Holiday Class Games

Holiday games are a great way to wake kids up in the middle of the school day.vacation study 2 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com

Whether your class is having a holiday party, or you simply need a quick way to burn off some energy, holiday-themed games are a fun way to get everyone involved in the same activity. Games give everyone a chance to relax and enjoy themselves between more focused lessons. All you need is a group of willing participants for a little bit of afternoon enjoyment.

Groundhog’s Shadow

Groundhog Day may not be one of the most popular holidays, but this occasion provides excellent fuel for a fun variation of tag. Whether the groundhog saw his shadow or not, your class can go outside and prove that their shadows are still there. Instead of having children physically tag one another, this game requires that the players simply tag each other’s shadows. Once someone tags another player’s shadow, that person is out. The game continues until only one person is left standing. Be prepared for lots of running in circles as the children try to tag each other’s shadows before the person they’re after gets them first.

This variation on musical chairs includes a holiday-themed quiz. Use this game to brush up on important historical names and dates around Thanksgiving, or to review the way various cultures celebrate the same holiday. Play appropriately festive music while the children circle the chairs. When the music stops, everyone will scramble for a chair. Instead of having fewer chairs than children, as in traditional musical chairs, this game includes the same number of chairs as there are participants. One of the chairs is marked with tape or colored paper, however. The child who lands in this chair must answer a quiz question. If he gets it wrong, he is out and a chair is removed from the circle. Just make sure the quiz chair always stays in play.

This Halloween-themed game requires a bit of coordination, but it can be lots of fun once everyone gets the hang of it. Have everyone in the class stand in a circle. Use a metronome to keep time, or clap your hands loudly in a steady beat. Begin very slowly. One person begins the game by making a long ghostly howl, lasting for two beats. As soon as he finishes his howl, the two people on either side of him begin their own howl for the next two beats, and so on working outward around the circle until you reach the one or two people (depending on whether you have an odd or even number of students in the class) on the opposite side. From here, the screaming reverses and makes its way around the circle in the opposite direction. If anyone begins their howl out of turn, they’re out. Gradually increase the speed as you go. This is a great game for a music class learning to keep time. If the children have instruments, they can play instead of howling. Have everyone choose a different note for a ghastly cacophony.