SubstituteCasualReliefTeachingIdeas PDF

Relief Teaching Ideas
to the Rescue!
Lessons and activities
that require little to no resources
or preparation.
Ideas compiled from:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/reliefteachingideas/
reliefteachingideas.com 2015
Relief Teaching Ideas

to the Rescue!
This booklet of ideas came from a competition we ran on our Facebook group. To
enter, m embers posted t heir favourite activity t hat required little t o no resources or
preparation.
We were blown away with how m any people r esponded! Thank you t o all of t he RTI
members who contributed t o t his booklet. There were so m any fantastic ideas
shared. We will be t rying a lot of t hem ourselves!
We hope t hat t his booklet is a great help t o you and a useful addition t o your
teaching t ool kit.
Happy t eaching e veryone!
From t he Admin Team:
Denise Lediaev
Rose-Mary Curmi
Emma Hessel
Belinda Jensen
Jane Seemann
http://reliefteachingideas.com
https://www.facebook.com/ReliefTeachingIdeas/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/reliefteachingideas/
Clipart created by:
Contents
Maths
Maths & Literacy
15
Literacy
16
Writing
17
Spelling & Word Work
23
Book Activities
28
Design & Technology
31
Health
32
Art
34
Drama & Music
36
All Subject Areas
40
Indoor Games
41
Outdoor Games
51
Brain Breaks
55
Miscellaneous
56
Maths
Multo - Multiplication bingo
Print or w rite out cards w ith each of the times tables from 0 x 0 to 9 x 9. S tudents draw up 4 x 4
grids and place 16 numbers from zero up to 81 in the boxes. The teacher calls out the times
table cards randomly, w hile students cross the answer of the sum called, off their grids. If they
get four numbers in a line ( column, row, diagonally) or four corners they call MULTO!
Times Table Challenge
The class m akes two lines, the pair at the front are in the hot seats. The teacher calls out a
times table sum, w ho ever answers the times table first goes to the back of line, the other sits
down. This continues until there is a w inner.
Chicken F eed
Have students sit in small groups. Pretend that you are feeding the class as you throw out unifix
blocks to each group. Have the children count them together as a group. Encourage bundling
into hundreds, tens and ones/units.
Place Value H angman
Can be adapted to a range of year levels. This w orks the same as the traditional hangman game,
however the students have to guess w hat number is in each column, instead of letters.
E.g. 8 in the hundreds column, 9 in the tens column, & 1 in the ones column.
Greedy Pig
Decide on a number between 1 and 6. When the number that you have decided on is rolled,
anyone left standing has 0 and the game is over. To play, roll the dice & call out the number.
Students add up the numbers as they go. Keep rolling the dice and calling out the numbers
rolled. S tudents can choose to sit down at any time, to save their score. Once you roll the
predetermined number the game is over & anyone left standing goes back to a 0 score.
Whoever has the highest total is the w inner/s.
Rocket D ice
Materials - Maths book and 1 dice between 2 or 4.
Write numbers 1-10 going up the page in a rocket shape. R oll the dice and cross off the number
rolled. The next person then rolls and does the same. Continue taking turns. If you roll a
number that you have already crossed off then you m iss that turn. You need to cross off all of
your numbers to blast off and w in!
You could differentiate w ith bigger numbers and 10 sided dice or use m ultiple dice for an
addition game.
Place Race
Roll a dice or use number cards to choose numbers 0-9. S tudents have to place the numbers
rolled in either the hundreds, tens or ones column to m ake the highest or lowest number they
can. Only one card/roll at a time and they can't change w here they put their number. The
highest or lowest number w ins and gets a point for that round. You could also add thousands,
ten thousands, etc. to extend the game.
Maths
Dice Race
Materials - 2 dice per pair of students.
Students can roll the dice to add, subtract or m ultiply ( depending on w hich skill you w ould like
to focus on). The w inner is the first to reach 50 or 100 , get the highest or lowest score in a set
time, or reach an odd or even number w hen the timer goes off.
Higher or Lower
Students are in small groups ( 2-4), sitting in a circle. Have a deck of cards in the m iddle of the
circle, face down. The first student turns one card over. They then have to guess if the next card
will be higher or lower. R epeat until they are incorrect & then they get to keep 'the stack' that
they turned over. It is then the next students turn. Once the deck is complete students count up
how m any cards they got to determine the w inner.
Champion
Students sit in a circle. One student stands ( champion) behind another ( challenger). The teacher
rolls two dice and the "champion" and challenger have to add the dots together. The first
student to call out the correct answer is the champion. If the "champion" w ins they m ove onto
the next child. B ut if the champion is defeated then then the challenger and champion swap
places. Continue around the circle.
Switch - Counting Game
Students sit in a circle and start counting from 1 around the circle. When you call out 'switch'
the next student switches to counting by 10s from the number they are up to, w hen you say
switch again they go back to counting by 1s from that number. Continue counting around the
circle & switching form 1s to 10s. You could also m ake this harder by introducing counting by
2s, 5s or 100s!
Celebrity Numbers
Played like Celebrity Heads but w ith a number w ritten above each contestants head. B efore
they begin you can tell them how m any digits their number is. They then have to ask different
questions to w ork out their number ( is it odd, even, in the counting by 5's pattern, the number
in the 10s bigger than the number in the 1s? etc).
Maths Bingo
Children take an A4 sheet of paper, fold in half lengthways, then in half w idthways and in half
that w ay again so there are 8 spaces. Children randomly place a number in each space(up to a
designated number depending on year level) and you can then play bingo. Teacher m akes up
addition, subtraction sums & calls them out. R emember to note down which sums you have
used so do you dont forget at the end. S tudents cover their numbers w ith counters as answers
come up. F irst student to have all their numbers covered is the w inner.
Rainbow F acts/Friends of 10
Use plastic tens frames ( recycled from pop-out letter stencils) and flip tiles. S tudents use the
coloured flip tiles to show how m any different w ays they can m ake 10. They can then record
their findings in their books using coloured pencils or record on m ini w hiteboards.
Maths
Create a Board G ame
Create a board game based around a m aths concept e.g. 2D S hapes, timetables, fractions,
time. S tudents can m ake the dice, players pieces, question cards and the playing board. Once
they have m ade their games they can take turns playing each others.
Guess My Number
Teacher gives clues for students to w ork out the number that they are thinking of. I'm thinking
of a number that's one m ore than five . I'm thinking of a number that's three m ore than seven
etc.
Race to 100 or Race Back from 100
In pairs or groups of 3, students need a different coloured counter each, a 100s chart to share &
a dice. S tudents start at 1 & take turns rolling the dice and m oving their counter accordingly.
First to 100 w ins ( or first back to 1 if they are starting at 100 & subtracting).
Salute
You need numbered cards. Played in groups of 3. S tudent A and B pick up a numbered card &
hold it to their forehead ( hence the name salute) w ithout looking at it but so their opponent
can see it. S tudent C adds the value of student A & B s cards together & tells them the total.
Student A and B m ust race to figure out the value of their own card.
Buzz Off
Students stand in a circle and a topic is chosen ( e.g. counting up to 20). Once the last answer is
said ( 20), students then say B UZZ ( point to the next person in the circle) OFF ( point to the next
person) _____ ( say the name of the third person, and they are out). Then start the topic again
and keep going until there is a champion!
Hopscotch multiplication
Draw hopscotch outlines w ith chalk outside. Write a sum in each square. Have students play
hopscotch in small groups. When they land on each square they need to say w hat the answer is
before hopping back to the start.
Robot Maths
Students draw a robot, following the lines on a piece of graph paper. They then calculate the
area and perimeter of their robots head, body, arms and legs.
Number Rumba
Get a big playing card pack and sort out the cards so that you only have 1-10 in each colour -
black and red. The kids have to sit opposite each other and race to line up the numbers in order
as fast as they can to w in.
Card F ace Off
Hand out a pack of cards between two or three students. S tudents each turn over a card and
race to answer the given addition/subtraction or m ultiplication sum of the 2 or 3 cards turned
over. Whoever says the correct answer first gets to keep those cards. The w inner is the
students w ith the m ost cards at the end.
Maths
20 Questions
Teacher thinks of a number. S tudents can only ask questions about the number, they can not
just guess the number. e.g. is it an odd number? Tally how m any attempts it takes to find out
the number. S tudents aim to ask the least amount of questions to narrow it down! Each time
they play they can try to beat their previous amount. You can change it up by asking them how
much m oney is in your pocket!
Dice Maths!
Students roll a dice 2-5 times ( depending on ability/level, 10's, 100's, 1000's, 10000's numbers).
For example, roll the dice three times for a 100's number. R ecord that number and then roll the
dice three times again. The students then need to add, subtract or m ultiply the two numbers
together, depending on w hat your focus is for that lesson.
Chance and data for Stage 1
Predict w ho w ill come to the classroom door today. Decide on some people ( e.g. the Principal, a
Year 6 student, a parent, a football player, B ob the Minion). F or each one, predict the likelihood
of them turning up. Throughout the day, record the actual data on the IWB, w hiteboard or
sheet and then compare the data w ith the predictions.
Skip Counting Students
All stand around the room and the first student says 1, second student says 2 and so on. If you
are skip counting by 5s for example, every fifth student bobs down. You continue around the
room until one student left standing is the w inner.
Name Angles
Have students w rite their name w ith straight lines. They then use protractors to m easure the
angles in their name.
Roll and Build
Have students w rite the numbers 2 12, randomly on a piece of paper. S tudents roll two dice,
add them together and find the m atching number on the sheet. They then build that number
with blocks, on top of the corresponding number on the sheet.
Skip Count By 5's D isplay
Students trace around their hands, decorate them and then cut them out. Attach the hand cut
outs to a large piece of paper/card to create a skip count by 5's class poster.
Race Against the Timer
Teacher sets a timer ( you can use your phone) for a set amount of time ( e.g. 5 m inutes).
Students roll two dice and m ultiply them, e.g. 6 x 5 = 30, recording their answers on a piece of
paper or on a m ini w hiteboard. S tudents race against the timer to see how m any sums they can
get . You can also use this for division, addition and subtraction. S tudents can try to beat their
own previous scores each time they do this activity.
Maths
Angle Art
Make 6 random folds on A3 paper. With a ruler and lead pencil go over the fold lines. Identify
right angle, acute and obtuse angles. Older grades can use protractors to m easure the angles.
Colour the shapes in m ade by the folds.
Division F acts
Students remove face cards from a deck of cards. They then flip over the cards two at a time. If
they flip 5 and 6 they m ultiply them first, 5 X 6 = 30, then they reverse it for the division fact, 30
divided by 6 = 5.
Body Clock
Have students in a big circle on the floor, either inside or outside, m aking the outline of the
clock. With chalk, the teacher w rites the numbers 1-12 on the inside of the circle/clock on the
carpet. Alternatively, you can w rite the numbers on pieces of paper and arrange them around
the circle. S tudents take turns m aking a time on the clock using their body. Their legs are the
long m inute hand and their arms are the short hour hand.
Odds and Evens G ame
Call out numbers, starting w ith one digit numbers, building to larger numbers as the kids get to
know the game. S tudents stand for even numbers and squat for odds. If they get it w rong they
need to sit out. You can call out numbers faster to try to m ake it trickier.
Friends of 10 Go F ish!
Kids are paired off and are given a pack of cards, excluding the K, Q, J, 10 and Jokers.
Students play the game like G o F ish but are asking their partner for a card they need to m atch
up w ith one of their cards to m ake 10.
Speed Ball
Toss a small ball around the room to students, calling out m aths times tables like a pop quiz.
Students need to call out the answers before throwing back the ball to you.
Tonnes of Tables
Students have to w ork out the w eight of the desks throughout the w hole school. All you need is
scales, m aths books and pencils, students w eigh one table per classroom and times it by the
amount of tables in the room and so on. G reat stage 3 m ass lesson.
Uno Card D raw
Pull out random numbers a stack of Uno Cards for students to add, subtract or m ultiply.
Math Bingo Alternatives
Use 2, 3 or 4 dice depending on how difficult you w ould like to m ake it.
Have students draw up a 4 x 4 grid on paper and w rite numbers 2 24 ( depending on how m any
dice you are using) in each box.
Roll the dice and call out the numbers. S tudents need to add the numbers and cross off the
total on their bingo board if they have the number. F irst person to get 4 in a row is the w inner.
Maths
Bunny Ears
Students place hands on head w ith fists ( to show 0) to start. Teacher calls out a number
between 1 and 10. S tudents m ake that number w ith their fingers w hile hands remain above
head. B ring the hands down to find "bunny friends" w ith their classmates - those that have the
same number on each hand. eg: 6 = 3 and 3 ( bunny friends) or 4 and 2 ( bunny friends) or 5 and
1 ( bunny friends). This is a great w ay to demonstrate a number and the different components
that it can be m ade up from.
Dice F ace Off
Put the class into two teams and have the students line up, sitting opposite each other. G ive the
first person of each team a dice each. The students roll the dice at the same time and m ultiply
the 2 dice together. The first one to answer the question earns a point for their team. Work
your w ay down the line. You could also have students add, subtract, etc.
Washing Line
Make 30 t-shirt shapes w ith the numbers 1 to 30 on them. Laminate them for durability. Hang a
piece of string or w ool across the room. Ask students to put the t-shirts on the clothes line to
help you w ith your w ashing. The t-shirts are handed out in random order and the students need
to figure out w hat part of the clothes line they should go, leaving enough room for other
numbers. They can use paper clips or clothes pegs to hang them on the string. You can start
with numbers 1 to 30 as an easy level and increase to 1 to 100, w ith skip counting.
