Keep Playing Week 3

Game of the Week: The Big Cheese

This week Playworks is featuring a silly, active game that helps us understand how it can feel physically when we react to different emotions.

Skill Focus: 

Physical Self Awareness – The ability to notice your behaviors, feelings, and physical actions.

Play In-Person

Play Virtually

Simplified Game Instructions

# of people to play: 3+
Best for ages: 5+
Setup/Teaching Time: 3 minutes
Equipment needed: None
Goal: to not match the leader’s actions, and be the last player standing

How to Play:

  • Ask players to stand in a line or form a circle where the Leader can see everyone.
  • Introduce the 3 different movements: 
    • Cheddar Cheese – arms circled in front
    • String Cheese – arms stretched overhead
    • Stinky Cheese – hand waving in front of nose
  • The Leader begins each round by saying “I am the Big Cheese!” and the other players respond “You are the Big Cheese!”
  • The leader then counts “1…2…3!” On “three,” each player picks and shows one of the three predetermined movements (Cheddar, String, or Stinky Cheese). 
  • At the same time, the Leader shows one of the three movements.
  • Players who make the same movement as the leader are unsuccessful, and sit down.
  • The last player standing gets to be the next “Big Cheese.”
  • If two players are left, they can play rock, paper, scissors to determine the next “Big Cheese.”

Game Debrief

  • What was the goal of this game? How did you feel when you were successful/unsuccessful in a round? 
  • Why is it important to take a moment to recognize your body’s feelings?
  • What signs can we look for from our body to help us know how we are feeling (fists clenched, jumping up and down, etc.)?

Game Modifications

Another Way to Play
  • Have players line up on one side of the room or play space, and have the “Big Cheese” stand on the other. Players either take a step forward if they don’t match the leader, or stay where they are if they do match, and the first person to reach the current “Big Cheese” gets to lead the next round.
    • If players do NOT match the “Big Cheese” they take one step forward.
    • If players match the “Big Cheese” they stay where they are.
Modifications for Physical Abilities
  • Adjust the motions to what feels comfortable for all players or put the types of cheeses on cards and ask students to choose a cheese in this manner.
Academic Application
  • Students can complete an academic task (ex. spell a word, complete a simple math problem) to re-enter the game rather than sitting out.
  • Connect the game to what kids are learning in class (plant cycle, larva cycle, etc).

Brain Break: Land, Sea, Air

Goal: Perform the correct action as quickly as possible when the leader calls them out.

How to Play
  • Players line up behind a line or mark on the ground.
  • The leader will call out commands—”land,” “sea,” or “air.”
    • Land – Players feet are behind the line. If they are already behind the line, they must not move their feet. If they are in front of the line, they jump backward with both feet landing behind the line.
    • Sea –  Players feet are in front of the line. If they are already in front of the line, they must not move their feet. If they are behind the line, they jump forward with both feet landing entirely in front of the line.
    • Air –  Players jump into the air and land in the same place they started.
  • If players make a mistake, they must run to a pre-identified location—such as a wall or another line—and touch it before returning to the game.

Additional Resources

Sample School Community Announcement

For the month of September we are focusing on the theme of self awareness. Self awareness helps you tune into your own feelings, as well as the behaviors and feelings of others.

Self awareness is both emotional and physical. While it is important to understand how we may feel in certain situations, it is also critical to notice how our body responds as well – are we reacting with laughter, clenching our fists, frowning? This week, we are focusing on physical self awareness through the game The Big Cheese. This active game helps us understand how we react physically when we feel certain emotions.

Teach students to play in class, and then empower them to lead the game and teach others!

Core Recess Game

In addition to our Keep Playing Game of the Week, we’re sharing bi-weekly Core Recess Games that will help kids be active, practice leadership, maximize recess time, and have fun.

The game this week is SCRAMBLE!

Learn how to play

Return to the Keep Playing Homepage for archives of past weeks and other helpful resources.

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