Whole Group Games - Entry #4

Here is another set of games and activities that are always a hit with my little ones.  It’s funny how many I can remember doing, when I really start thinking!  One memory leads to another, and then I realize that I remember having done some other thing that was also fun!  And so it goes…  It’s actually a good thing to sort of “catalog” them and list them out, I think.  Maybe I’ll remember to use each of them more often, now that I’ll have them all listed out on paper.




Rhyming Riddles





201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy- great book to build rhyming skills!
This book, 201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy, by Betsy Franco has lots and lots of cute little poems and riddles that use rhyme to help children guess the answer.   Published by Scholastic.

Example:
“Which shape am I?
A pizza, a clock,
A bicycle wheel,
I have no sides,
But I’m for real.  I’m a ________.”
(Answer:  circle)




I spy:
I spy with my little eye
a mammal with a spout.
It’s bigger than my grandma’s car.
It swims to get about.
I spy a ________.  (Answer:  whale)


Erase a Rhyme


I originally found this activity in the book the I mentioned above.  But as I recall, there were only one or two “Erase a Rhymes” in there!  So I started making up my own.
Draw a picture on a white board or chalk board, and then tell a rhyming phrase.  A child comes up and erases the part of the picture that rhymes with that part.




Example:
The Bat
Give a cheer!  Erase one ____. (ear)
If you like to sing, erase one ____.  (wing)
You can try; erase the _____.  (eye)
Telephones ring; erase another _____.  (wing.)
If you can’t stay put, erase a _____. (foot)
Have no fear!  Erase another _____.  (ear)
My, oh, my!  Erase another _____.  (eye)
Stay awhile!  Erase the _____.  (smile)
A chimney is covered in ashes and soot.  Now you get to erase a _____.  (foot)
There’s nothing left; the bat is dead.  To finish him off, erase the _____!  (head)





This is a great game!  The teacher draws the simple object or numbers on the board, and then gives the rhyme.  Children listen and then erase the rhyming object.  This could also be played by having the children DRAW the rhyming object.  Fun!

Click here to download the two page freebie for Erase a Rhyme. There’s one for parts of an insect, one for parts of a plant, and one for numbers.  Enjoy!

There are lots of these FREE at :  http://www.jmeacham.com/erase.htm
… and MANY other websites!  Just google it.


The Queen Game





What you need:
A whiteboard, and flash cards for any concept, or even just a word wall, or questions in your head!

To keep track of points:
Draw some pictures of the kids on the board and label it, and a picture of you on the board with a crown on your head and label it.




How to play:
Drill the kids on the concept that you want to work on, one child at a time.
*  If a child gets it right, the kids get a point. If not, the queen gets a point.
*  The queen also gets a point if a child tells the answer when it is not his turn, or breaks any other rule.
*  But the queen also gets a point if she is in a bad mood, or if her foot itches, or if she needs a drink of water!
*  The queen always loses, and cries dramatically!  The queen is a poor sport. The children usually find this to be quite hilarious!
Optional:  Wear a plastic tiara while playing!


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