Amazing Race
Resources needed: A selected number of m aths w ord problems. 1 set for each student- cut up
as individual w ord problems. Place the individual w ord problems in w ell hidden spots around
the classroom ( ensuring there are enough copies in each pile for each student). Each student is
given 1 w ord problem to solve. When they have the correct answer, they go to the teacher for
the next clue. Teacher gives them a clue to find the next w ord problem. Continue until there is
a w inner.
Decimals
To teach placing decimals on a number line have students stand up in a line, w ith their arms out
to their sides so they are touching the shoulder of the person next to them. Their body is .5,
their left arm stretched out is 0 and their right arm stretched out is 1. Then say a decimal e.g.
.75 and show them that halfway between themselves and the person next to them is .75, .25 is
the same but on the other arm. Then say w here do you think .8 is and show them w here .75
was and scaffold them until they understand. Have them draw & label a number line to
consolidate.
Maths
Jail Break
Students are told that their starting time is 12:00 noon and they have 24 hours to get as far
away from the jail ( school) as possible, using current bus or train time tables. Have them
document their journey and then use a m ap on the IWB to plot w here everyone in the class got
to.
Domino Crunch
Hand out a domino to each student and have them use the numbers on them in different w ays.
E.g. say the number, add/take one or ten, multiply the two numbers , say them as a fraction,
add the two numbers together, take one number from the other.
Shopping Catalogue Maths
Use catalogues and get the students to answer a number of problems. E.g. Design a m enu for 4
people. Total cost of the ingredients? How m uch change from $100. Cost per person? Etc. Also
great at Christmas time w ith the toy sales, e.g. Provide a budget and the students have to buy
presents for the family w ithout going over a certain amount.
http://reliefteachingideas.com/christmas-catalogue-m aths/
Order of Operations World Cup
Students assigned to 4 even groups. Each group chooses a nation to represent. They send one
representative at a time to the m iddle desks ( game arena). The teacher w rites an equation on
the board to w hich the representatives begin to answer, showing all w orking out before using a
verbal buzzer to indicate completion. 1st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th all accumulate points ( 4 points for
first then consecutive descending points). Each player m ust have a turn before anyone gets a
second turn. Top 2 nations at end of 6 rounds, compete in the grand final w here a m ega
equation is given to them. Points can also be rewarded/taken away for good sportsmanship &
behaviour.
Geometry Says
Students find a place around the classroom ( as though they are ready to play silent ball).
Teacher calls out directions for them to follow, similar to S imon S ays. The directions are:
turn/slide/step left, right, north, south, east, w est, right angle ( left or right), 90 degrees, 180
degrees, 360 degrees.
Human Checkerboard Game
Make a grid on the carpet ( size can be adjusted depending on class size) using m asking tape ( or
chalk on concrete if you have a concrete area) and get the students to be the pieces. Coloured
paper could be used to show the different teams by sticking to shirts or do boys vs girls. Have a
captain w ho directs the players. Depending on level it can be used to practice using
coordinates.
10
Maths
Place V alue M astermind
The teacher draws up a 4 c olumn table l abelled TH, H, T, O
The teacher writes down a mystery 4 digit number, c alled 'The Code' on a post i t note
Students randomly guess a number, writing i t i n the table; i f a place i s right i t gets a tick, i f i ts wrong i t
gets a c ross e.g. i f the c ode i s 4 188 and the guess i s 7 638, the 7 , 6 & 3 gets a c ross and the 8 gets a tick.
The next guess will c arry on the 8 i n the Ones place and new digits are guessed i n the other places until
the whole c ode i s discovered.
The teacher c an play with the whole c lass then students c an pair off, or get i n small groups, and play
against each other.
Race to Ten
Students l ine up i n two l ines so their partner i s evenly matched mathematically. The teacher i s i n front of
the first pair, and says a number (e.g. 6 ). The front pair of students race to say the 'friend of ten' (in this
case 4). The winner remains i n the game, the other student i s eliminated. Winners v winners until
eventually you have a c hampion. This person will be promoted to a friends of 2 0 group and c hallenge
tomorrow's winner of race to 1 0.
Maths Challenge
Line up 5 or 6 c hairs out the front of the c lassroom. A student sits i n each c hair with one student standing
behind the first one. The teacher asks a maths question (can be varied depending on what you want
your focus to be). The first seated person and the standing person both have to answer as quickly as they
can when the teacher asks a question. If the seated person gets i t c orrect first, they swap places with the
standing student. If the standing student gets i t c orrect first then they move on to stand behind the
second seated person. When all seated students have had a turn, new students c ome out the front to
take their place and the standing person returns to stand behind person number one.
Maths Game
Divide the c lass i nto teams (girls vs boys i s popular) and get one of the teams to secretly c ome up with a
number, between 1 -1 00. Students i n the opposite team then have to sit i n a l ine, and ask questions one
at a time to guess the number. If a students says an outright guess (e.g. Is i t 9 9?) and gets i t wrong , the
other team wins. 1 point for winning, play as many times as you l ike. Example questions i nclude - Is i t an
odd number? Is i t a multiple of 2 ? Is i t a square number? Etc. Works even better i f you have a hundred
chart on the IWB or wall.
Open Ended M aths Tasks
Give students the answer and ask them to write as many questions as they c an, that have your answer.
For example, on the whiteboard you c ould write: The answer i s 1 0, what are the questions? Or you
could write: The answer i s 1 0 i ce-c reams, what are the questions? Depending on the year l evel, you
can encourage students to use all four operations or j ust addition and subtraction. Another version of
this c ould be __ + __ + 2 = 20. What might the missing numbers be? Write as many solutions as
possible.
11
Maths
Date Maths
Children use the numbers in the date to m ake sums equalling 1-10. Each number can only be
used the amount of times it appears in the date for the day for each sum.
E.g.
23/07/2015
3-2=1
7-5=2
3+0=3
3+1=4
5-0=5
2 X 3=6
7 - 2 + 2=7 ( there are two 2's the date)
3 + 2 + 2 + 1=8
7 + 2=9
5 X 2=10
Students could do this each m orning or for a Maths w arm up task.
Angle H unt
Explain and show students w hat a 90 degree right angle looks like. Send the students around
the classroom and outside ( if possible) w ith their w orkbooks and get them to w rite as m any
things they can see that have a 90 degree angle. After five m inutes call them back and discuss
what they have found.
Animal Leg Counting
Write the numbers 1, 2 and 4 on the w hiteboard in columns, then come up w ith animals that
have w hichever number of legs ( 1 leg w e have things like snakes, w orms, snails). Discuss how
they can use the animals to represent numbers, and see if they can come up w ith different
combinations of animals to m ake a number. E.g. 10 can be 5 snails, 3 w orms and 2 snakes, OR a
horse ( 4 legs), a cow ( 4 legs) and a duck ( 2 legs). Once youve done a few examples as a class,
students can go to their desks and draw up a zoo, they can have as m any animals as they like
but at the end they need to w rite the number of legs that are in their zoo.
Bull, Cow, Miss - Maths Warm up
On the w hiteboard draw a place value m at ( ones, tens, hundreds, etc) up to your desired value.
Think of a number in your head. Tell the students the range (e.g. 100-999). S tudents are to
guess a number. Under each number you write a B for B ullseye if that number is in the correct
spot, C- Cow, if that number is a part of it but needs to be m oooooooved, or M - if it's a Miss.
For example:
365
BMC
352
BBM
351
BBB
12
Maths
Position & D irection Obstacle Course
Make an obstacle course under a covered learning area by scattering crushed up scrap paper as
land m ines. S tudents pair up, one giving directions and the one closes their eyes and follows the
directions. The object of the activity is to get from one side to the other w ithout stepping on a
land m ine.
Position, Direction & Shape D rawing Activity
Students pair up and number themselves 1 or 2. The pair w ill sit back to back. Number 1 person
will be either given a picture or they w ill draw a picture. They need to use positional &
directional w ords to describe how to draw that picture. Number 2 people w ill be given a blank
piece of paper and m ust follow number 1s instructions. E.g. draw a circle in the m iddle of the
page, now draw another circle on top of that circle so they are touching. Number 1s can not say
what the picture is, though they can use w ords to describe the shape and location.
Pirates! Where is the treasure?
Students sit down on the floor or at their desk, if they are sitting in rows. Choose a Pirate. G ive
one counter ( this is the m edallion) to one of students w ho are sitting w hile the Pirate is not
watching and listening. The Pirate can ask 5 questions, using positional w ords ( left, right, next
to, in front of, etc.) to determine w here the treasure is. The Pirate can ask questions like "Is the
treasure on right hand side of Jonny?" The class answers "aye!" or "Nay!" depending on w here
the treasure is. After their 5 questions are up, the Pirate can then say "Is the treasure at
Alice's?" and If it's "Aye!" the Pirate gets to stay up the front. If "Nay!", student w ho had the
Medallion becomes the new pirate.
Multiplication or D ivision Card Game
Students design and m ake their own m ultiplication or division card game. They can choose from
Snap, G o F ish, Memory, I have/Who has?, or design their own. They need to w rite a set of easy
to follow rules, m ake the cards, and then they can play their games w ith their peers.
Maths Pac Man
Students spread out in a given space. The teacher calls out a number fact, the first student to
put their hand up & get the correct answer gets to take 2 steps in any direction. When they're
close enough, they can tag someone else, and then that person then calls out the number facts
until another person is out. All the students w ho get out keep an eye out for w ho w ill m ove.
Area Pictures
Give students graph paper and have them draw a picture of their choice on it or trace around
their hands, and then find the area of their picture. Compare areas and graph results.
13
Maths
Rainbow F acts Clumps
Students are split into groups of 10, extra students can be split into these groups and they take
it in turns to be the 'organisers'. 10 students at a time per group are appointed to be
organised by the remaining students to form various groups that add up to a total of 10
students. Initially, students w ould form the standard rainbow facts in their groups ( e.g. 1+9,
3+4, etc.)Once they m aster this, they can be encouraged to form three or m ore groups that add
up to the full 10 students, developing problem solving and lateral thinking skills, as w ell as
learning additional number facts. This m ethod can also be used to learn facts up to 15 or 20,
depending on the size of the class, and can also be adapted to practising m ultiplication and
division facts, also helping students understand concepts such as equal groups and divisibility in
these variations.
Draw/Write/Add/Subtract
Put a five column chart on the board and provide numbers for students to draw in MABs, w rite
in w ords, add a given number and subtract a given number. Can be adapted to any age level
and can change or add columns to m ultiply and divide.
Multiplication Circle Challenge
Draw a circle on the w hiteboard and inside it w rite the numbers 1-12 as though it w as a clock.
In the centre w rite w hatever m ultiplication number your class has been practising e.g. 5x.
Write the students names on the board. S tudents stand one at a time in front of the drawn
clock and teacher w ill time w ith a stop w atch or smart phone, how long it takes the student to
write all of the answers around the circle. S tudent to try and get the fastest time w ith no
mistakes.
Number of the D ay
Write a three or m ore digit number on the board. S tudents need to:
1). Write the displayed number in w ords
2). 10 m ore
3). 15 less
4). S ubtract a given number
5) R ound to nearest 100
6). Next even number
7) Complete the number pattern, I.e. Add 3: 336, 339, 342, 345 etc
8). List some factors of the given number
9). Divisible by 2?
10) Double the given number
14
Maths/Literacy
Treasure Maps
Create a treasure m ap on grid paper. Include a compass point and grid m arkings on the side &
bottom of the page. Have students w rite down questions about their m aps. E.g. What is at B 6?
What is north of Palm Tree G rove? Which direction is Captains Cave from S kull Hill?
You can then base your English w riting on these m aps too poetry, directions to treasure, story
writing prompts, descriptive w riting, Wanted Posters.
Map D rawing
Students design their own country, city, town, zoo, theme park etc. G ive students a list of
criteria for their m ap such as it needs to include a river, train line, trees, compass points, key
etc. You can give m ore specific criteria such as m ountains in the north east. When students
have finished their m aps they can w rite/talk about directions from one place to another in their
map in order to practise their directional language.
Word fractions
Students separate given w ords into vowels and consonants, and w ork out the fraction of both
the vowels and consonants in relation to the letters in the w ord.
E.g. relief = 3 vowels, 6 letters = 3/6
$100 word challenge
Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a dollar value ( A= $1, B = $2 and so on until Z = $26).
Students are challenged to find a w ord w here the letters add up to exactly $100.
http://reliefteachingideas.com/100-w ord-challenge/
Create a Theme Park
Design a theme park using a budget. Write down amounts for each part on the board. S tudents
need to decide w hat they w ant to include, draw & label their theme park and then w rite up the
costs.
Word Count
Write a w ord up on the board, e.g. I N F E R E N C E. S tudents w ork quietly in small groups to
use the letters to m ake lists of correctly spelt w ords.
Rules: 3 letter m inimum, no plurals, no slang, no foreign w ords, no proper nouns
After a set given time, have students to score their w ords; 1 point for each 3 letter w ord, 2
points for each 4 letter one, 3 points for 5-letter w ords, 5 points for w ords of m ore than 5
letters ( excluding the original one).
This scoring could end the exercise, or you could do a R ound R obin around the groups w here
they choose a w ord from their list to offer and score a point if no other groups have it. Teacher
remains the adjudicator on acceptance of w ord and of spelling.
