Keep Playing 28

Write your awesome label here.

Whole group chants “five things” five times with rhythmic clapping.
"Five things, five things, five things, five things, five things” (creates a rhythmic beat)
Facilitator verbally passes to player 1 and assigns them a category (e.g. “things you bring to school”).
“Things you bring to school, Pat!”
Player 1 says the first five things that come to mind.
“Backpack, homework, pencil, books, notebook.”
The whole group counts out loud after each item shared by player 1.
“Backpack, one. Homework, two."
When player 1 has shared all five things, the whole group repeats the five things chant and Player 1 verbally passes to another classmate and assigns a new category.
"Snacks, Alyssa."
The game can continue for as long as the class can think of fun categories!
**Note: this is a fast paced, improvisational game; it’s perfectly ok for students to give answers that don’t quite fit the category or make sense. The objective is to build comfort sharing out on the spot while accepting and moving past mistakes.

How did you show those around you that you were engaged in the game and present?
Did you want to be called on early or later in the game? Why?
How did it feel to be called on when you weren’t ready?
How were you showing that you were actively listening to others?

Academic Application:

Categories in this game can align with specific lessons or units to promote recall. In science, the category could be “nonliving objects” with players brainstorming.
Another Way to Play:

Allow players to verbally “pass” to someone else after naming each new thing in the category. For example, "Things you bring to school, Pat!” “A backpack, Taylor." After five players have named 5 things, have the whole group complete the chant and then player 5 names a new category to start the next round.
Age Group Modifications:

For younger students, play “three things” instead of five, with the facilitator choosing the category and changing it at their discretion rather than asking each player to come up with a new category.

Before You Start: Arrange players in a circle.
Before You Start: Designate one tagger to start in the middle.
Before You Start: Review safe tagging procedures (“butterfly” or “piano” fingers on outstretched hands).
Players will form a circle and remain stationary with their hands out, palms up
The player designated as the tagger will stand in the center of the circle.
When a name is said, the tagger will attempt to tag that player’s hands.
Anyone being approached by the tagger can say aloud the name of another player in the circle.
The tagger is then redirected to the player whose name has been said.
This process repeats until the tagger successfully tags someone before a name has been said.
When a player is tagged, they become the new tagger in the middle.

For the month of April we are continuing to focus on the theme of relationship skills. Relationship skills help you figure out how to relate to others and build meaningful connections with different people.

This week, our focus will be on social engagement, which means being active and present within your community. This can look like a lot of different things, from asking questions or volunteering your help, to inviting new people to join you in a game. Five Things is a quick game that can help us practice being active, present and engaged with a small group.

Teach students to play in class, and then empower them to lead the game and teach others!

Select a skill focus from the list below, then copy and paste it into the search bar to see games that develop that skill.

Accepting Help
Accurate Self Perception
Active Listening
Appreciating Diversity
Building Community
Empathy
Growth Mindset
Identifying Characteristics
Identifying Emotions
Impulse Control
Inclusion
Integrity
Perspective Taking
Physical Self Awareness
Resilience
Respect
Self Awareness
Self Confidence
Self Management
Self Motivation
Social Awareness
Stress Management

Select an item from the list below, then copy and paste it into the search bar to see games that require that item.

Ball
Bandana
Baseball Bat
Base
Basketball
Beanbag
Bouncy Ball
Chair
Chalk
Cone
Dodgeball
Flag
Football
Frisbee
Hula Hoop
Jersey
Jump Rope
Kickball
Soccer Ball
Tennis Ball
Volleyball
Volleyball Net
No Equipment Required

Select a game type from the list below, then copy and paste it into the search bar to see games of that type.

Autonomous/Self-Access Game
Ball Game
Cooperative Game
Icebreaker Game
Indoor Game
Readiness Game
Recess Game
Rotational Game
Tag Game

Keep Playing!

Game of the Week

Five Things

Social Engagement

Play In-Person

Play Virtually

How to Play

Game Debrief

Modifications

Brain Break of the Week

Name Tag

Get the Poster

How to Play

Announcement of the Week

Email Template

How to Use it

Keep Playing!

Game of the Week

Five Things

Social Engagement

Play In-Person

Play Virtually

How to Play

Game Debrief

Modifications

Brain Break of the Week

Name Tag

Get the Poster

How to Play

Announcement of the Week

Email Template

How to Use it

Quick Tips

Looking to build skills? We've got you covered.

Limited on equipment? No problem!

Want to find a specific type of game?

Settings saved

We're sad to see you go