GAMES
Each
player or team receives a list of objects (around the theme or not) to find and
collect within a certain time frame. If
children are readers, write the list on a brown bag so that they can put the
items in as they find them. If children
aren’t readers, put pictures on the bags.
The first to collect all items on the list is the winner.
Before
class begins (or the party), write down sea creature’s and bird’s names on
pieces of paper. At the start of the
game, pin or tape one name on the back of each child, not allowing them to see
their own names. Children must
establish who they are by asking questions of the other players. (Do I live in
the sea? What colour am I?) Answers should be given in the form of clues – ‘you’re
green’ – without giving away the name.
You
will need ten boxes, each with a posting slot and labelled with a different
towns or areas around the Lough (Holywood, Carrickfergus, Whiteabbey,
Whitehead, Bangor, Belfast, Jordanstown, Helen’s Bay, Crawfordsburn, and
Groomsport). The boxes are hidden
around the classroom, outside or in party area. Each player is given ten envelopes addressed to each of the
boxes. Starting from a common spot,
players select one envelop at a time, put their initials on the back of it, and
then set off quickly to post it in the right box. Depending on the size of the class you may want to break the
class into three sections and have winners from each group. Winners are those who correctly post their
ten envelopes in the right boxes the quickest.
Give
each player a blindfold, a piece of paper and pencil. Have players draw blindfolded a fish, a seal, the ocean, a boat,
etc. When the players think that they have finished their pictures, have them
to add one more thing to their drawing, for example, ‘put a smile on the fish’s
face’ or ‘put a bow tie around the seal’s neck’. The winning picture is the one voted the funniest or the best by
the other players.
Pin the Fin on the Fish (AKA Pin the tail on the Donkey)
Each child is
blindfolded and gets a try at placing the fin as close as possible to where it
supposed to go. The closest is the winner.
Blindfold
one player and give them a rolled up newspaper to hold. Sit the blindfolded child in the middle of
the circle is a pile of treasure – plastic jewels, gold coins, bracelets,
etc. The players take turns to try and
steal one item of the treasure. If the blindfolded
player hears the pirate, they cry ‘Pirate, Pirate!’ and hits the thief with the
newspaper. If the newspaper touches the
pirate, he or she must return empty-handed to his or her place to wait for
their next turn. The pirate who gets
the most ‘booty’ wins the game.
Divide
class into two teams. Let each team
create a team name around the ocean theme – the Sea Dawgs vs the Sharks. One team starts off asking the other, ‘Cross
the Lough if you have …’ Here the asking team decides on a commonality that the
members of the other team have. For
example, ‘Cross the Lough if you have brown hair’. All those players with brown hair must cross over to the other
team. Then it’s the second team’s turn.
‘Cross the Lough if you have blue eyes.’ All the players with blue eyes crosses
and join their team. Continue playing
until all players are on one side.
Great team building game!
Line
the children up behind a marked line (putting down tape makes a great marked
line.) The side they are standing on is the shore; the other side is the Lough.
Call out ‘In the Lough!’ or ‘On the shore!’, mixing up the commands. Children
have to jump to the proper side. Those
who do not jump to the correct side are out.
Class forms one single file line down the centre of the room. The leader calls out either ‘Man the
Starboard’ – everyone runs right; ‘Man the Port’ – everyone runs left or ‘Man
the Ship’ which means back to the centre.
Leader shouts the commands faster and faster. The last child to arrive at any line is out. Continue until one person wins.
Use
rostrum blocks for this one. An
elimination activity. Clear four walls
of the room. You are on the deck of a ship.
The captain gives you the following instructions:
Fore-
front of the room. Aft- Back of the
room. Port- left of the room. Starboard- Right of the room.
Scrub
the deck- on knees miming.
Climb
the rigging- mime climbing.
Shark
attack- stand on rostrum blocks. (Exclude this one if you don't have any)
Man
overboard- Piggyback, or stand back to back.
Dead
Seagull- Lie upside down with claws in the air.
Life
Buoy- Sit back to back with arms linked.
Captain
on deck- Solute the captain and freeze.
Can the fish really catch me? (Similar to
Duck, Duck, Goose)
The fish can live in the
lake.
The fish can live in the
sea.
The fish jumped out of the
water.
Can the fish really catch
me?
This
song is sung to the tune of ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’. As the children
begin to sing the song, one person is ‘it’ and walks around the circle gently
tapping each child on the head. At the end of the verse the child who is tapped
chases the ‘it’ and tries to catch ‘it’ before they make it back to their place
in the circle.
From
Exploring the Lough: Creative Activities for the Primary School Classroom
Compiled
& Written by Molly Freeman, Edited Adrian Rice