15
Literacy
Guess My Animal
Students think of an animal ( or research for m ore depth) and then in pairs they play a guess
who w ith 15 facts that they have w ritten about their chosen animal. eg. I am a m ammal, I am a
marsupial, I have a very short gestation period of 36 days
Class Mate Adjectives
Each student w rites their name in the m iddle of an A3 sheet of paper. S tudents then w alk
around the class and w rite a positive adjective, on everyone's sheet, about that person. This can
be finished off w ith them decorating their sheets & turning them into a display piece or by
discussing how the positive adjectives m ake them feel.
Alphabetical Order Challenge
Students arrange themselves in alphabetical order according to their first names . S tudents are
not allowed to talk. They m ay only help each other using gestures. Anyone w ho talks w ill be
disqualified .
Kung F u Punctuation
http://www.slideshare.net/dknowle/kung-fu-punctuation-29699448
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoK5TTB9xIk
Each punctuation m ark has a different 'Kung F u' action. S tudents do the Kung F u sounds and
actions w hile the teacher reads a text.
Readers Theatre
Download free R eaders Theatre scripts online. http://www.thebestclass.org/rtscripts.html
Highlight the speaking part for each copy. Laminate for durability. G et the students into groups
with a group leader. S tudents read the play on their own, discuss w ho w ill play w hat role ,then
they begin to practice reading together. They can then read/perform it front of the rest of the
class.
Mystery Picture
Display a strange or m ysterious picture. S tudents infer w ith a partner w hat is happening in the
picture. They then share w ith the class w hat their partner said. This can also be extended to an
independent w riting activity.
Persuade Me!
Ask children to come up w ith imaginative and persuasive arguments to get your 'favourite' pen
off of you. Alternatively, they could w ork in groups of three 1 to argue/persuade, 1 to be
persuaded, 1 to judge the strengths of the argument offered. If you w ish to m ove into analytical
language, they could reflect on the persuasive w ords and phrases used, as w ell as any actions /
body language etc. B uild up a record of the ideas they raise, so that they can use m ore
persuasive language in another scenario that you or they propose.
16
Writing
Make a Wish Recounts
Have students w rite w hat they WISH they had done on the holidays or w eekend.
Pass the story
In groups of 4 the students have 5 m inutes each to start or continue the narrative. While the
student is w riting, the other m embers of the group can be drawing illustrations for their part of
the story. At the end of the w riting time, students can share their group stories w ith the class.
Get it Off Your Chest Writing
Students have an opportunity to w rite about something that is bothering them. R eiterate that it
will not be read by the class, it is simply an avenue for them to help sort through
emotions/issues they are having.
Monster Adjectives
Discuss adjectives, students draw a m onster and w rite a description, using lots of adjectives.
You could then have other kids try to draw from the descriptions and compare their drawings
with the originals.
Adjective Story Challenge
Each student contributes one sentence in a story. B ut every sentence has to have at least one
adjective! These can be as silly as you like and never has to end. Alternatively, you can tell
students that it w ill end w ith a particular student. You can substitute the adjective for any text
element or part of speech.
Where is Your Teacher?
Create a fictional w riting piece about w hy your teacher is not at school today.
Share the Story
Students w ork in groups of 5. A piece of paper per group ( can also do it per person). They w rite
4 lines of a narrative. F old the paper backwards, showing only the last line. Next person then
writes 4 lines following on from the last line that they can see. Keep repeating the process until
time is up.
Murder Mystery
The students are given details of a character that they are to assume the identity of. They are
then given an incident and they have to w ork in groups to decide w ho caused the incident, and
then w rite a recount pretending to be their character and w hat they w ould have
seen/heard/how they w ere involved.
Story Cubes
Either print off story cube templates like these ones: http://www.instructables.com/id/Milkys-
Story-Cubes-Practically-Free-Version-of-R / or m ake your own using a cube net template.
Students role 2-7 cubes and create a story that incorporate all of the things that they rolled.
17
Writing
Stop & Swap Writing
Give students a w riting topic and 5 m inutes to w rite. After the 5 m inutes is up then S TOP and
SWAP books w ith others to finish their story. You can repeat this a few times until time is up.
Have students read their stories in small groups.
Passion Writing Projects
Students create pieces of w riting based on their favourite topic/theme/show/etc. They can use
a range of text types, e.g. narrative, poem, procedure. If there is time, they can create an
anthology of different w riting pieces about the same topic and create a booklet or PowerPoint
of their w ork.
Verb & Noun Writing Prompt
Write a list of nouns and a list of verbs on the w hite board. S tudents choose one from each list
and use it as a basis for their w riting ( any text type).
Random Writing Prompt
Write 5 random w ords on the board and the students need to w rite a story in pairs, using all 5
words.
What Comes to Mind
Draw and w rite ideas under the headings: If I w as the Principal, My S uper Chair, If I w as
Invisible, My F antasy B edroom, If I w as an Animal, I am the Colour....because, My Imaginary
Friend, My B est Holiday Would B e.....
The One Word Story Chain
Each m ember of the class goes around and says one w ord w hich ultimately forms a sentence or
two, to start the story that they w ill all w rite. The teacher w rites this sentence on the board.
Each student w rites a story that begins w ith this first sentence.
Complete the Picture Writing Prompt
Hand out a printed copy of an animal or character on a blank piece of paper. S tudents draw the
background/setting and then w rite a story to go w ith their picture.
Running D ictation
Students w ork in pairs. On 3 different w alls have a typed text ( same text for all 3,
approximately 3 paragraphs , or less for S tage 1) w ith no punctuation. R unner needs to go to
the text that is furthest from them. S tudent 1 runs back and forth to student 2. S tudent 1 has to
memorise the text to student 2 to w rite. S tudents have to decide w here capitals, full-stops,
commas etc. need to be inserted. Mark on the text w hen students are to swap roles. Then
student 1 becomes the w riter & student 2 is the runner/dictates. The closest pair to correctly
interpret text w ins; points for the day, 10 m ins free time at end of the day , iPad time, etc.
18
Writing
Writing D ialogue
Students w rite in pairs. The first student w rites something like You call that cooking? This is
ridiculous! The second student responds, w riting underneath. The students continue w riting
the dialogue back and forth, using correct speech punctuation.
Design an App
Design an app that w ill get you out of homework ( or do it for you). Create a page(s) to go w ith it
as though you were on the app store or G oogle Play. Include price, reviews, screen shots etc.
Create a poster to advertise it.
Shape Poems
Create a poem in the shape of the topic they are w riting about. Can be integrated w ith art and
topics currently being studied in history, geography etc.
Adjective, Adjective, Noun
Write w ords ( adjectives and nouns) on scraps of paper. Without looking, the students pick 2
adjectives and 1 noun. They w ill end up w ith things like, a cold hungry caravan, or strong blue
moon. They then have to draw a picture to m atch. You can then have them use these pictures
as a w riting prompt.
Fairy Tale Rewrite
Students re-create and w rite their own ending to a fairy tale.
Three Word Stories
Students each take a turn at providing three w ords for the story w ith the teacher scribing them
on smartboard or w hiteboard.
Rapid Writing
Choose an interesting image or show a clip (https://www.literacyshed.com/ ) and give students
10 m inutes of silent w riting to respond to the text.
Secret D oor
http://www.safestyle-w indows.co.uk/secret-door/
Each time you click on the S ecret Door it takes you to a different place to explore. You can
move around the scene to explore. Use this as a w riting prompt.
Pass Along!
Students all start their own story but only 1 sentence of it! The stories are passed along to each
person in the class, until everyone has w ritten one sentence on each story.
Rocket Writing with Pictures
On a PowerPoint put 5 different images on 5 different slides. The students have 2 m inutes to
write about the image. They then can share their w riting before flicking to the next image.
19
Writing
Traveling Into Space
Have students tip chairs over so the back of their chair is on the floor. Have students pretend
they are astronauts w ith their chair space crafts. Describe to children the experience; putting
on helmet climbing into the ship. After take off go around shaking and bouncing children's
chairs as they sit in them, backs on the floor. Have them land in space and help them describe
what they can see. Have them w alk around w ith little gravity and explore. B e a space m onster
and chase them back to their space craft. Have children do an emergency exit back to their
room. Use this as a catalyst for creative w riting -recounts, short story, description of m onster
etc.
Switch Writing!
All students are paired off and given one pencil and one piece of paper. The teacher tells them
a topic and gives them time to plan their story. When they are told to start w riting one student
writes w hile their partner w atches on, w hen the teacher calls "SWITCH" they swap and the
person w ho w as w riting now w atches their partner w rite, until switch is called again. This
continues until the story is completed, but w ith the teacher calling switch at different intervals
(sometimes 2 m inutes, sometimes 2 seconds).
Sport Poetry
Students pick their favourite sport and brainstorm as m any nouns as they can think of to do
with that sport. They choose their favourite 5 and then think of an adjective, verb and adverb
to go w ith each. E.g. Exhausted players running slowly, or enthusiastic supporters cheering
wildly.
Black Out Poetry
For each student you need a page from a book (photocopied or removed from an old book), or
a newspaper article. While skim reading, the students then find w ords that stand out to them
and circle in pencil. They then go back through and connect them up w ith other w ords to m ake
their poem. To m ake them stand out, all the other w ords on the page are "blacked out" w ith a
marker or crayon.
Who Am I?
As a class ,create a list of things students can w rite about themselves - age, hair colour, likes,
dislikes, something unusual about themselves, something exciting they have done. S tudents
write the information about themselves on an A5 piece of paper and fold it into a very small
rectangle and place inside a balloon. The balloon Is blown up and once all are finished pop one
at a time and as a class try to guess w ho it is. Alternatively, students can w rite their clues on the
front of a folded piece of A4 paper. On the inside, students add their name, a picture of
themselves and images of clues from the front.
Create Your Own Picture Book
Read a picture book, look at its features; author, illustrator, relationship between pictures and
text, angle and focus of the pictures etc. Then using an A4 piece of paper, create a m ini picture
book of their own. http://reliefteachingideas.com/how-to-m ake-a-m ini-booklet/
20
Writing
Everyday Objects
Students w rite from the perspective of an everyday object , e.g. a car tyre - from new & flashy
in the showroom , to general purpose , round and round every day , getting punctured and
patched, sent to being a spare , then tossed and abandoned into the junkyard , and finally being
up cycled by a family to a tree swing that is loved and useful again. G et students to w rite about
their own object of choice's life experience
Looking to the F uture
Have students w rite about w hat they think the w orld w ill be like 20 years from now. What
things w ill be invented, w hat things w ill disappear, etc.
Sentence Starters
Write the beginning of an interesting sentence on the board (e.g. There w as something under
the....) . G ive students 2 m ins to w rite as m uch as they can. When time is up, pick a few people
to share their w ork before doing another one. After doing three or four of these, give everyone
the opportunity to share their w ork w ith a friend.
6 Sentence Story
Great to teach parts of a narrative. S entence 1 starts w ith 'once upon a time and introduces
the m ain character. S entence 2 describes w here the character lives. S entence 4 describes the
characters special talent. S entence 4 describes the characters problem, S entence 5 tells w hy
the character felt that w ay, and sentence 6 tells how the character solved the problem ( linking
with the special talent).
My Bag
Display some items ( four or five) that you have in your bag, briefcase, or desk drawer. As you
hold each one up, talk briefly about it where you got it, w hat you use it for, w hat personal
significance it has, and so on. Invite students to ask questions. Have students create a story w ith
one of the objects, getting them to think about how to describe the object and how they could
use the object in a different w ay. E.g. It could be an important object that w as stolen. It could
be a m agical object. IT could have special powers that only they know about.
Character 'Who am I?'
Students w rite their own 'Who am I?'s' of w ell known people, or m ade up characters, that
others have to draw based on their description. Give examples on the importance of
description, to encourage m ore detailed and distinctive character descriptions. E.g. Lighting bolt
shaped scar on forehead' is m ore distinguishing than 'wears glasses' to describe Harry Potter.
Letter Scramble Writing Prompt
Put 10 to 12 letters on the board and get students to come up w ith as m any w ords of 4 or m ore
letters. These w ords get w ritten on the board and 5 to 7 w ords are selected for students to use
in groups to w rite a story.
21
Writing
2 Truths and a Lie!
Students w rite about their w eekend or holidays . They w rite about two things that really
happened, and one thing that didnt. S tudents can either read these out to the w hole class or in
small groups. The other students have to try to pick the lie.
Create a PE G ame
In small groups, students have to m ake or share a game they know, w riting a procedural text
outlining the equipment, rules, and how to play.
22

Tic Tac Toe
Using high frequency w ords, sight w ords or spelling w ords, students divide into 2 teams and
take turns in spelling them correctly. If they get it right their team can add a X or a O to the
board. F irst team w ith 3 in a row w ins. This can also be played in pairs.
http://reliefteachingideas.com/spelling-tic-tac-toe/
Word of the Week
Introduce the w ord of the w eek to the class on Monday. Write its definition on the board and
then they put it in a sentence. Add another sentence example each day. Challenge the students
to try to use this w ord in their w riting and conversations!
Jolly Phonics Guessing Game
If the class uses Jolly Phonics you can play this game: Divide the class in two teams. The teacher
does the sound actions to sound out a w ord. Each team has to figure out the w ord that the
teacher is sounding out w ith their actions. The first team to w ork out the w ord receives a point.
Team w ith m ost points at the end is the w inner.
Rainbow Write
Students roll a dice then m atch it to one of six chosen colours then w rite their w ord in that
colour before repeating the sequence. E.g. 1 = red, 2 = blue, 3 = green, 4 = yellow, 5 = orange, 6
= purple. F or an added challenge, students can roll 2 dice and add them up to determine the
colour they w ill w rite their w ord.
