The game may begin with each child drawing, coloring and cutting a fish out of construction paper. Once completed, the teacher glues paper clips to the back of each colorful fish. The teacher attaches a string and a magnet to the end of a long, thin and lightweight pole. Students fill a blow-up children’s pool with their paper fish. Each child gets a turn to go “fishing,” seeing how many fish they can pick up with the magnetized pole within a set period of time.
Teachers can plan memory games by drawing identical objects, such as numbers, shapes or letters, on two separate sheets of paper. Spread the sheets on the floor face down and have children take turns turning over two sheets at a time, with the goal of trying to find matching sets. Another memory game involves presenting children with a random display of objects, such as stuffed animals or lunch boxes. Children may study the objects for a brief period of time before being asked to cover their eyes. The teacher may remove one item from the display and ask students to identify which object is now missing.
Teachers may consider breaking the class into smaller groups and provide each group with a list of items to find throughout the classroom. Students can cross off each object as it is located. One option is to hide certain treats throughout the room, such as boxes of crayons, coloring books and healthy snacks, and list those items as part of the scavenger hunt. Teachers also may provide a more generic list of demands, such as find objects in the classroom that are circular or yellow.