Oldchildhoodgames

Duck Duck Goose

Sit all the children in a circle. Pick one to start. He or she stands up, leaving his place open. He walks slowly around the circle, touching each child's head, saying "Duck, Duck"... as he goes around. At some point, he chooses to say "Goose!" and touches the person he picks as "it". He runs back to his place, and the new player stands up trying to touch him before he makes it back to the safety of his place.

If he is touched before he sits down, he continues to be "it" until he makes it safely to his place. If he gets to his place before being touched, the new "it" person goes around saying "Duck, Duck, Goose"... and touching heads. He also picks someone and names them "Goose", then runs to sit down again.

Which Hand (or School)

This is where you hold a small rock or pea in your hand and have the other player or players choose which hand it is in. If you have them sitting on a stairway, if they choose correctly, you have them move up one step to indicate their progress towards winning.

IAfter each choosing, put your hands behind your back again and rehide the rock. Small children really love this game.

What time is it Mr. Fox?

One child faces the wall and plays the part of the fox. The children line up several feet behind him. They call out carefully "What time is it Mr. Fox, and the Fox randomly names a number "oclock". The children take one step forward each time they chant for the time. They have one foot pointed behind them to run if the Fox chooses 12 oclock, because he then turns and runs at them, tagging someone to take his place as the Fox.

One Potato, Two Potato

You need at least two players but three or more is better. One person is the counter. Everyone ball up both fists and hold them out waist level. The counter goes from child to child, touching their fists, even back to himself and counting his own fists. He says "One potato, two potato, three potato, four, five potato, six potato, seven potato, more!" On the count of "more", that child's fist is put behind his back. This is repeated until all the "potatoes" are gone, and the one potato left is the winner.

Riding to store in a wagon.

Grab some pillows off the bed, turn the living room furniture around and add some reigns, cause we're off to the general store for our monthly groceries. Your coffee table becomes the wagon, a couple of kitchen chairs in front of it, become the buckboard seat. With or without string or rope to tie on "horse" chair legs or siblings, imagination is the key.