Description Bubbles
Draw a circle, w rite a noun in the centre of the circle. Draw five arms off of this circle - size,
number, texture, colour, position. Have the class come up w ith adjectives for the noun,
recording them off of the relevant arm. Have students create their own description bubbles,
describing different nouns.
Sparkle
Students stand in a circle. The teacher gives them a w ord to spell out. Each child takes turns to
call out one letter at a time. Once the last letter for the w ord is said that child sprinkles their
fingers above the next child's head and says sparkle. That child is then out and sits down. They
can choose the next w ord to be spelt out.
Spelling Bingo
Students choose 9 spelling w ords and w rite them in a 3 x 3 grid in their books. The teacher calls
out w ords. F irst person to get 3 w ords in a row w ins. Words m ust be w ritten correctly to w in.
23

Dictionary D ip
Students open their dictionary to a random page, find a w ord that they are unfamiliar w ith,
write the w ord out and the definition, then put the w ord in context in a sentence. This is great
for vocabulary expansion. This activity can also be done w ith a thesaurus or an atlas by finding
out the capital of the countries, continents, seas etc.
Spelling Baseball
http://reliefteachingideas.com/spelling-baseball/
Students are divided into 2 teams. The teacher has the list of students spelling w ords for the
week. This m ay be group lists or individual lists, it doesn't m atter, as long as the teacher has
them and knows w hich list of w ords belongs to w hich student. One team are the batters and
the other team are the fielders. The fielders scatter around the room or stay at their desks. The
batters line up at the first base. There is also a 2nd base, 3rd base and a home ( 4th) base. The
corners of the room can be used for the bases. The teacher reads out loud one of the spelling
words to the first batter in line. They need to spell their w ord out loud. If they get it correct,
they m ove to 1st base. Then the 2nd batter is up and the teacher calls out a spelling w ord from
their list. If they get it right, they m ove to 1st base and the student w ho w as on 1st base
previously, m oves to 2nd base. This continues and eventually the batter ahead on the bases w ill
reach home base and they score a point for their team. If the team runs out of batters, the
players that are on the bases, get to take turns of spelling another w ord on their list to m ove
them up m ore bases and hopefully get to home base for a point. If at any point of the game a
batter gets their w ord w rong, the fielders need to point this out ( this is catching them out). If
they are caught out, they do not continue to the next base and sit down. Three outs and the
team w ho w ere batting have finished their turn ( even if not all players got a turn to spell) and
the next team is up. Their score w ill be how m any students m ade it to home base . If there are
any m isspelled w ords, the teacher keeps them to themselves for a quick discussion after game
to clarify the spelling m istakes or alternatively , they can be used if there is a draw between the
teams. One m ember from each team is picked and the teacher calls out one of the m isspelled
words. The first person to call out a 'call w ord' like "got it" and successfully spells the w ord,
wins that extra point to w in the game for their team.
Spelling Basketball
Two teams. Two students ( one from each team) come to the front of the room. F irst one to
spell the w ord correctly on the board can take a shot at the hoop ( rubbish bin/bucket/basket).
Have three lines w ith chalk or tape 1,2 or 3 point lines. Team w ith m ost points w in.
24

Alphabet Challenge
Have students w rite each letter of the alphabet down the side of their page. S et a time limit
(will depend on age of students). F or each letter they m ust w rite a vegetable or fruit. You could
also allow nuts and spices in this as w ell. Let students know that a point w ill be awarded if a
student has w ritten a vegetable or fruit that no other student has. To check this, have all
students stand up, a student says w hat they w rote for A, if other students have the same
answer, they m ust sit down and receive no points for that letter.
This can also w ork for animals, ( for X--an animal that contains the letter x). You can award
double points if they use alliteration e.g. electric eel.
Poetry Scattergories Style
Prepare a list of w ords ( around 10) and w rite up on the board.
Give students 3-5 m inutes to respond ( time them!). S tudents need to think of a single w ord that
rhymes w ith each on the board. Aim is to get a w ord that no other student thinks of. S tudent
who gets a w ord that no one else has w ins the point.
Building a Word
Write a letter on the board e.g. A. G et students to put up their hands if they have another letter
they could add to build a w ord. R emind them they cant add just any random letter as they m ay
get questioned w hat w ord they are trying to spell. If they get questioned and do not have a
word in m ind, then the class starts again. G et the students to keep adding letters until they
have formed a w ord.
Race to the board
Form two equal teams a short distance away from the board. Each leader of the team receives
a w hiteboard m arker/ interactive pen. The teacher calls out a spelling w ord, students race to
the board to spell the w ord using the pen. Whoever spells the w ord correctly and neatly first
receives a point for their team. It is a good idea to put the same levelled student against each
other to be fair and build confidence.
Spiral Word Art
Get the children to draw a spiral ( or other desired shape) and then w rite their spelling w ords
around it to m ake a shape.
Word Race
Challenge the students to see how m any w ords they can w rite in 10 m inutes. Words need to be
spelled correctly to be counted. S tudents can see if they can beat their own previous score the
next day/spelling lesson.
Water Writing
Resources: tub of w ater and paintbrushes.
Head outside, find a hard surface and practice painting patterns, letters, sight w ords, spelling
words, etc.
25

Spelling Scrabble Have the class refer to a list a of S crabble tile values to find the value of
their spelling w ords. Who can find the m ost expensive w ord first!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Scrabble-Spelling-Words-121695
Boggle words - Students create as m any w ords as they can from the letters given. The B oggle
letters can just be w ritten up on the board or you could m ake some to stick up on the board
(laminate letters and glue m agnets on the back).
Spelling Minute to Win It
Students get into teams of 4. Each team needs a w hiteboard and a m arker. They decide the
order of students in their team. Teacher calls out a spelling word and one student from each
team needs to w rite it correctly on their board & then hold it up above their head. F irst correct
response w ins a point for their team. Continue w ith the next person in the group w riting the
word, and so on.
Ambulance
Write ambulance or another 9 letter w ord on the w hiteboard and students w rite down as
many w ords as they can only using the letters from ambulance'. E.g, lamb', ban', can'.
Rainbow Spelling Snake
Students w rite their spelling w ords, using different colours ,in the a continuous, snake like,
curvy line.
Pass the Word
Two teams sit in lines opposite each other, each team has a w hiteboard & m arker. G ive them a
word to spell and the w hiteboard m oves along the line, w ith the students adding one letter
each to m ake the w ord. The last student gets to m ake any changes they think are needed.
Reveal w ord; two points for the first correct team, one point for the other team if the w ord is
spelled correctly. Pass w hiteboard to next person, for the next w ord.
Scattergories
Form students into groups of four. G ive them four categories on a w hiteboard, e.g. country,
hobby, persons name, and food. Tell students they have two m inutes to fill out each category
with as m any things as they can beginning w ith the m ystery letter. Provide the letter and yell
go! S top them at two m inutes and have the speaker for each table come to the front and read
out their teams answers. Tally up the scores. If two groups have the same answer no point is
given.
Spelling D ice G ame
Students rule up 6 columns and w rite the numbers 1-6 across the top. Under each number they
write a spelling w ord. R oll the dice, then w rite the w ord in that column, continuing until time is
up. After 2 m inutes stop the students and count up how m any w ords they w ere able to w rite
correctly. R epeat using a different colour pencil to see if they can improve on their scores.
26

Adjective Competition
Students are in groups of 4 w ith an A3 piece of paper divided into four squares.
Show them a picture of a setting they could use in a story. They have 5 m inutes to w rite down
(as a group) as m any creative adjectives they can about that setting in one of the squares.
Teacher thinks of a bonus w ord and on the board shows how m any letters are in it ( hangman
style) and the first letter. At the end of the five m inutes a representative from each group reads
all their w ords and teacher determines w hich team had the m ost, or m ost creative w ords, and
that group gets a point. Teams also get an extra point if they get the bonus w ord. R epeat the
activity for four different settings in each box of the paper. Team w ith the m ost points at the
end w ins.
You can use images from w ww.literacyshed.com as your inspiration.
Todays Letter is
Choose a random letter of the alphabet. S tudents w ork in groups, pairs or individually
(depending on age and/or ability levels), to m ake a list of w ords beginning w ith that letter. S et a
time limit for this. Next task is to create alliterative sentences from their w ord list . They m ay
need to alter the form of a couple of their w ords first. Points to the group w hich can create the
longest sentence that m akes sense. You m ay need to set a limit ( e.g. 3) on w ords that begin
with other letters that need to be included to get a m eaningful sentence. Example: D ... 1) Dirty
dogs dropped down... 2) Dozens of dingo dogs danced dizzily down the ditch.
Running Pictionary
Place students into small groups ( 3 or 4). G ive each group a small w hite board or scrap paper.
One student from each group comes up to the teacher to hear a w ord from their spelling list.
Without talking, m aking a noise or w riting any letters or numbers, they m ust draw pictures in
order to get their group m embers to guess the w ord. The first group to send a person ( not the
drawer) w ith the board/paper to you ( so you can check there w as no cheating) and w hisper the
answer to you ( they line up in the order that they got to you) gets 2 points. One point for any
team that gets to you in the time limit w ith the right answer, but w asn't first.
27
Book Activities
Teacher Recommendations
My favourite that I use in all stages, is Tuesday by David Wiesner. I get the students to m ake
up their own narrative related to the illustrations. This book has limited text but the illustrations
are amazing and really spark the students creativity.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Tuesday-D-
Wiesner/9780395870822/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
The B ook w ith No Pictures - Students create illustrations that could accompany the different
'events' of The B ook With No Pictures. This book is also good teaching noun groups to students.
I have used this book w ith G rades 2 to 6.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Book-with-No-Pictures-B-J-
Novak/9780803741713/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
K-2 read There Was an Old Lady Who S wallowed a F ly. As you read the book you can ask
students about specific w ords that rhyme. After reading book, students can act the book out
e.g. You are an old lady and you swallowed a fly, frog etc. Make animal noises before w e
swallow each of them.
http://www.bookdepository.com/There-Was-Old-Lady-Who-Swallowed-
Fly/9780859530187/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdea
I love the book The day the crayons quit! I read it to m y grade 5/6 students and then they
had to w rite a letter to themselves from the perspective of something in their pencil case. It's
great for character development and the letters are very funny.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Day-Crayons-Quit-Drew-
Daywalt/9780007513765/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
The B eautiful Oops Read the students the book and discuss, Each student then gets a blank
bit of paper w ith an oops on it, e.g. spilt paint, glitter, a scribble, a tear, a line etc. They create
their own beautiful creation using this oops as inspiration. They can also create a character in
a setting, w hich leads onto describing w ords and oral language skills, then to character profiles,
and constructing a class book through the individual narratives the children w rite. You m ay also
like to use it to look at procedural texts or even link w ith other authors such as Jeannie B aker
and how one uses collage to construct texts. This book is for Kindergarten to Year 6 ( or even
High school kids love this). - Here is the digital version of the
story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fZjMYdQjGM)
http://www.bookdepository.com/Beautiful-Oops-
/9780761157281/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
28
Book Activities
I take a book in called Fox Makes F riends, and a piece of paper w ith cut out robot parts. R ead
the story to students and build the robot. Depending on level of students w e either label our
robot or w rite an informative piece , a creative piece or a poem about our robot. Then w ith
older students w e can m easure our robot and then figure out how long his arm and legs are if
he's m y height. Its art, literacy and a numeracy activity all in one. G reat for days w hen nothing
is left.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Fox-Makes-Friends-Hinkler-Books-Pty-
Ltd/9781743088401/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
There are m any quick w riting activities using the Andy G riffiths book Once Upon a S lime. The
book has so m any ideas! S elect one, use it to set context and expectations, then ask students to
do a piece of w riting in the same format as the example. S et a short time frame ( 20 m ins),
doesn't need to be completed w ithin that time, share ideas and w here they got to w ithin the
time frame. F ocus is not on spelling or neatness, just getting ideas out of their heads, onto
paper and shared w ith others. Andy G riffiths also give them "permission" to be a bit gross.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Once-Upon-Slime-Andy-
Griffiths/9781742612096/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
29
Book Activities
General Book Activities
Making Connections
Students m ake paper chains w ith a text connection on each. I get them to use different colours
of paper for different connections e.g. text to text are red, text to self are blue, text to w orld
are yellow.
Character Reversal
Use character reversal w hen teaching persuasive w riting. R everse the roles the characters play
in the novel they are studying and m ake the students convince you that you are w rong by giving
examples form the book. F or example - in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, suggest Aslan
is evil and Jadis (the w hite w itch) is good. Works both as an oral and w ritten task.
Drawing the Book
Read a story to the class. Each child is given an A3 piece of blank paper. They draw w hat they
think or hear as they listen to the story. Then can then use their drawing to retell the story to a
partner after.
Character interview
Read a story to the class. Pick one student to be a character from the book. Other students can
ask the character questions.
Drama
Read a picture book, have students act out a page of their choice. This can be in groups or
individually.
Design a F ront Page
Cover up the front and back cover of a story book. R ead the book to the class. S tudents then
decide on a title and create a front cover on blank paper. S tudents can do a show and tell and
explain their covers and title.
Reading Recount
Students silently read a book of their choice for 15/20 m ins. They then divide a page in their
book, or fold a blank piece of paper, into four. Depending on grade: K-2 can draw and w rite
four different things that happened in their book. Middle and upper primary w ould be expected
to w rite m ore and illustrate. Depending on book chosen they m ight w rite events, facts, things
they learnt.
