Costume Parade

Provide a variety of costumes. Let the children dress up in different costumes and go on a parade to display them.

Clothing Race

Set out different types of clothing. Have the children race to dress up in clothes as fast as they can.

My Attributes

Have your entire class stand up. Choose one child and name an attribute of that child (brown hair). All children with brown hair remain standing, the others sit down. Choose another attribute and continue the game until all of the children’s attributes have been chosen.

Berry Animal Movement

Talk about the different types of animals that like to eat berries and make a list of them (birds, mice, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, fox, deer, bears, etc.). Read “Blackberry Banquet” by Terry Pierce. Then move like the different animals you have listed or read about.

Balloon Racket Ball

Provide rackets or hangers (bent like a diamond with a handle and taped with nylons over the diamond shape), balloons for the children to play balloon racket ball. The purpose is to try to keep the balloon from hitting the ground. Talk about standing away from other people so they don't accidentally hit somebody else with the racket.

Sports Obstacle Course

Set up a sports obstacle course using different types of sports, games or physical activities. Ideas could include: riding a bike or trike; bouncing, throwing, hitting or kicking a ball; crawling under, through, or over obstacles; running; jumping over; balancing along; pretending to swim or skate; etc.

Sports Charades

Let the children dramatize various sports without using any noise, just actions (football, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, running, golf, lacrosse, biking, hiking, skating, rowing, swimming, dancing, gymnastics, skiing, etc) while the others guess the sport being portrayed. Let each child have at least one turn acting out a sport.

Following the Number Leader

Play follow the leader (one person is the leader and chooses an action to do, while the others copy their action). In the directions, tell the leader to choose and name the number of times to do somethings (1 jump, 2 hops, 3 leaps, 4 tip toe steps, etc.) Let the children take turns being the number leader.

Inching Like Inchworms

Let your children move like inchworms to music (to move like an inchworm they would get on all fours, move their arms first causing their bodies to go low to the ground and then scoot legs forward). It might be helpful to watch a video of an inchworm or observe an inchworm outside.

Magnet Tag

Have someone be "the magnet" (it) and chase the others. When "the magnet" touches someone, they have to stick together (hold hands) and continue chasing until everyone is stuck together.

Leaf Dancing

Use any classical or instrumental song that could sound like wind, have the children dance to the music acting like leaves in the wind. An alternative is to dance outside with piles of leaves.

Walking on Textures

Gather several different texture items and let your children walk on them, put on some music and let them dance on the textures too.

Washing Cars

Let the children help wash a real car or toy cars. Talk about how we take care of our cars and keep them clean.

Cars Outside

Outside place bikes and wagons and gas pump (box & hoses) for the kids to drive "cars".

Shark Tag

Have one (or several children) be the shark. The rest of your children must try to cross the ocean (a set space that you specify) and not get eaten (tagged) by the shark. If they get caught then they join the shark to try to catch more fish. Keep playing until everyone has a chance to start as the shark.

Dancing Our Feelings

Have the children dance to different types of music according to how the music makes them feel. Help them verbalize the emotions they are feeling and how they are expressing them in their dance.

Stop, Drop, Roll

Use a book or the information from either of the following websites(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop,_drop_and_roll or http://www.statefarm.com/learning/kid_stuff/smoke/cmndctr/stopdrop.html) to teach the children the "stop, drop, roll" fire safety technique. After explaining, demonstrate and have the children practice "stop, drop, roll" several times.

Red Light, Green Light

You can use a red and green circle images below. Cut them out and paste them back to back on a posicle stick or tongue depressor. To play the game:
Choose one child to hold the stoplight. The other children should be lined up facing the "stoplight" at least 15 feet away. When the "stoplight" shows green the players run toward him. When the "stoplight" shows red they stop running. If someone is still moving on a red light, they have to go back to the start. The first one who makes it to the "stoplight" gets to be the "stoplight" during the next round.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Safety Obstacle Course

Talk about how firefighters have to be in good shape to help rescue people in an emergency. They have to practice climbing ladders, descending polls, using heavy equipment, etc. Set up an obstacle course to help the children practice too. Include things to run around, jump over, go under, climb up, ride on, push, pull, etc. Demonstrate how they can go through the obstacle course in a specific order.

Putting Out Flames

Draw flames on a sidewalk with red & yellow sidewalk chalk, let you children "put them out" by squirting them with water bottles.