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TRADITIONAL ACTION GAMES

What are action games?

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Medios de comunicación social. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

Action games are a type of traditional game that are usually played in group and involve body movement. We are going to focus on action games that use a chant, rhyme or music.

  • Do you know any examples?
  • Is there a similar game in your language?
  • Do you like this type of games?

In this lesson you will learn and play some of them.

WHO IS "IT"?

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Tablero tiza la cabeza. Athree23. Pixabay. CC0

There are games in which you need to choose somebody before the start of the game to do a special action, for example being in the middle of a circle and counting. This person is "It". 

We are going to work on three chants to choose who is "it".Listen to them and complete with the missing words. Then practise! Use your own body or any kind of sound object to create a rhythm. You can see an example of this in the first video.

Engine engine number nine.David Verno. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

Engine, engine number ,

Going down line.

If the runs off the track,

Will I get my back? 

Yes, no, maybe .

Eeny meeny, miny, moe. McMillan Spain. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

Eeny meeny miny .

Catch a by the toe.

If he screams let go.

meeny miny moe.

Funny!!! Bubble gum bubble gum in a dish!!!*_*. Lena L. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

Bubble , bubble gum, in a ,

How many pieces do you ?

(The person you land on says a number. You count that number of players. The person you land on is out).

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CIRCLE GAMES

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Tablero aprender formación. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

These are two circle games to play in group. Read the instructions for each one and check your knowledge with a True and False exercice.

SILLY HAS LOST HIS HAT

Players sit in a circle and each one receives a number beginning at one, except for the first, who plays “Silly.”

  • Silly says, “Silly has lost his hat and number ______ (for example “7”) has it.”
  • Whatever number is said, that player (number 7) replies, “Who, I?”
  • Then Silly says, “Yes, you!”
  • Number 7 then says, “No, not I! Number ______ (10) has it.”
  • Number 10 says, “No, not I! Number _____ (4) has it.”

The game continues until someone messes up. That person is out of the game and Silly begins again. The last player left is the winner. As the game is played, the speed of the questions and answers can increase.

BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO'S GOT THE BUTTON?

Players stand or sit in a circle with their hands in front of them - palms together. The leader (or “it”) takes the button and goes around the circle placing his hands inside the children’s hands. In one of the child’s hands "it" drops the button - but continues around the circle so that no one knows who has the button - except for “it” and the button holder.

“It” starts around the circle and asks “Button, button - who has the button?” The child guessing replies “ ______ has the button!” If the child is right they become “it”. If the guess is wrong the next child in the circle gets to guess.

Question 1

You need a button or another small object to play both games.

Question 2

There is an "IT" person during all the game in Silly has lost his hat.

Question 3

There is an "IT" player in Button button.

Question 4

Both games are circle games.

Question 5

You can change the difficulty of the game by increasing the speed of questions in Button, button.

Question 6

You need to know the numbers to play Silly has lost his hat.

MUSIC GAMES

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Teamwork team. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

The following three games are body movement games with music. 

MUSICAL CHAIRS.  

Musical Chairs Song for Children (Official Video) by Miss Patty | Freeze Dance. Patty Shukla Kids TV - Children's songs.  Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

FREEZE DANCE.

Brain Breaks - Cancion de acción - Move and Freeze - Para niños de The Learning Station. TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

HOT POTATO.

Hot Potato Game Song for Children (Official Video) by Miss Patty | Nursery Rhymes| Hot Potato Game. Patty Shukla Kids TV - Children's songs. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

Do you know all of them?

Choose one with your group, watch the video and write your own version of the instructions to play (material needed, rules, song...) in GOOGLE DOCS.  When you finish save it in your group's folder. 

PLEASE MR. CROCODILE

Question

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Tablero aprender formación. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

Listen to the game instructions and choose the correct answer. Then put it into practice with your classmates!

Kid's Box 1 Please Mr Crocodile. Kid's Box. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

The players wear...

Answers

the same colour.

different colours.

Feedback

Question

How many Mr. Crocodiles are there at the beginning of the game?

Answers

One

Three

Feedback

Question

The rest of the children are in a...

Answers

circle.

line.

Feedback

Question

What do children ask?

Answers

Please Mr. crocodile, can we cross the river?

Please Mr. crocodile, can we go next to the river?

Feedback

Question

Who can cross the river?

Answers

The children wearing the colour the crocodile says.

The children that are not wearing the colour the crocodile says.

Feedback

Question

What happens to children when MR. crocodile touches them?

Answers

They are out of the game.

They become crocodiles.

Feedback

ORANGES AND LEMONS

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Tablero aprender formación. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

Listen to the video and order the rhyme of this game.

Oranges and lemons - a playground game. Dany Rosevear. Youtube (accessed on 24/06/2022).

When you finish, read the instructions and play with your classmates!

Two children form an arch with their arms: one child is “oranges” and one is “lemons.” All the children pass under the arch while singing the rhyme. When the rhyme finishes, they put their arms down and “capture” a child. The captured child chooses either oranges or lemons and stands behind the child that represents that fruit. When there are no children left, the two sides have a tug-of-war to determine the winner.

  • “Oranges and lemons,” say the bells of St. Clement’s.
  • “You owe me five farthings,” say the bells of St. Martin’s.
  • “When will you pay me?” say the bells of Old Bailey.
  • “When I grow rich,” say the bells of Shoreditch.
  • “When will that be?” say the bells of Stepney.
  • “I’m sure I don’t know,” says the great bell of Bow.
  • Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
  • And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!
  • Chip chop chip chop the last man's dead!

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