30
Design & Technology

Newspaper Bridges
Students w ork in small groups to design and m ake a newspaper bridge. They are only allowed 1
sheet of newspaper and 4 pieces of tape , as w ell as safety pins to join things. They need to
suspend their bridges between 2 chairs. To test how strong the bridges are, you can place
books on top of them.
Highest Tower Challenge!
Each student gets one A4 piece of paper ( scrap paper is ideal!) S tudents can use scissors and
either sticky tape or glue, to help them build their towers. Each student needs to build the
highest tower they can. You can create your own rules for judging, e.g. it m ust stand for 5
seconds, cannot be taped/glued to the table top, m ust be transportable, they need to use the
whole piece of paper. The tallest tower w ins a prize/first out the door at break time, etc. If time
allows you could then give them time to go back to appraise and improve their tower.
Group Tower Challenge
Students w ork in groups of 3 or 4. Each group has 20 sheets of newspaper, a roll of sticky tape
and 30 m in to m ake the largest free standing tower they can.
31
Health
Kid President
YouTube "Kid President for teachers and students. The clip inspires kids to get involved and be
the good in someone else's day. After viewing the clip, set up a daily challenge to be the good in
someones day. B rainstorm w hat the school values are, w hat they m ean to the students and
what actions w ould represent those values. As an extension have the students look at the
school logo and get them to justify w hy they think the different elements are on it and how it
represents the school. They can the redesign the school logo.
Cooperation Activity
Randomly partner students by drawing names out of a hat. When all students have a partner,
they need to complete a range of activities, e.g. m ake a secret handshake, solve a m aths
problem together, sit back to back and draw a picture, etc.
For the Birds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJYu5W05jJc This clip is a great conversation starter for
bullying, diversity, belonging etc. and can be extended by using thumbprints to create the birds
on the w ire for a group, drawing their friends on the w ire, and creating a set of class rules to
ensure that no-one is left out.
Friendship Venn D iagram
In partners draw a Venn diagram showing w hat they do and do not have in common.
Friendship Lesson
Students sit together on the floor. Discuss w hat does the w ord friendship m ean to them & what
makes a good friend. S tudents close their eyes and think for a m inute about the person sitting
next to them. They then turn to the person next to them and say something positive about how
that person is a good person/friend. S tudents are asked to pick out a random name from a hat.
They need to w rite three things about w hat that person does to be a good person/friend. On
the other side of their page, they need to pick someone in the class they don't really know very
well, and w rite something kind about them. Teacher to collect and put back into hat, the
students to select random card and one at a time have an open discussion, sharing card details
and others comments. G reat w ay to interact and bring the quiet and shy students into the
lesson.
Personal Strengths
Students choose 3 strengths they w ant to improve on and w rite them on a rectangular piece of
card, folded in 3. Join the card together to m ake a triangular prism w ith out the base and
display them on their desk for the w eek. You can then use their goals as a talking point if they
are off task.
Wellbeing
Read the book "Waiting for Mum" then discuss w ith the students a time they m ay have been
worried about something. G et the students to draw their w orries like the girl in the book did.
After this, sit in a circle and go around the circle discussing w hat they w ere drawing and how it
feels. http://www.bookdepository.com/Waiting-for-Mum-Helen-
Lunn/9781865041711/?a_aid=ReliefTeachingIdeas
32
Health
Words D o H urt
Give each student a sheet of paper and get them to scrunch it for each time someone has said
something m ean to them. Discuss w hat sort of things w ere said. Ask them to unfold the paper
and discuss how even though the paper is still paper it has changed and the m ean things that
were said have left something w ith them. Now they can turn a negative into a positive by
discussing how having m ean things said to them can give them strength, empathy and m ake
them better people, they trace the crumples in the paper and fill in the shapes w ith colour.
While doing this have a class discussion about how to respond to the m ean things that are
sometimes said to them.
33
Art
Drawing activity - write on the board how m any circles, squares, rectangles etc you need to
include in the picture. Most imaginative drawing w ins. I have done this and just put numbers on
the bottom of the Page and then had an art gallery and voting for favourite picture w ith the
number. R emember to w rite the students name and corresponding number on a sheet for you!
Silhouettes
Draw an outline of each students silhouette on an A3 piece of paper. Inside their silhouette,
students draw pictures of things that they love; animals, foods, toys etc.
Zentangle Animals
Have students draw an animal outline of
their choice. They fill in the different parts of the animal
with their patterns ensuring that the same pattern
doesn't touch.
Mr Squiggle
Teacher starts by drawing something simple on the board - a line, zigzag or shape. The students
take it in turns to complete the picture. Alternatively, have each student to draw a squiggle on a
piece of paper and then swap w ith another student to create a picture from it.
Google Logos
Students create different G oogle theme logos. F or students stuck on a theme, have some pre-
written in a container that they can pick out ( e.g. Christmas, Olympics, World Environment Day,
Australia Day).
Googly Eyes D rawing Prompt
Stick googly eyes on paper & hand out to students. S tudents then use their imaginations and
draw a creature/dinosaur/fairy tale character etc. based around the googly eyes.
Zentangles
There are lots of zentangle patterns online to show as inspiration, here is one:
http://artcuratorforkids.com/zentangles/ Go through a few examples and techniques w ith the
class and then give students an opportunity to create their own zentangle designs.
Thinking S kills teacher draws a circle on board. Everyone copies the circle and then each
student m akes the circle into a picture ( could be an egg yolk, the sun, part of a pair of
sunglasses). Compare ideas.
Scribble D rawing
Without removing their pencil from the page, each child draws random w horls and loops all
over an A4 plain piece of paper. G ather them in and redistribute to the class, or exchange them
within a pair or group. The idea is to spot a recognisable item ( animal, object, letters etc.)
within the scribble and to colour it in so that it stands out from the rest. If there is nothing
recognisable, it can be coloured in as a m osaic ( http://reliefteachingideas.com/rainbow-
squiggle-line-drawing/ ). This exercise is about pattern recognition, creativity ( e.g. if child
cannot find something they m ay like to colour in several adjoining sections and add eyes etc. to
make a m onster), fine m otor skills ( colouring), and 'finding order w ithin chaos'. Display the
results.
34
Art
Adjective Portraits
Teacher w rites different adjectives on cards (e.g. beautiful, scarred, hairy). S tudents choose at
random one card each. S tudents draw a portrait/face using their card as inspiration. F irst the
students draw w ith lead pencil on A4 paper, then once approved by the teacher, they publish
their art on A3 paper and can have the choice to colour it in. Once students have finished, they
can display their art w ork in the room, m aking sure they w rite their name, date, and chosen
adjective at the back of their artwork.
Shapes and Colours
Students trace around a range of small items found in a classroom ( e.g. pencils, scissors, ruler,
glue stick, protractor, highlighter). As they draw, they build up a m ontage of shapes using a
range of colours. Encourage students to overlap traced outlines carefully so that the shape is
still recognizable. S tudents share their m ontages w ith the class to see if the other students can
guess w hat items they traced.
Group D rawing
Students sit in groups of 4. They are all given a strip of paper that they fold in quarters ( length
wise). S tudents are given one m inute each to draw a certain part of an aliens body ( you could
change this to anything you w ant). S tart w ith the head, then torso, legs and feet. It is important
that the students can't see w hat the previous student has done. Once the student has
completed their part they fold it leaving two small lines so the next student knows w here to
join their drawing to. Once every student has had a turn they open up the paper to reveal the
completed picture.
Students could then do a creative w riting task on their alien.
Alien Name
Have the students fold a piece of paper in half. On the line in the m iddle, w rite their name in
medium to large sized w riting. S tudents then cut around their name. When they open the
paper and they should be left w ith a cut out in the shape of their name. G lue this cut out on a
different coloured paper that contrasts against the w hite. Allow the students to add their own
arty touches to or around the shape, transforming it into an alien. http://erin-
ams.blogspot.com.au/2007/10/first-grade-7-art-lesson.html
Students can then w rite a paragraph about their character as if it w ere an alien arriving here on
earth for the first time. G ive it a name, origin, and reason for being here.
Creativity Task
Students fold a blank A4 sheet of paper into thirds and then in half to create six segments. They
can either w rite the numbers from 1 to 6 in the centre of each space, or draw a different shape
in each (e.g. S quare, circle, triangle, diamond, parallelogram, five-pointed star). S tudents then
use their imagination to turn/incorporate the numbers or shapes into creative pictures.
35
Drama & Music

Transformation
Students w ork in groups of 3-4. S tudents pick an object from around the room. G et them to
change it into something else, e.g. a small brush for sweeping is changed into a toothbrush.
They then need to create an advertisement promoting the product to perform to the class.
The Cup Song
Tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmFe7SV4LIo
Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmSbXsFE3l8
The cup song teaches rhythm and beat. Have students sit in a circle and pass the cups around
each time the song repeats.
Guess the Emotion
Students take turns acting out an emotion or feeling w hile the other students try to guess it.
Master Master Who am I?
One student is selected to be the Master. They turn around and close their eyes. Another
student is selected and they have to disguise their voice and say "Master, m aster w ho am I?
The Master student has to guess w ho said it. If they guess correctly they stay in.
http://reliefteachingideas.com/good-afternoon-judge/
Clusters
Teacher calls out a number & object(s) and students m ove into of group of that m any. In the
groups, students then m ake representations of the letters, objects, animals, etc., using only
their bodies. All m embers of the group m ust be involved. E.g. Teacher calls out 5 Elephant.
What Can You Turn It Into?
Students sit in a circle. Place an item in the m iddle of the circle, e.g. a scarf. Each student m ust
make the item into something new/different than w hat's already been done, e.g. a scarf could
be a sling, a blanket, a hammock, fishing net etc.
If I ....
Teacher has a prepared list of questions, e.g. If I could go anywhere in the w orld it w ould be... If
I had 1 m illion dollars I w ould... S tudents take turns answering the questions.
Fairy Tales
Act out scenes form fairy tales w ith younger students. F or example, w alking across the bridge in
The Three B illy G oats G ruff.
Nursery Rhymes
Get a selection of nursery rhymes and put in a hat. S tudents w ork in small groups of 3-4. Have
each group draw out a nursery rhyme. They then have to put a m odern take on it, e.g. turn it
into a rap, and then perform in front of the class.
36
Drama & Music

Retell Show & Tell
Students are put into pairs. S tudents take turns in telling their partner a story. The story should
be about them, like w hat they got up to on the w eekend or about their holidays. The partner,
once the story is finished, can ask 3 questions to clarify the story. Once both have shared their
story, get the class back together. Each student m ust jump up and pretend that they are their
partner and re-tell the story they w ere told.
Click
In groups, create a simple story to act out as a photo play. . They need to come up w ith 5 freeze
frames to tell a story w ith a beginning, complication and ending. F or the performance, the class
closes their eyes. The group gets into position one of their story. Leader says click ( as in
camera click). The class opens their eyes to see the first 'photo'. Click is said again, to tell the
class to close their eyes and then the group changes to position 2, and so on.
Music Warm Ups
Start by w arming up students' voices by getting them to hum their favourite song and m ake
siren noises for a few m inutes. S tudents sit in a circle and take it in turns to say another
students name, broken into syllables and then clap 3 times ( e.g. Hay-lee clap, clap, clap).
Students continue to choose others w ho have not had a turn, if they repeat someone they m ust
sit down.
Double, D ouble This, That
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWXNbIeftRk
First teach students the clapping game on their own lap, then w ith a partner. Once students
have m astered it, they w ork w ith their partner to change the lyrics to be about both of them,
but they m ust m aintain the rhythm and w ord pattern of the song. E.g. if they replace "that"
with "football" they m ust m aintain it throughout the song. "I like I like football, I like I like dirt
bikes, I like football, I like dirt bikes, I like I like football dirt bikes". You w ill need to check each
pair to m ake sure that they have m aintained the w ord pattern. Then the class sits in a circle to
share. Each pair takes it in turns to repeat the song of the group that performs. Continue until
all groups have performed.
Miming Charades
Students stand in lines of small groups, all facing the back of the room. The teacher shows the
student at the front an object ( for example, a soccer ball). The student taps the next person in
their group on the shoulder and m imes the object to them. Once they understand , they turn
around and tap the next person on the shoulder & m ime it to them. This continues all the w ay
down the line. The last person in the line guesses w hat the object is. Which group w as able to
get to the end of the line first? Which group w as able to successfully pass the m ime down the
line?
37
Drama & Music

Body Percussion
Place children in a circle facing in. Depending on the size of class, place 4-6 children in the
centre, backs together facing out. Explain w hat body percussion is ( using your body to m ake
music) and that the students are to w atch you to know w hen to start the m ovement/action.
Model the actions and increase tempo as you change action- rub hands together, tap two
fingers w ith two fingers, clap, pat/slap hands one after the other onto your thighs, pat/bang
hands on floor. Have students demonstrate two of the actions. Ask students in the centre to
close their eyes, listen and relax, then start the activity, m oving around the circle, adding
actions student by student. Once back to the start of the circle reverse the order of actions till
back to rubbing hands. G ive a stop signal. Ask students in the m iddle to describe how they felt,
what they heard, w here it felt like they w ere...etc.
