100 Games for Children

By P S Quick

Participation in physical games offers many benefits to children. Games not only help to keep children fit but motivate them to develop positive attitudes and understand rules. They learn and develop skills that will hopefully encourage them to engage in sports and other physical activities in later life.
Children learn to listen to instructions, to share and co-operate, to problem solve and challenge themselves and most important of all interact with others, being valued as part of the group.
This book is packed with ideas for children's games. There are 100 games in all which cover warm-ups, cool-downs, parachute and playground games. There is also a section of games that develop the skills needed for a variety of sports and team games that children will meet when they are older
Although in different sections many of the games are interchangeable and can be used in a variety of situations, including children's parties.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Acorn Books
• Release date: Nov 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781783337477

Book preview

Warm-ups and cool-downs

Warm-up activities are essential for preparing the body for activity. They are designed to focus the mind, increase the heart and breathing rate, and warm up the muscles so there is less risk of injury.

In the same way the body needs to cool down after strenuous activity so that it can slow down and return to normal. Activities used in warm-ups can also be used to cool-down but using low intensity movements instead. They should include some stretching so that the muscles remain flexible and relaxed.

Traffic Lights

On the call of ‘red’ children must stand motionless. On ‘amber’ they walk while on ‘green’ they run. The actions could be varied on amber or green at the beginning of a new game. For example hop and jump could be used for ‘amber’ and ‘green’ instead of walk and run.

Top Gear

Each child holds a large ball which represents the steering wheel of a car. They must not drop this ball.

Children move according to the instruction given. First gear is a slow walk. Second gear a brisk walk. Third gear a jog. Fourth gear a run. Reverse is moving slowly backwards. Crash is freezing on the spot.

This game trains children to move around safely and develop motor control.

Park and Ride

Name four sections of the hall or playground as Park and Ride centres near where the children live. These could be also the names of villages, areas of a large town etc. or real Park and Rides such as Thornhill, Redbridge, Seacourt, and Peartree.

Children play the game Top Gear, as above, but when the teacher calls out the name of a Park and Ride centre, such as Thornhill, children must move to that area in fourth gear. On arrival they park their car next to another, change cars by swapping their ball with another child, and move off in first gear.

Park and ride trailers

Each child has a large ball as a steering wheel and pretends to drive a car according to teacher’s instructions. First gear is a slow walk. Second gear a brisk walk. Third gear a jog. Fourth gear a run. Reverse is moving slowly backwards. Crash is freezing on the spot.

Four areas of the work space are designated as Park and Ride centres such as Thornhill, Redbridge, Seacourt, Peartree. When the teacher calls out the name of a Park and Ride centre, such as Thornhill, children must move to that area in fourth gear.

On arrival they park their car behind another car. The two cars move off together in first gear but stop to put the ball from the rear car into the ball basket then continue in first gear until another instruction is given.

North, South, East, West

Make each wall a different part of the compass and explain that the children have to move to the correct place on command. Once they have understood the idea vary the way in which children move or the parts of the body on which they move. For example, ‘travel to the north using your hands and feet.’

Rainbows in the Rain

An equal number of beanbags in four colours, enough for the whole class are needed. The beanbags are scattered around the room. The children move around and between