To help ensure the new school year is off to a strong start, we’re sharing a series of back to school games and play tips. Next up – Cheers, claps, calls & responses, and cooldowns!
These attention-getters make managing groups easier. Whether it’s in the classroom, walking down the hallways, during transitions between activities, or coming in and out of recess, these quick and fun tips help get and keep kids focused.
Call & Response
Most people are familiar with a call and response, where a teacher gives a prompt (the “call”) and students respond in unison with a specific reply. Here are a few that involve a combination of words and movements to ensure eyes and ears are on you.
- Match me – have everyone do the same action as yourself. Ex. touch your nose, touch your shoulders, clasp your hands.
- If you hear my voice… – follow this statement with an action, such as clap twice.
- Rhythm clap – clap in a rhythm and have the kids repeat that same rhythm.
- When I say __, you say __ – use any two words, such as When I say recess, you say rocks. Recess, rocks!
- Alligator, Alligator, Chomp, Chomp – you say alligator, alligator, the students call back chomp, chomp while making a chomping motion with their arms.
- All set? You bet – you say all set? and students call back you bet.
Cheers
Cheers are a fun way to capture attention and build positivity and community. Here are a few cheers to try with your students.
Banana cheer
Who rocks
Zoom cheer
Claps
Playworks claps contain three common elements: 1. A clap (on the count of three), 2. an action, and 3. a sound. Here are some examples:
- Fireworks Clap: As with all claps, this begins by counting to three, and when the leader says three, everyone claps once in unison, then moves their hands in the motion of their favorite firework and makes the pop, pop, shhhhh sound of fireworks.
- Rollercoaster Clap: this clap begins with hands are up in front as if sitting on a rollercoaster. When the leader says three, everyone claps once then moves up three times making a “chh” sound, as the rollercoaster climbs the hill. At the top of the hill, hands are in the air, everyone says “whoo” and mimics three little hills that follow, before closing with a final clap in unison.
- Whoosh Clap: this clap begins with everyone rubbing their hands together, building up warmth and positivity. When the leader counts to three, everyone sends their hands out and pushes that positive energy forward, saying “whoooosh” in unison.
Cooldowns
Breathing exercises can be helpful to cool the body back down after an exciting game, diffuse tension after a conflict, or just recharge and refocus.
- Five Finger Breathing: Hold one hand out in front of you with your fingers spread apart. With your pointer finger from the other hand, start at the base of your thumb and trace along the edge of your hand. Inhale as your finger traces upward, and exhale as your finger traces down between fingers.
- Volcano breaths: Start by putting your hands together, and sending them straight up like lava flowing up a volcano. Once they are fully overhead, release your hands and let them spread out wide, falling slowly back down to your sides as the lava erupts out of the volcano.
- Bumblebee Breath: Open your mouth wide to take a deep breath in, then gently put your teeth together and breathe out slowly, making a gentle buzzing sound like a bumblebee.