Build a storm
Discuss how storms build from a few rain drops, to a light shower, to a heavy down pour. Use
either hands and feet, rolled up newspaper ( like drum sticks), or percussion instruments to
make the sounds of a storm. Add w ind, lightning and thunder. R each a crescendo and then take
the storm back down until it is a few rain drops and then silence. B efore you begin, discuss
hand signals you w ill use to control the lesson/noise. F or older classes you could go on to
devising w ritten notation and a m ore orchestrated piece of storm m usic.
Action, Place, Emotion
Students choose an action such as dancing, a place such as a shopping centre and an emotion
such as happy, angry or confused. S tudents w ork in pairs or small groups to create a scenario
using these three features and incorporating as m uch of it w ithin their drama, to perform to the
rest of the class.
Space Jump
Teacher give two students a topic to start w ith, e.g. Working out at a G ym. The two students act
out being at a gym. When the teacher calls space jump they freeze w hile the next two
students come into the scene, changing it up to a new topic ( either one that the teacher calls
out or one that they come up w ith themselves). They need to use the position that the first two
students froze in to start their own scene. The class keeps on building the scene every time
space jump is called out, until there are no m ore students left. It becomes m ore difficult as
you go along because they m ust include all students in each new scene.
Freeze F rame
Place students into small groups of 5 or 6. G ive each group a place, e.g. the zoo. G roups have 2
minutes to discuss a frozen/statue position to depict the place. Each group takes a turn to
freeze into their positions you can call out 1,2,3 freeze! The other groups try and guess the
place.
38
Drama & Music

Evolution
http://reliefteachingideas.com/egg-chicken-dinosaur/
All students w alk around pretending to be an egg, looking for another egg. Once they find
another egg they play Rock, Paper, S cissors. The w inner becomes the next thing in the
sequence. The other player remains an egg, looking for another egg to verse.
The sequence is:
-Egg to chicken
-Chicken to dinosaur
-Dinosaur to m onkey
-Monkey to cave m an
5 cave m ans m ake a tribe
The formation of the tribe w ins the game
Encourage students to really get into character and m ake the noises too.
Boom Chicka Boom Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2XVfTzel8E
Students repeat after you:
I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka boom
I said a boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka broom
Uh huh
Oh yeah
One m ore time....
(You can then choose a random style e.g. baby, cowboy, race car, cleaner and old lady
drinking tea)
E.g.
I said a broom sweeper broom
I said a broom sweeper broom
I said a broom sweeper m opper sweeper m opper sweeper broom
39
All Subject Areas

Amazing Race
Create your own Amazing R ace style game to revise any concept in class. S tudents w ork in small
groups ( 1-3) to solve the challenges before getting a new card and m oving onto the next
country. All that is required is some paper challenge cards ( laminated if you prefer) and a w orld
map ( physical or on smart board) to plot group m ovements as they travel! The first group to
the destination country w ins.
Charades/Pictionary
Play charades or Pictionary w ith vocabulary from the lesson.
Foldable mini books
For revision of topics/write own story/retell/etc. F old A4 paper in to half length w ays, then in
half and half again. Cut slit in m iddle to half w ay. F old and m ake in to a small book.
http://reliefteachingideas.com/how-to-make-a-mini-booklet/
Expert jigsaw
Students are the experts on the topics. One student per group becomes the expert and has to
walk around to other groups and tell them everything they know about a topic. Other students
take notes and then have a discussion on new things learnt at the end.
This w orks w ell for short units of w ork, w ith m ultiple things to research.
Give One Get One
An interactive activity to progress and consolidate any topic of learning. S tudents rule up a T
chart, labelling one side 'give one' and the other side 'get one'. In the give one column students
write as m uch as they remember about a topic. Then the students m ingle around the
classroom, sharing ideas. If another student shares an idea/piece of information that has not
been w ritten down, the student w rites that idea in the 'get one' column. This continues until
they finish sharing ideas, then they go to find another partner to repeat this process.
Consolidate at the end; What did you already have in your give one column? If you don't have
these points w ritten down, w rite it now in the get one column.
Checking In with Students
This is a good w ay to check w ith students if they understood w hat w as taught or how they are
feeling. Thumbs up m eans that they agree, understood or are happy. Thumbs down m eans that
they disagree, do not understand or are unhappy. Wibbly wobbly/hands flat m eans that they
are unsure.
40
Indoor Games
Mr Squiggle
Divide the w hiteboard into three sections. One student is picked to be Mr S quiggle' and then
draws the exact same squiggle in the exact same position in all 3 sections of the board. E.g. one
shape, a line ( can be w avy, straightetc) and a dot. Mr S quiggle then goes outside. The
teacher picks three other students to draw something from the 3 squiggles. When they finish
their drawings, Mr S quiggle then comes back in and picks their favourite drawing. The student
who drew it then becomes the new Mr S quiggle.
The Name G ame
In a circle the teacher starts w ith a w ord, e.g. an animal or country. The student next in the
circle has to say a w ord starting w ith the last letter of m y w ord, m atching the same category.
England Denmark Kenya Armenia etc S ee how m any w ords they can come up w ith
before getting stuck! S tudents can phone a friend if needed.
Peril Peg
You w ill need a bag w ith 1 pink peg ( the plus peg), 2 w hite pegs ( the peril pegs), 5 green pegs
and 5 blue pegs.
There are two teams - the blue team and the green team.
To play the game, each team needs to answer a question correctly. When they do they draw as
many pegs as they like out of the bag. They m ay stop at any time.
Scoring: The green team scores 1 point for every green peg they draw out. The blue team
scores 1 point for every blue peg they draw out. If they draw out the other teams coloured peg
they don't get any points or lose any points. If they draw out a pink ( plus peg) they get 5 points.
If they draw out a w hite ( peril) peg they lose all the points accumulated for that round and their
turn is over. Maximum points for each round is 10.
I Went to the Market
Students sit in circle. The first student starts by saying I w ent to the m arket and a bought an
(something beginning w ith the letter a), the next student then says I w ent to the m arket
and I bought ( whatever the first person said & then something starting w ith the letter b).
Continue around the circle, each time adding another item following the letters of the alphabet.
For younger students they can just say w hat they bought, instead of reciting all of the previous
items said by other students.
The Um Game
http://reliefteachingideas.com/the-ummm-game/
Students have 60 seconds to talk about a topic of their choice w ithout saying um, like or
pausing. OR you can time students to see how long they can talk about a topic before saying
ummm. Who can go the longest before saying it?
Pictionary on the Whiteboard
The students can either draw something of their own choice ( they need to tell the teacher w hat
it is before drawing) or choose from a set of cards that the teacher prepared earlier. The rest of
the students have to guess w hat it is. Hands need to be up to guess and the drawer can choose
who to ask. If a student guesses correctly they become the new drawer.
41
Indoor Games
Seated Volleyball
Simial rules to normal volleyball except that students are sitting on the floor and you use a soft
indoor ball. Use chairs as a net and the ball has to be thrown over the net and caught. If you
have access to large screens or drama blocks, you can also play B lind Volleyball. S tudents sit
either side of a barrier and pass the ball back and forth over the barrier. S tudents need to be
alert because they never know w here the ball is going to appear from!
How Would You Sell
Students are given a random picture, could be anything at all, the stranger the better, and are
given one m inute to 'sell it' to the class. This is great for reinforcing persuasive language,
speaking w ith appropriate volume, tone and pace and it is entertaining to w atch.
Price is Right!
Choose three students to stand up the front. The teacher chooses a number and gives the three
students a range to guess between. The teacher shows the rest of the class the number. The
three students take turns trying to guess the correct number. The class can call out higher or
lower to help the three students guess.
Heads D own Thumbs Up
Five students stand up the front. Teacher calls out Heads down, thumbs up. The rest of the
class puts their heads down on their desk & have their thumbs up. The five students w alk
around the room and choose someone by tapping their thumb. If their thumb is tapped they
need to put their thumbs down so that they arent chosen again. Once all five people have
chosen someone, & have returned to the front of the room, the teachers calls out Heads up,
stand up if you got picked. The people w ho got picked each take a turn trying to guess w ho
chose them. If they guess correctly they get to go up to the front & the person w ho chose them
sits down. If they dont then the person w ho chose them gets to stay up the front to play the
next round.
Celebrity H eads
Have three students sit in front of the w hiteboard, facing the class. Write a person, place or
thing above their heads. They need to take turns asking yes/no questions about w ho or w hat
they are, trying to be the first to guess w ho they are.
Beat the Bus D river
Have the class line up in two lines. Either hold up flash cards or call out questions. The person
who gets it right goes to the back of their line. When the original starting person gets back to
the start ( the bus driver) that team w ins.
Category Tennis
This game can be played either single or as doubles. Choose a category relevant to the year
level, e.g. Countries in Africa. S tudents bounce back to and fro w ith names. If they say a name
already said, they are out, next player in. They have 40 seconds to call out an answer. If they
don't answer they are out.
42
Indoor Games
Indoor Basketball
Two students sit on a chair, on opposite sides of the room, and put their arms out like a hoop.
The other students have to tap a balloon around w ithout letting it hit the floor. The have to try
and get the balloon in the hoop. Once a goal is scored the person as the hoop swaps w ith the
shooter. F irst team to 10 w ins.
Alphabet Brainstorm
Have the class stand in a circle and choose a letter of the alphabet. G o around the circle
thinking of w ords that start w ith that letter. Challenge the class to see how m any times around
the circle they can go.
Name Line Up
Using their first names, and w ithout speaking, students get themselves into alphabetical order
as quick as they can. When complete, one at a time, the students say their name to double
check the order. You can also change this to their surnames, their birthdays or their height.
Dictionary Swat
Write about 15 spelling w ords on the board, S plit the class into two teams & line up in front of
the board. The teacher reads out the dictionary m eanings of the w ords. The first person to swat
the correct w ord w ins a point. The team w ith the highest amount of points w ins.
Pac Man
Students spread out around the room. The teacher calls out questions one at a time. These can
be on any topic. F irst student w ith their hand up & answers correctly, takes a step and if they
are near anyone can tap them out. Once tapped, that student is out & sits down. Last student
standing is the w inner.
A Night at the Museum
Choose a student to be the Night G uard. The Night G uard goes out of the room. A theme is
chosen e.g. sports, m usicians. The students become the exhibits & pose in the theme. Count
down from 10 and on zero the Night G uard comes in and tries to spot people m oving. Anyone
caught by the Night G uard is out and sits down w here they are. S tudents m ay choose to m ove,
with obviously the best time being w hen the Night G uards back is turned.
The Beans G ame
Students w ander around in an area and the teacher calls out different types of beans ( jumping
beans, climber beans, frozen beans, baked beans, etc.). S tudents have m ovements they need to
do, related to each one. E.g. Jump for jumping beans, Climb on the spot for climbing beans, lay
down & stay super still for frozen beans.
The Never Ending Sentence
The students sit in a circle and each student says one w ord as you go around the circle. The
sentence isn't allowed to end so the students have to use their connectives ( like, and, but, etc.)
to keep the sentence going.
43
Indoor Games
Scattergories
The teacher w rites 5 different categories on the board, e.g. place, food, boy's name, girl's name
and song title. They then choose a letter. At their desks, students race to w rite down something
in each category, starting w ith that letter. The first person to finish yells out stop. Alternatively,
the teacher can set a time ( 1-2 m inutes) and then call out stop w hen the time is up. The
students read out their answers, if they have the same as someone else they don't get a point
but if they have a different answer they get 1 point. F irst to a set number of points w ins.
21
Students in a circle. 1st child says, 1, or 1,2, or 1, 2, 3. Next child counts from w here the
previous student finished. The student w ho says 21 sits down. Keep going until the last student
is standing.
Nines
Standing in a circle one child says either one, two or three numbers at a time starting from 1,
then the student next to them continues this pattern. The student w ho says 'nine' sits down.
E.g. S tudent 1: 1,2, 3
Student 2: 4, 5
Student 3: 6, 7
Student 4: 8
Student 5: 9 ( sits down) and process begins again from 1.
Action D ice
Make two dice; one w ith numbers ( you can chose random numbers up to about 20), and one
with actions like running on the spot, sit ups, star jumps etc. S tudents take turns to roll both
dice and follow the instructions e.g. 12 star jumps, then pass it on. They can either just do the
action themselves or call it out for the w hole class to do.
Laser Eyes
All kids sit in a circle. One person is elected as the detective & has to leave the room w hile the
'laser eyes' person is elected. The detective comes back & stands in the m iddle of the circle. The
Laser eye student aims to m ake eye contact w ith the other students in the circle, w inking or
blinking at them. If eye contact is m ade the person w ho w as 'laser eyed' goes to sleep. The
detective has 3 guesses to figure out w ho the 'laser eye' is. Laser Eyes aim is to put as m any
students into a deep sleep before the detective figures out w ho they are.
Frog & F lies
Similar to Laser Eyes except that a F rog is chosen instead. They stick their tongue out at class
members to eat the flies. The flies fall to the ground w hen they m ake eye contact w ith the
frog & the frog sticks their tongue out at them. The detective has three guesses to w ork out
who the frog is.
44
Indoor Games
Missing Student
Have students seated at their desks. Pick one student to leave the classroom and stand outside.
Pick another student to stand up and hide ( outside or in a joiner room). Tell the rest of the class
to stand up and quickly change seats. The first person picked comes back in and has 30 seconds
(can change time) to w ork out w hich student is m issing. If they pick correctly, send them back
out, repeat, and decrease the time. If they dont pick it, the person w ho w as 'hiding' then goes
out and the game is repeated.
Cross Over
Students get into 2 teams. The students at the start of each row are asked a question. Whoever
answers it 'wins' and crosses over to the other side. Whoever doesn't, goes to the back of the
line. The first team to completely 'cross over' w ins!
