag your master, must tag
between shoulder and hip. Exception is that those being chased can save themselves by
hugging an to one other person. Tagger can count to five if a pair hug all the time rather
than run around. On 5 the pair must split up.

61) Pillow Tag

You need a pillow or small cushion for this game. Two people star off as “it”. Their aim is to
eventually capture the rest of the class. They catch people by togging them with a pillow.
While holding the pillow a tagger may not move their feet le the pillow must be passed
around the raom. As people are tagged they become taggers as well. The last person taggd is
the winner.

62)Blob Tag (link arm tag)

Within on enclosed or specified area you have one tagger. The player who is “it” attempts to
tag the other players. Each player tagged links arms until all players have been caught. Last
person to be tagged will start the next game off. Every time you are tagged you link arms
with the last person that has been tagged. Game ends when everyone has been tagged and
ore linked together.
63) Names – Getting to know each other

64) Pointy Name Game

Class stands in a circle. One person starts, pointing at another, calling their name and
walking towards them. The person called then points to someone else, calls and walks. Once
the class has the idea more than one person can move at once,

Variations:
 game can be played running
 person pointed at has to call the name of the person coming towards them,
 George round, the-person pointing calls the name of the person who come to them while
moving towrads the next person. The first person to move calls George.

65) Name Swap

The group is in a circle. Start with the leader of the group — she moves across the circle
pointing to someone very quickly and saying their name loudly and clearly (almost
urgently). As soon as that person is aware that they are the one being pointed at they do the
same action to someone else in the circle. The aim is to have a continuous link of changing
people, who move in immediately without hesitation.
66) Meet and Greet
Students walk around the room filling all the space. They meet a partner and introduce
themselves, saying their own name and giving an emotion which they then act out eg Hi my
name is Sam and I’m feeling angry (said in an angry voice with angry faces and gestures).
Their partner reciprocates with their name and a different emotion. They each swap their
name and emotion and go on to meet someone new.

67) Group Knot

Students stand in a tight shoulder to shoulder circle holding their arms crossed out in front
of them at shoulder height. Each student must grab the hands of two other students (le you
cannot grab both hands of the same person). Working co-operatively, they have to unravel
themselves without dropping hands so that they are in a normal circle holding hands.
Variation: the unravelling is done in silence with a leader giving spoken directions to the
knot This game works best in groups of up to 10 people.

68) What Are You Doing

An improvisation game played in a circle where one person enters the circle and begins
doing on action (eg walking the dog). The next person enters the circle and asks, ‘What are
you doing?’ The first person continues their action and tells the second person another
action to do (eg I’m brushing my teeth). The second person starts doing that given action and
the first leaves the circle. - The next person enters the circle and asks, ‘What are you doing?”
and so an. This can be varied in a number of ways, according to what techniques you are
wanting the children to practice eg make actions very big and exaggerated, small and precise
etc.

69) Clusters
Students walk around the room In neutral ie no looking at others, no talking, no touching,
filling the space evenly. When a number is called, students must find that number of people,
sit one behind the other, mime rowing and sing row-row-row your boat. First group down
wins. When a letter is called students must find at least one other person to make the shape
of the letter. No one can win if any student is left out.

70) Yes Lets!

Can be played as a whole class, or in groups. One person calls on activity eg let’s scrub the
floor. Whole group calls ‘Yes, let’s’ and mimes the activity. Next person calls an activity and
soon.

71) Snake Tag

One student begins as the ‘it’ person. As they tag others, they Join arms at the elbow. The
game continues until all students are caught. If the snake is broken no one can be tagged.

72) Octopus
This is a variation of bullrush. Students begin standing against one wall and must run to the
opposing wall when the Octopus (a chosen student) calls ‘go’. The Octopus then tags as many
students as possible. When a student is tagged, they become one of the Octopus tentacles.
They must stand on the spot but can reach out to tag any other students who also became
tentacles. The game continues until all students are tentacles.

73)Pegs
This tag game involves students each taking a peg and attaching it to their back The teacher
plays music and whenever the music is going, students run around after each other trying to
grab as many pegs from other people’s backs. When the music stops, anyone that does not
have a peg on his or her back is eliminated from the game. The winner is the student left
standing at the end with a lot of pegs on their back!

74) Tongue Twister Relays

Divide students into groups of 5-6. These are the relay teams. Teach students three tongue
twisters. Appoint one student from each team to judge for another team. The relay teams
must run one at a time to their judge, repeat the tongue twister, then run back to the back of
their line. The next student runs, says the tongue twister and so on. Once all team members
have done the first tongue twister, the team begins again on the second, then the.third.
Students must go back and run again if they make a mistake when saying their tongue
twister. The first team to finish all three twisters sits down.

75) Where Do You Come From?

Two equal teams stand opposite each other; Team A makes a decision about where they
come from (A country, city or town) and what they do there (something that is generic to
that place and which can be mimed.) When they are ready, Team B walks in four steps
towards Team A chanting: WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?’ Team A, in return, walks in four
steps towards Team B chanting, ‘WE COME FROM AUSTRALIA’. Team B walks in a further
four steps towards Team A chanting: ‘WHAT DO YOU DO THERE?’ Team A, in return, walks
in four steps meeting up with Team B chanting, ‘SOMETHING BEGINNING WITH ‘ES’ (the
team all mime eating sausages) When someone from Team B guesses the action successfully,
then Team A tries to run back to where they started from without being tagged by Team B. If
tagged then they join Team B. The game begins again, with Team B choosing a location and
action this time.

