For this game, you will need ten or more hula hoops in three different colors and music on a CD or mp3. Before beginning, assign a movement to each color of hoop. When a student steps inside that color hoop, she must perform that action. As music is played, the students walk or dance around. When the music is stopped, all students must step inside the closest hula hoop and perform the respective movement for that color hoop. For example, red hoops might signify hopping on one foot, yellow hoops signal shaking all over, and blue hoops mean running place.
Each group of four children will need four clean flyswatters, an inflated balloon, and a jump rope. The jump rope is laid on the ground or across two chairs to represent the badminton "net." The flyswatters are the rackets used to strike the balloon. To add academic skills to the activity, have students name the letters of the alphabet or numbers as they hit the balloon back and forth. For higher-level students, have them choose a category and say words that fit that category each time the balloon is struck. For example, if the category is "verb," the students must name a verb each time the balloon is hit. Once students understand the game, have them name words for each category by letters of the alphabet. This builds thinking, spelling, and motor skills. Math facts also work well with this activity.
Much like traditional musical chairs, this game requires one less chair than players and music. The first round, play music as the students walk around the chairs. When the music stops, all the children scramble for a seat. The student who does not get a seat becomes "It." This child gets to choose his favorite animal. Rather than walking around the chairs on the next round, the other students must imitate the animal in their movements. Each round, another chair is removed and another student becomes "It." The last student in the game wins.
This activity is ideal for outdoors or a large open room. One child is "It" and stands in the middle of the open space between two bases or walls. The rest of the students line up on one of the walls or bases. The object of the game is to cross from one base to the other without being tagged by "It." After "It" yells "Go!" the players run from one base to the other. If a player is tagged, she must join "It" in the middle and tag other students. Players may not stay on base longer than a count of 10. Those who stay too long or turn back must join "It" in tagging others. The last person who is tagged is the winner and becomes "It" for the next round.