Prisoners
Have the class stand in two circles, one outside of the other. The students in the inner circle
need to be sitting on chairs. They are the prisoners. There should be one empty chair. The
students standing behind the chairs are the prison guards. The ones w ith prisoners are happy as
they get paid. The guard w ith the empty chair is unhappy. They w ill try to steal one of the other
prisoners by saying their name. The prisoner then has to m ove ( in any w ay they w ant) to the
empty chair. If their current guard taps them on the shoulder they have to stay w here they are
and the unhappy guard tries someone else. If successful the new unhappy guard ( the one w ith
the empty chair) needs to call out someone eles name.
The Name G ame
This is a good game for learning names at the start of the day.
Everyone stands in a circle. Each student thinks of a w ord that describes themselves that starts
with the same letter ( or sound) as their name. E.g. Jen becomes Jumping Jen. G o around the
circle introducing yourselves. Everyone says hello to "name" as a reply. Once everyone has a
name chosen you then pass a soft ball to someone else in the circle calling out their alliterative
name as you go. As the students get comfortable you introduce m ore objects for the students
to pass to each other.
Shrek Says
This is like Simon S ays but they need to do crazy ogre poses and sounds. Adapt the game and
the speed to suit the students. Try and trick the students by saying one thing and physically
doing another.
Squishy Worms
(Also known as G randmas Underpants, B ananas & S ausages)
One student stands at the front of the class w hile the other students ask questions. The student
at the front can only answer w ith the w ords squishy w orms. If they smile, laugh or giggle they
are out and the person w ho m ade them laugh comes up the front.
For example "What did you have for breakfast his m orning? Squishy w orms.
45
Indoor Games
Zoom
This game is similar to Uno but students use their bodies & sounds instead of cards.
Zoom ( send to next player)
Screech ( reverse)
Boing ( like a skip, but to anyone else in the circle)
You can add any call and response to this.
You can even get the students to create their own call and responses.
This game should be fast and silly w ith lots of laughter!
Four Corners
The teacher numbers each corner in the room 1-4. One person is the caller and sits at the front
of the room facing the w all w ith their eyes closed. The teacher counts down from 10. In this
time the rest of the class needs to choose a corner to stand in. The caller then calls a corner
number either 1,2,3 or 4. Any student standing in corner 1 are now out and sit down. The
teacher then calls out change corners and begins to count down from ten again. S tudents
again choose a corner of the room and the caller then picks a corner and calls it out. Anyone in
that corner is out. The w inner is the last person standing and can then become the caller.
Spider Web Sharing
This is a good game to play at the beginning of the year, w hen getting to know the students. Al
you needs is a ball of w ool. You need to hold onto the string of w ool, students can then say
things like their name, favourite colour, favourite food, w hat they did during the holidays, etc.
Once they have shared, they then hold onto the string of w ool and throw the ball of w ool to
someone across from them. Continue sharing and passing around the w ool. You w ill end up
with a big spider w eb at the end. As an added challenge, see if students can w ork backwards,
sharing something else, as they w ind the w ool back up again!
Paper Snowball F ight
Students w rite on a small piece of paper something about themselves. The students then
scrunch the paper into a ball. S eparate the students onto two sides of the classroom. G ive them
1 m inute to throw the paper. Once the time is up, students find a paper snowball and, one at a
time, read out w hat it says.
Race to the F ood Group
Split the class into two groups, sitting in lines opposite one another, w ith the w hite board down
one end. On the w hiteboard w rite the five food groups in bubbles. The team has one student
from each team, stand down the other end ( so theres a run way). The teacher calls out a food
and says "go. The students race to the board, pick up a m arker and the first one to w rite it in
the correct food group bubble w ins a point. The next students in line, m ove to the starting line,
to w ait for the teacher to call out the next food item.
The G round is Lava!
Students get into small groups. Each group has a blown up balloon. They hit it back and forth
trying not to let it touch the ground. Once it hits the ground they need to sit out. Last group
standing w ins.
46
Indoor Games
Hero
This is similar to naughts and crosses ( tic tac toe), however the game is played w ith two
students in front of the w hole class. They stand so they cannot see the w hiteboard or smart
board and need to visualize the game board in their m ind. A third student is designated as the
drawer. The two students take in turns to give instructions such as 'naught top right' or 'cross
bottom m iddle' and the drawer adds their naught or cross to the game board. F irst student w ith
3 in a row w ins. If a student gives a direction for a square that is taken, they m iss their turn.
If it's a tie both players shake hands and two new players are chosen. If a player w ins they
become the class 'hero' hence the name.
Silent Race
Choose a theme, e.g. sight w ords. Write 5-10 of these on separate pieces of paper and stick in
random spots around the room. Call out one of the w ords and students have to w alk to the one
you have said and point to it. Last one there sits down and you continue until you have a
winner. S tudents w ho are 'out' become judges and help w ork out w ho w as last. S tudents
become disqualified if they m ake noise, push or run. This can be adapted to anything: shapes,
colours, single sounds, w ords, m ath concepts, etc.
I'm G oing on a Trip to the Moon
http://reliefteachingideas.com/im-going-into-space/
Start by saying 'I'm going on a trip to the m oon and I'm taking ice-cream, ants and an octopus.
What else can I take w ith m e? The students need to guess w hat the rule is so they know w hat
they can take to be allowed on the trip. The w inner is the student w ho guesses the rule ( in this
case only things beginning w ith a vowel sound).
I'm going on a world trip
Similar to the game above but m ore difficult for older grades. Im going on a w orld trip. The
tour starts in Chile and from there w e go to F iji... Who w ants to come w ith m e?" S tudents need
to w ork out the "ticket price" for joining the trip by offering the next destination (e.g. I w ould
welcome the person on board w ho says Japan, but politely decline the person w ho suggests
Singapore - because the place m ust have two syllables in this case). S tudents w ho join the tour
may do so accidentally w ithout w orking out w hy their answer is correct. When a lot of the class
is on the tour, and/or w hen the frustration levels get too high, get a student to tell the others
what the price of travelling w ith us w as (i.e The R ule). R ule suggestions: Places w ith three
syllables; places w hose first letter is the final letter of the previous place - eg.
Paris...Sydney...Yemen...Namibia...Auckland...; places that start w ith each consecutive letter of
the alphabet; places that start w ith the same letter as your own name.
20 Questions
Teacher thinks of something that is in the category identified ( person, place or thing) then
students ask one question at a time that m ust only have an answer of yes or no. S tudents only
have 20 questions to identify w hat the thing is. Whoever guesses correctly becomes the next
person up the front, chossing an item for their class to guess.
47
Indoor Games
Bang Bang
Two students stand back to back. Teacher asks a question ( times tables, addition or subtraction
sums, general knowledge, etc.) First student to turn around and say bang gets to answer. If they
are correct they stay at the front & the other student sits down. Go through all students in
class.
My Imaginary Object
Each student thinks of an object that they pretend to hold. The teacher asks the students one
by one w hat they are holding and m akes note of each object. The students then spend 3-5 m ins
swapping these imaginary objects between each other. S top the game and ask the students
what they are holding now. Tick off the items as they are said. If they tick off all of the items
that they had at the start then they w in but if any are doubled up or m issing they lose. This is a
great game for speaking and listening.
Who Stole the Cookie?
Students sit in rows of 3 or 4. Each row has a number.
Teacher says, Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar... Was it row 3?!
Row 3 stand up and say, It w asn't us.
Teacher then says, Who w as it then?
Row 3 choose any other row (e.g. It w as row 1').
Row 1 stand up and say, It w asn't us.
Row 3 then respons, Who w as it then?
This continues until a team m ake a m istake (e.g. too slow, out of sync, don't say the same thing,
stand w hen they're not supposed to).
Teams w ho lose go to the back of the line and everyone else shuffles forward and w orks out
what their new row is. Start again. The aim is to be in row 1 w hen the time is up.
The traditional circle game version: http://reliefteachingideas.com/who-stole-the-cookie/
Detail D etectives
Everyone is sitting in a circle, w ith one person in the m iddle. Everyone has a good look at w hat
the m iddle person looks like, w hile they rotate around to give everyone a good look. They then
go outside to change three things about themselves, such as tucking in their shirt, doing up a
button, taking off their jacket etc. They can be as subtle or obvious as they like. When they
return ,students need to pick out the differences. Once they have w orked out the three
difference, a new student is chosen to be in the m iddle.
Champion!
Students sit in a circle and two stand up to begin the game. Teacher asks a question and the
quickest student w ins. The next student ( in a clockwise direction) stands up and the questioning
continues until everyone has had a turn. Last m an standing is the Champion. Questions can be
related to any/all KLAs.
48
Indoor Games
Round Robin
Students stand in two lines. The teacher asks a question, e.g. What is 5x5? or What is an
antonym for up? The two students at the front of the line answer the question. The student
who answers correctly first goes to the back of the line. The other student is out. If both
students say the right answer at the same time they both go to the back of line. The game
continues until there is a w inner.
Roll Game
In the m orning, w hen you call the roll, ask 10 questions, the answers to w hich are all students
in the class. They range from very easy for Preps - this girl's name is a flower ( Jasmine), to quite
cryptic for the older classes - this boy's last name is a town in Queensland ( Mackay) or this
person's last name has a m easurement in it ( Acreman). This is also a great w ay to help you
remember the students names w hen you are relief teaching!
Rotten Bananas
Also known as Good afternoon Judge http://reliefteachingideas.com/good-afternoon-judge/
One person stands up the front w ith their back to their classmates and their eyes closed. The
teacher silently picks someone to call out 'rotten bananas' in a funny voice. The person out the
front has to then guess w ho said 'rotten bananas'. If they are correct at guessing they spin back
around and have another turn. If they do not guess w ho said it they have to swap places and
the new person is in.
Doggy D oggy Where is Your Bone?
Students sit in a circle. Choose one person to be the doggy & crouch down in the m iddle of the
circle , w ith their head down & eyes closed. The teacher gives one student the bone ( can be
whiteboard m arker, w hiteboard eraser or anything else you have handy to use). They hide it
behind their back. All of the class put their hands behind their back so its not obvious w ho is
hiding the bone. The class then sings Doggy, doggy w hos got your bone? S omeone stole it
from your home. Wake up doggy, w ake up now! Youve got to find your bone somehow. The
student in the m iddle gets up & then has three guesses to try to w ork out w ho has their bone.
Silent Ball
There are m any different versions of this game. Here are a few:
Circle Silent B all - The class stands in a circle. Without talking the ball is thrown to anyone in the
circle. If a person speaks they sit down. If a person m isses the ball they sit down. Keeps going
until it is just the teacher and a student left. Last person standing is the w inner.
Silent B all Challenge - http://reliefteachingideas.com/silent-ball-challenge/
Buzz Silent B all - Using a soft ball and a timer ( can use w atch or phone) all the students spread
around the room. The ball is thrown underarm to each student. Play is similar to S ilent B all i.e.
drop the ball, talk, bad throw and they are out and m ust sit down. The B UZZ happens every 20
seconds. Using a timer the teacher calls out B UZZ and w hoever has the ball is out. Additional
rules include no holding of the ball, no purposely avoiding catching the ball.
Silent Piggy Played as per normal but w ith a dog toy pig instead ( one of the plastic ones that
honk w hen you squeeze them). If the pig m akes a sound w hen you catch him, you are also out.
49
Indoor Games
Body to Colour
Give students instructions to put a body part to a specific colour in the room. It can be any
object in the room. F or example; left ear to something blue, nose to something brown, right
ankle to something yellow, knee to a w all, elbow to a desk, etc.
Action Cup
Get a bunch of pop sticks, w rite things like 'kangaroo' or 'koala, and then put them in a cup.
Have a student pick one pop stick and the class have to imitate the animal w ritten on the pop
stick. Then get another student to pick a pop stick. You can also divide the class into two, and
get them to play charades. F or younger children w rite the action w ith the animal like 'jump like
a kangaroo' or 'crawl like a caterpillar'.
Sitting Challenge
This is a great w hole class activity for bonding as a group and listening w ith their w hole bodies.
Students all stand in front of their chairs and sit down one at a time w ithout talking. If m ore
than one student sits down at the same time, the w hole class has to stand up again. You can
adapt the activity by having students say numbers starting from one, or letters of the alphabet,
their names etc.
The Alphabet Game
Have students stand in a circle, give them a letter of the alphabet. Then count backwards from
5, at the end of the countdown say "Strike a pose!". They need to be a statue of something
starting w ith that letter. It cannot be a letter ( they can't m ake a letter shape w ith their body), a
name or a place but it can be anything else they can imagine. E.g. F or A they could be an apple,
an aardvark, angry or an athlete. S tarting at a random place around the circle, ask them w hat
they are posing as. Any students that are the same are out & need to sit down.
50
Outdoor Games
Jurassic Park
Equipment ( optional): soft ball & large ball. Explain to students the concept of the m ovie
Jurassic Park if they aren't familiar w ith it ( dinosaur park, fences down, dinosaurs out and
chasing visitors). In a class of 30 choose 2 park rangers, and 3 dinosaurs: a R oll-a-saurus, Throw-
a-saurus and Tag-a-saurus (Have 3 Tag-a-sauruses if you w ish to be equipment free). R oll-a-
saurus rolls the large ball along the ground and m ust hit people below the knees; Throw-a-
saurus throws the soft ball and Tag-a-saurus tags on the arm between the shoulder and elbow.
