Duck Duck Goose is a simple game to play. Have all the students hold hands and make a circle, then sit down and put their hands in their laps. Then be "It" first and demonstrate to the students how this game is played. Explain to your class that you will gently tap each person on the head and say "Duck," but when you tap someone on the head and say "Goose" he must get up and chase you around the circle. If he does not tap you before you get back to his place in the circle, you will still be "It." But if he taps you before you get back to his place in the circle and sit down, then he will become "It."
After your demonstration the person who is "It" will continue to walk around the circle gently tapping each child on the head and saying "Duck." When she finds the student she wants to chase her, she will tap his head and say "Goose," and the chase begins. During each chase if the person who is "It" gets tapped by the "Goose" then the "Goose" becomes "It." If there is enough time you can continue the game until all your students get a turn to be the "Goose."
Have all the students hold hands and make a circle, then sit down. Next, teach your students the words for "Farmer in the Dell" as a song or chant. Then, choose a "Farmer" and bring him into the circle. With the Farmer standing all by himself in the middle of the circle, have the children begin singing or chanting:
"The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
"The farmer takes a wife (Farmer finds a "wife" and brings her into the circle.)
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
"The wife takes a child (Wife finds a "child" and brings him into the circle.)
The wife takes a child
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes a child
"The child takes a nurse (Child chooses a "nurse" and brings her into the circle.)
The nurse takes a cow (Nurse chooses a "cow" and brings it into the circle.)
The cow takes a dog (Cow chooses a "dog" and brings it into the circle.)
The dog takes a cat (Dog chooses a "cat" and brings it into the circle.)
The cat takes a rat (Cat chooses a "rat" and brings it into the circle.)
The rat takes the cheese" (Rat chooses the "cheese" and brings it into the circle, then everyone but the cheese leaves the circle.)
"The cheese stands alone (Cheese stands in the center of the circle alone.)
The cheese stands alone
Hi-Ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone"
You will need a potato -- a small stuffed toy or a bean bag -- along with a tape player and musical tape that is easy to stop and start. For different holidays you may want to use different stuffed animals, such as a stuffed heart for Valentine's Day or a stuffed reindeer for Christmas. Explain to the students that when the music starts they will carefully pass the "Hot Potato" around the circle. As soon as the music stops they must freeze. The person who has the Hot Potato when the music stops must then sit in the "Hot Potato audience section," where he will watch the game and clap to the music. This game will continue until all the students are in the audience section except the last person in the game.
You will need a tape player that is easy to stop and start and a musical tape with marching music. You will need one less sturdy chair than you have students. Place the chairs in a circle facing outward. (Depending on the ability of your children to follow directions, you may want to let only 10 children play this game at a time.) Let the students know that when the music starts they will march around the chairs, and when it stops they will sit in an empty chair only. Let them know that if someone is already in a chair they may not sit in it. When someone cannot find a chair she will carefully take one chair away from the circle and sit in the audience section. There she will watch the rest of the game and clap to the music. The game will continue until there is only one person and one chair left.