76) Circle Jump In

Students begin standing in a circle. One student begins by jumping into the middle of the
circle, performing and action and a sound, then jumping bock to their place. The rest of the
circle then jump in and repeat the action and sound. The next student in the circle then
jumps in and so on.

77) Alliteration Name Game

The group stands in a circle. Prior to beginning the game each person decides on an
alliterative movement which will go with their name eg swimming Sarah (they do the action
as they say the words) or jumping Joe etc. The leader begins and all copy their name after
they have said and moved it.

78)Mime Rhyme
The teacher calls a simple word. Students must then mime a word that rhymes as quickly as
possible. i.e. teacher calls ‘hat’ students might mime mat, or sat, or cat.

79) Birthday Game

Group is in a big circle, making side to side stamping pulse (SLOWLY). Set a cycle of 30
counts. Someone counts out loud to keep everyone in time. When each person’s birthday
number comes around, make a big sound (yelp, shout etc). (Start off by just calling your
number and then once that cycle is set, change to a sound). Add movement as well. Take out
the counting when everyone is confident.

80) Gesture Game

Review with students what gestures are. Ask them to decide on a gesture that describes
something about them eg if they like to sleep a lot, or if they enjoy reading or if they are loud
people etc. Each individual ‘introduces’ themselves by using their gesture, without words,
one after the other, with the rest of the group copying. After all the gestures have been
shared the leader does her gesture (the group does not repeat this time) and then chooses
another person’s gesture. The individual whose gesture was chosen repeats their own
gesture and chooses someone else’s gesture. In this way, all gestures in the group are
repeated. Sometimes towards the end of the game it can be hard to remember which
gestures haven’t yet been done. If someone gets stuck ask those who’s gesture has not been
done yet to repeat their gestures, all together. This game can extend to poetry and songs, as
well as storytelling and character development when doing plays with children.

81)Scream
The group stands in a circle with their eyes looking dawn at the floor. The leader of the
group commands ‘Look up!’ and the group looks up to stare at the face of another person in
the group. If eye contact is made the two participants scream at each other making a horrific
face and then they are out, sitting in the middle of the circle to observe the others. When
enough people are out they form another circle and begin the game again.

82)Survivor
This game is played with newspaper sheets placed on the ground of the room. Students
move around the newspapers and when the teacher calls survive, the students must be
standing on a piece of newspaper within 10 seconds. If they are not then they are eliminated.
The game continues with the teacher removing sheets until there is one left. Emphasise that
this is a co-operative game In which the students must try to help each other survive, by
using team-work to get as many people on a piece of newspaper as possible.

83)Zip, Zap, Bounce

Zip = left, zap = right, bounce = skip the person next to you, block = sends the zip/zap in the
opposite direction

89)Superchickens

90) Party quirks

91) Category, Category, Die

Possible categories: superheroes, colours (that aren’t in the rainbow), famous landmarks,
famous dead people, states in the USA, cities, capitals, ice cream flavours, elements in the
periodic table, things you can wear, breakfast cereals, types of Cadbury’s chocolate…

92)10 Second Objects

Rotating groups work well - especially with a new class.
Possible objects: Boat, tomato, Eiffel tower, Playground equipment (they choose which),
kitchen appliances…

93)Traffic Lights
Teacher calls out traffic light colours. Green = go (walk), Yellow = hop / skip, Red = Freeze.
Can mix up what happens at each colour, depending on the class (hop, skip, jump, frog
jump…)

94)Word Association
Gets them not to worry about what they are saying. Try and discourage repetition from the
previous person.

95) Party Murder

Like wink murder. There is a detective (who leaves the room). The remainder of the group
stands in a circle with their eyes closed. Teacher selects a student to be the ‘murderer’.
Students walk around the room shaking hands with other students. When the murderer
 shakes hands they gently squeeze it twice. Once ‘killed’ students need to count to 10 before
dying (so they don’t give away the murderer too easily)

96)Park Bench

97)Freeze tag / blind freeze tag

98)Story Story Die

99)Sit, Stand, Lie

3 in a scene. Someone has to be sitting, standing and lying down at all times. Needs to be
incorporated into the scene as much as possible.

100)Half Time
Groups of 4. Do a scene in 1 minute, then repeat in 30sec, 15sec, 7.5 sec, 3 sec and 1 sec.

101) Banana’s of the World Unite

“Bananas of the world… UNITE!
Peel banana, peel peel banana. Peel banana, peel peel banana.
Cool banana, cool cool banana. Cool banana, cool cool banana.
Slice banana, slice slice banana. Slice banana, slice slice banana.
Mash banana, mash mash banana. Mash banana, mash mash banana.
GO BANANAS, GO GO BANANAS. GO BANANAS GO GO BANANAS.
Bananas of the world… UNITE!”

102) Woosh
Begin with passing a “woosh” around the circle. Then add the following instructions
Minimise: jump in closer and make all actions smaller and quieter
Maximise: jump further out of the circle and make all actions bigger and louder
James Brown: “Jump back, kiss your hand, Oooooo yeah.”
Boing: Spring up and the woosh skips the next person
Zap: Passes the woosh across the circle

103) Grid Cat and Mouse

Organise all but two of the students into a grid where, if they stretch their arms out, they are
just touching the fingers of their neighbour. On the call “streets” the students put their arms
out running East and West, on the call “roads” the students put their arms out North to
South. They will need to put their arms down when changing to avoid decapitation of the Cat
and Mouse.

104) Hunter, Woman, Bear

Some other useful websites

http://wilderdom.com/games/NameGames.html
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/
http://www.group-games.com/