Park R angers give first aid to injured visitors by tagging them. Have a boundary for the fence of
the park eg. netball court. Dinosaurs chase and get people 'out'; Park R angers 'free' visitors.
Dinosaurs and Park R angers can't get each other. This can go on for as long or short as you like.
Stop and swap Dinosaurs and Park R angers as you w ish. Dinosaurs can also be actual dinosaur
names or the colours of the ball eg. R ed-a-saurus.
The Simpsons
All students line up against the line, you can use the basketball court.
Teacher w alks along the line and gives each student a character ; Homer Marge B art Lisa
Maggie.
Teacher then calls out one of these characters .
Students w ith that character m ust run to the end of the court and back .
Last one back m oves to the couch ( side of the basketball court).
Teacher can also call out The S impsons, for all students to run.
Teacher can also call out couch for those w ho have been side lined.
Space game
Students are given a planet and space themselves out accordingly. Any students that are not a
planet become the asteroid belt. S tudents are given a speed - sprinting, running, jogging, fast
walking, slow w alking, etc. according to the planet that they are. The teacher stands in the
middle as the S un/Star ( this also m akes supervising easier). After 'orbiting' for 5-10 m inutes
discuss how often students lined up. R elate this to the fact that planets don't often line up,
discuss the reasons for this - speed and distance to travel.
You can choose a few students w atching for the planets to align.
Pacman
Assemble on netball court ( or similar). Choose two 'pacmen' and get them to stand on one end
of the court. All the others line up on the other end, they are the 'food'. The food can only run
along one colour of line, w hile the pacmen can run along all lines to tap the others. Once
tapped they just sit on the line and they become a road block and only pacmen can pass a road
block. Last m an standing w ins. You can appoint a 'saver' too. They can tap road blocks to get
them back in the game.
51
Outdoor Games
Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course w ith the school environment. Use things like the playground, trees,
basketball lines, etc. for students to run, jump, w eave, climb & hop around.
Hopscotch
Write w ords, sums, letters or numbers in a hopscotch 'pitch'. Children say w hat is in the squares
as they hop through.
This End to That
Students stand in the m iddle of a space ( oval, basketball court, classroom) and the teacher calls
out a statement such as "Go to this end if you like Vegemite or go that end if you like jam."
Great get to know you game that gets them m oving!
Fruit Salad
Students line up in a single line and are given a fruit; apple, banana, pear or m ango. The teacher
calls out a fruit, e.g. "apple. The students w ho are apples m ust then run to the other end of
the play area. The last 2 there m ove to the side. Keep going, selecting different fruits. When the
teacher yells fruit salad, all students run across and those on the side have an opportunity to
re-join the line.
Cone Ball
Equipment: basketball court or COLA, 6 cones and two balls.
Aim: to knock down the opposing team's three cones to w in.
How to play: Arrange students in two teams, one team in each half of the basketball court.
Place three cones in each half. S tudents roll the ball to try to knock down the cones but they
must stay in their own half. If students get hit by a passing ball ( from the knee down), they are
out and run to the back of the opposing teams half and try to roll the ball to hit the cones from
the other side.
First team to knock all three opposing teams cones down w ins!
It can also be played as S ILENT Cone B all, w here if students speak they are also out and have to
attack the opposing team from the back.
Graphing Laps
Students run laps around an area ( either an oval or a basketball court) and for each lap they do
they get a m arker, a unifix cube, a popstock or something that they can hold onto as they run.
Their goal is to get as m any laps in during a 5-10 m inute period. They can w alk/jog/run at their
own pace. When they return to the classroom they can compile their results and students m ake
their own graphs based on how m any people ran each number of laps. i.e. How m any
completed 3 laps? How m any completed 5? Etc.
52
Outdoor Games
Rock, Bridge, Tree
Divide the students into teams w ith at least 5 people. The first person runs to the 1st third on a
basketball court then lines down to be a rock. The next person runs jumps over the rock then
keeps running until the half w ay line to form a bridge. The next person runs, jumps over the
rock and forms the other half of the bridge. The 4th team m ember runs, jumps over the rock,
runs under the bridge the on the last line stands tall as a tree. The 5th and other team m embers
run, jump over the rock, under a bridge then around the tree, back under the bridge over the
rock and sit down in a neat line. Once all m embers have run through the obstacles course the
tree then the bridge then the rock run back. F irst team w ith everyone back seated w ins.
Golden Child
It requires a w histle, ball, hoop and quad. S tudents are divided into two groups. The first are
the shooters the second are the runners. The shooters take shots from the free throw line w hile
the runners take turns to run around the outside of the quad. When a shot gets in the w histle is
blown and the runner stops, squats just off the quad line w ith enough room for the next runner
to pass by. The last runner is the golden child and releases any students stuck if they all m ake it
home they w in that round. The teams swap runners become shooters and shooters are the
runners.
Golden Child K ickball
Split class in half, count off students on one side, do the same for the other team. There should
be two number 1's, 2's etc. The students need to line up in numerical order for kicking the ball.
The corresponding number on the catching side get ready to shoot the ball through the hoop,
once it has been kicked. Play on a netball court or basketball court so the kicking side can run
around the boundaries after theyve kicked the ball. The last person on the kicking team is the
golden child w ho can free anyone w ho had to sit down as they ran around the court.
Ship, Shark, Shore
Needs no equipment, just space. Can be played on a basketball court as lines are already on the
ground. Kids line up on one line in the m iddle, this is the S hip. A line to the left is S hark, and to
the right is S hore. The teacher calls out commands and they run to the area. Last one to arrive
is out. If you call out one of the w ords and they are already on it, the people that m ove off are
out. You can add m ore instructions to m ake it trickier. E.g. Hit the Deck, and they drop to the
ground, last to drop is out.
Observation
A tag game w here everybody is it! When you get tagged you have to squat down and keep an
eye on the person w ho tagged you. When that person gets tagged, you can get back up and
keep playing. Any disputes ( who tipped w ho first) are resolved by R ock, Paper, S cissors.
53
Outdoor Games
What's the Time Mr Wolf?
One child is chosen to be Mr Wolf, w ho then stands at one end of the playing area.The other
players stand in a line at the other end. Mr Wolf turns their back to commence play.
The players call out, "What's the time Mr Wolf?" and Mr Wolf turns and answers w ith a time
(i.e. 3 o'clock). He then turns his back again w hile the children advance that m any steps. They
again chant "What's the time Mr Wolf?" To w hich Mr Wolf w ill continue to respond until the
players come very close. Once the line of players is close to Mr Wolf, he can respond to the
chant w ith "It's dinner time!" at w hich point, he w ill chase the players back to the starting line
with the aim to catch one of the them, w ho w ill then become Mr Wolf for the next round of the
game.
Rain droppers and Catchers
Put 10 cones right w ay up ( droppers), and 10 cones upside down ( catchers). Divide the class
into two teams ( 1 dropper team, 1 catcher team). The objective of the game is to flip or turn as
many cones as possible before time is up & the w histle is blown. The dropper team tries to get
as m any cones the right w ay up, the catcher team tries to get as m any cones upside down.
Team Alphabet
Set a boundary, e.g. the basketball court. Allocate a m ovement for the students to do inside the
boundary, e.g. skip, grapevine, act like a chicken etc. Once the w histle is blown call out a letter
of the alphabet and students ( a m in of 1, a m ax of 4) are to m ake that letter w ith their bodies.
Flush the toilet
Played like S tuck in the Mud except students w ho are tipped go down on one knee & raise a
hand in the air ( they become a toilet). 'Toilets' can be freed by someone sitting on their bent
knee & pulling down the raised arm ( flushing the toilet).
54
Brain Breaks
One Minute
To calm the students down, ask them to put their heads on the desk and stay quiet. Ask them to
raise their heads w hen they think a m inute has passed ( teacher holds the timer). This is a great
way for students to calm down, practice their estimation skills and focus on one thing.
Musical Clumps
Students m ove around until the m usic stops. Once it stops the teacher yells a number and
students collect into that number. Teacher then announces w hat body parts can be on the floor
e.g one knee, three feet one head and a hand. The groups has to find a w ay to only have those
body parts on the ground between them.
Brain Teasers
For the older grades, w rite a brain teaser on the board. You can find brain teasers online or in
magazines. B etween lessons, they have two m inutes to collaborate w ith their table and have
one chance to answer. They can w in free time for the end of the day.
Robots and Jellyfish
This is a good w ay for students to become aware of how their m uscles can tense and relax, and
the difference that the two m ake to their bodies. When the teacher calls out robots the
students m ust tense up and get very stiff. When the teacher calls out jellyfish the students
flop and get relaxed. The teacher alternates calling them out until someone m akes a m istake!
Roll a Break
Brain breaks, all you need is a dice and a printed
sheet like the one pictures or have it on the IWB.
When the class is getting restless or as a
transition to the next activity, you roll the die
three times and complete the activities stated in
sequence.
Mindfulness Session
This can be done on floor or at desks. S tudents
close their eyes and relax their body as you talk
through a m editation session, e.g. the beach is
always a lovely place to be...
Cosmic Yoga
Use Cosmic Yoga as a w ay of centring &
refocusing students and calming them down after
lunch.
https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga
GoNoodle
Set up a free account to access hundreds of brain
break clips. https://www.gonoodle.com/
55
Miscellaneous
Mini Quiz
This activity applies to year 2 and up. As a reflective part of a lesson, conduct a m ini quiz to see
how m uch the students remember. B efore the quiz begins, give them the time to sit in a circle
and come up w ith their own personal buzzer sound that they can m ake w ith their m ouths,
voice or hands. It m ust be unique for every student. When the quiz questions are asked the first
person to use their unique buzzer and respond to the question correctly w ins. The kids are
really engaged and think hard because they w ant to m ake their funny noise. The w inners
receive points and w hoever has the m ost points at the end of the day w ins a prize.
What is Your Code?
Create your own QR codes using the QR code m aker app. Colour code them and put them in a
jar. If you have your own class come up w ith a list of prize ideas they w ould like and if you are
casual think of some that w ould suit all grades and these prizes w ill link to the QR code you
design.
When a student does w ell during the day they can choose a QR code and read it w ith the
scanner either on a school iPad or the teachers phone.
Gimme 5!
This is a speed thinking activity that is good for revision, general knowledge quizzes. Call out a
random theme and children can w rite, call out, raise hands to offer their responses. E.g. G imme
5... S hades of blue, ... Capital cities in Europe... Animals or birds starting w ith the letter G ...
Emotions... Planets... R ivers...
You can extend this exercise by recording a range of responses on the board, then getting
groups to create a short story that incorporates at least 5 of them. An extra challenge is to set
the exact length of the story (e.g. 83 w ords) to encourage editing.
Draw Personal Profile
Have students either draw a picture of a persons body from the shoulders up. Take 5 m inutes
at the beginning of each lesson, or at the beginning of the day, to add something to the picture.
First lesson can be w rite your name, then colour in your t-shirt w ith your favourite colour, next
add a funky hair do, draw a speech bubble and add in your favourite things w hether they are
school subjects or objects at home, outside the speech bubble draw things you find hard at
school, lastly add eyes m outh nose ears/a facial expression. When finished you have a
completed face/body and an insight into your students. It's a great starter to settle students
into an activity, or a talking point w hen you need to connect w ith them.
Upside D own!
Stick a m aze or w orksheet under the desks. S tudents lay under the desk to complete the
worksheet or m aze. This is good for kids w ho can't sit still. It is also good for fine & gross m otor
skill development.
56
Miscellaneous
Paper Planes
Students design, m ake & test out paper planes. Measure, compare and graph results. This can
be integrated into S cience, Design & Technology, Art, and Maths. You can also research the
importance of paper folding & origami in Japan.
'Where in the world is...' #1
Have a w orld m ap on display and w rite a place ( country/city) on a post-it note next to the m ap.
The students have to find the place and initial the post-it once they've found it. This is for fast
finishers or w hile they eat lunch.
Where in the world is#2
One student picks a country (or town depending on your m ap) & students have to try & guess
the chosen locations. Clues of north , south, east and w est are given to narrow down the
chosen location.
Design a Toy or G ame
Design a toy or game to play w ith a child w ho has hearing loss, visual impairment, or w ho is in a
wheelchair.
Follow the Leader
When w alking small groups of students from one area of the school to another, play follow the
leader for five or ten seconds w here they have to follow one student then change. This helps to
keep the students engaged, keeps them together and encourages them to take turns.
Attention Getter
To get your students attention, instead of saying "everyone, hands on your head" to w ork out
who is listening & responding, try studying up on your knowledge of the human m uscles or
bones. Instead say things such as "put your hands on your clavicle" or "everyone, hands on your
cranium". It creates a fun and educational game w hilst helping w ith classroom m anagement!
Magic Rubbish
Secretly eye off a 'magic' piece of rubbish. Tell the children you have picked the 'magic' piece
but don't tell them w hich one.
Watch as the children put their pieces in the bin. And reveal w ho had it right at the very end.
Have a prize box ready and give the student w ho picked up the 'magic' piece a prize. S tudents
LOVE this. You can use this w ith a m essy classroom too but choose a 'magic'
object. http://reliefteachingideas.com/cleaning-tip/
Tic Tic Toe
Use this activity to review any previously taught concept ( especially great w ith m ath and
spelling). S plit class into two groups. Ask question, students m ust put hands on head ( or
whatever you choose) if they w ant a chance to answer. If they get it right they put an X or an O
on the board for their team. If they get it w rong, the other team has a chance to steal.
57

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