Allow primary students to play card games such as Go Fish, Memory, Crazy Eights or War. Teach students a card game like My Ship Sails. In this game, students are dealt seven cards. Each student looks at his cards and picks a card suit to try to collect seven of, such as seven hearts cards. Players sit in a circle and pass one unwanted card face down to the person on their right. Have students pass cards at the same time. Players pick up cards passed to them and decide to keep the card or pass it on. The first student to collect seven cards from a matching suit announces, "My Ship Sails!"
Play group games such as Musical Chairs or Heads Up, Seven Up. Board games also make for quick and easy small group games. Teach primary students a new game such as Silence. In Silence, the teacher calls out a rule or category and students line up according to the direction. Student may gesture with their hands, nod their heads or point, but they can't speak during the game. Ideas for rules include lining up by height, alphabetical order of first names or order of birth dates in the year.
Play team building games when students need a boost of team spirit. Have students play Human Knot or Charades. Invite students to divide into small teams of four or five to compete in a game of Towers. In Towers, teams are given 100 paper cups and instructed to build "the best tower." After 15 minutes, have a student from each group join the judges' group. Judges evaluate towers to find the tallest tower, sturdiest tower and most eye-catching tower. Allow judges to explain why they chose winners for each group.
Invite students to play communication games such as Drawing Bugs or Draw a House. In Drawing Bugs, one student draws a bug and keeps it hidden from the rest of the class. That person then describes his bug so other students can draw a matching bug. During the game, only the person describing his bug may speak. When everyone finishes, compare bug drawings. In Draw a House, partners jointly hold onto a pencil and draw the best house they can imagine without talking. Have students share drawings and what was easy or hard about the game.