Active Learning Game Ideas

Active learning is a process whereby children engage in activities. These games are “active learning” ideas which provide a physical outlet and reinforce important academic and affective domain skills.

a. The Grocery Store Is Loaded With – An indoor game, which children use their vocabulary and memory skills. (The game gets better, when more children participate.) This game provides auditory memory sequencing. It helps encourage interaction, teaches basic math facts, is a way to learn other children names and gives suggestions.

Starting the game: The teacher tosses a nerf ball or soft-ball to a child who starts by saying: “The Grocery Store is loaded with ______.” (The child may add something like fruit.) The nerf ball is passed to a second child who repeats the words like “The Grocery Store is loaded with fruit and then adds another word. It could be plums, apples, etc. Thus, the items keep accumulating. (Children are allowed to help, when it becomes too hard.)

b. A Great Wind Blows – This is a noisy, running around game, which works well as an icebreaker. You’ll need chairs placed in a circle for all of the children and space to play. Children began by sitting down. The game improves listening skills, interaction and cooperation.

The teacher stands outside the circle and calls out “A great wind blows for everyone who….” and fills in the blank with a statement that will affect some of the group. Anyone who is affected must stand up and find another chair, which are at least 2 chairs away from their seat.
If a large group of children stand up, the teacher should quickly remove one of the chairs from the circle as soon as the kids stand up and begin moving. Any child who cannot find a chair moves outside the circle and helps the teacher come up with ideas for the next “great wind blows”.
Here are some other ideas:
1. A great wind blows for everyone who has a little brother
2. A great wind blows for everyone who has a big sister
3. A great wind blows for everyone who has been to Disneyland
4. A great wind blows for everyone who has a dog
5. A great wind blows for everyone who has a cat
6. A great wind blows for everyone who ate cereal for breakfast this morning
7. A great wind blows for everyone who has seen a movie in the theater
8. A great wind blows for everyone who sleeps with the nightlight on
9. A great wind blows for everyone who likes bananas
10. A great wind blows for everyone who rides in the backseat in their car
11. A great wind blows for everyone who likes Burger King
12. A great wind blows for everyone who likes to drink milk
13. A great wind blows for everyone who plays games on the IPhone
14. A great wind blows for everyone who likes to sing
15. A great wind blows for everyone who goes to bed at 8 pm

c. Where Do You Stand? – This fun icebreaker game requires lots of running around and sometimes some bumping into each other – so it’s best played in a large hall or outside!
How to play: Draw a line with chalk or masking tape down the center of the space. All the children start by standing on the line. Now the teacher calls out opposites and points in one direction for each statement. Children make their choice and run to the correct side towards the wall.
Examples might be:
1. Do you like cats or dogs?
2. Do you like rabbits or mice?
3. Do you like blue or pink?
4. Do you like football or basketball?
5. Do you like the city or a town?
6. Do you like hot dogs or hamburgers?
7. Do you like cereal or toast?
8. Do you like arithmetic or reading?
9. Do you like Tinkerbell or Peter Pan?
10. Do you like candy or fruit?
11. Do you like soda or milk?
12. Do you like flying or driving?
13. Do you like to play games or watch TV?
14. Do you like outside or inside?
15. Do you like vegetables or desserts?

Why not let some children predict and record on a clipboard of how many children choose each side?