Originally when I wrote this plan it was pre world pandemic! i.e., at that time we could swap equipment and not worry about social distancing all of these activities can still be played in groups /bubbles and can be adapted to be Covid compliant

 

Snow globe

Equipment needed parachute and small plastic balls.

Place a child in the centre of the parachute and the other children hold on to the edges of the parachute and slowly walk around in a clockwise direction .When the parachute has gathered up and around the centre child , the children on the outside turn around and walk in the opposite direction therefore slowly and in a controlled manner spinning the centre child who is sat on the parachute  all the plastic balls pop up and move around like a snow globe . This activity is great fun but does require a fair bit of adult supervision

 

Do you wanna build a snowman? .

Equipment needed hats, scarves, gloves tinsel  toilet roll and carrots!

Depending on the amount of clothing you have, put the children into teams of four or five one child will be the snowman to decorate with the clothes! The other children have to collect the items of clothing one item at a time running back to their snowperson to place the clothes on them.

There are several ways to play this game Depending on the children and their ability .

As a timed activity ,for example you give the groups one minute to complete the activity, when the time is up the team with most dressed Snowman is the wining team .

Or

Allow the groups to fetch the clothing dress the snow person and first team dressed is the winning team.

Or

Allocate the various items of clothing points obviously the carrot having the highest point value to it! again give the teams 45  seconds -1minute to collect the items of clothing one item at a time and to return to their snowman to dress that person obviously higher valued points total amount of  clothes gives that team more points .

In my experience you will need to play this game a couple of times as each child wishes to be dressed up as the snowman! .It’s also great fun to play the track do you wanna build a snowman from the film Frozen

 

 

Do you wanna build a snowman with equipment .

You will need hoops, tennis rackets ,quoits, tennis balls and marker cones .Again put the players into teams of four or five each player has to run off collect an item of equipment

and bring it back to the team area to create a snow man shape made out of PE cupboard equipment ! . Similar to the other snow man building activity you can play this as a timed   activity , first Snowman made is winning team or as a point based activity

 

 

Elf on the shelf .

This game is played in exactly the same way as you may play musical chair. The difference is the children are the chairs and the Elf’s!.  Firstly demonstrate the position of the shelf this will either be a box press position ie hands and knees on the floor with a flat back or a child pose (yoga Pose ) When demonstrating this position  emphasise to the players that the shelf does not move /wiggle .         

The Elf will well gently sit down on the shelf (the back of the child) for some extra fun the elf child has to Cup their hands around their ears to display large Elf ears. Again demonstrate and emphasise that the elf sits gently down doesn’t jump on the back of the shelf and doesn’t straddle the shelf .

Play some fun Christmas music when the music stops children have to find themselves a shelf or become an Elf , at first especially younger children will be confused to whether they should be a shelf or an elf as they begin to learn the gameplay they will understand that they either need to sit on a shelf or allow someone to sit on them .For older children I add other elements to the game for example they’re not allowed to be with the same person every time !or they have to be in a boy girl combination and I also speed up the music this is a great fun game and They will want to play this again and again and again!

Christmas stuff

This is a game of agility and quick thinking of various Christmas type shapes that the children need to get themselves into .This could be a shape they make on their own a shape they make with a partner or a shape they make with a group the idea is they have to think quickly and respond to the action.

First of all teach 3 /4 easy shapes for the children to do here are the ones I use but you will probably be able to create your own and all get the kids to create them which is even better! .

Christmas item number 1

  Christmas tree . Child needs to stand in a triangular shape legs wide arms above the head and pointed position to look like a Christmas tree!

 

Christmas item number 2 .

Christmas star this shape will require two people. Stand behind each other the back child with their arms stretched upwards and the front child with their arms pointing downwards to represent a star shape .

 

Christmas item number 3 .

Elf ! single player only sitting on the floor legs crossed hands cupped at ears to look like an Elf

 

Christmas item number 4

Father Christmas and his reindeer this requires four people in a team the tallest person at the back and three smaller people knelt down in front with their arms outstretched above their head to look like antlers of the reindeer! The back person will be Father Christmas and they have to place their hands on their tummy and shout ho ho ho!

 

Again play some christmassy music get the children to dance a or move  around  the space when the music stops call out one of the above Christmas items for example… Christmas star.. and the children have to get themselves into that position or shape with the required amount of people. The last team into the position or last child into position is out . Obviously as more children are out the harder it becomes to get teams of two or four and so therefore the game becomes harder and is over fairly quickly.

Get the children to create their own Christmas movements I’ve had some great ones over the years including the shape of reindeer poo which was a small curled up ball position on the floor!, the sillier the better !

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !