Show With My Body What I'll Play at Recess

Seated in a circle, each child acts out in slow motion, without words, the playground game they plan to play at the next recess, and the others guess it. It slows things down, reviews the games kids have learned and gives everyone a small recess goal.

How to play

1. Sit in a circle, close your eyes and think about which game you've learned that you'd like to play at recess (1 min).
2. The teacher goes first, acting out hopscotch in slow motion with their hands while the others guess (1 min).
3. Taking turns, each child does their gesture slowly and silently: throwing at the wall, hiding, turning in a circle (1 min).
4. When someone guesses right, the whole circle copies that gesture in super slow motion and then holds it still (1 min).
5. Finish with everyone who plans to play the same game raising their hands, so they know who to team up with (1 min).

Rules

• No words: just your body, nice and slow.
• Raise your hand to guess; no shouting.
• Every game counts.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the gesture uses hands and face, which counts just the same.
• Autism: the child can point to a card instead of acting in front of everyone.
• Hearing impairment: the game is visual by nature; the teacher confirms correct guesses with a thumbs-up.

Learning goals

• Calm down with slow movements.
• Remember the playground games learned.
• Plan a game for recess.

Teacher tip

Before recess, remind each child what they said; many little ones follow through and feel very proud. If everyone picks the same game, it's a good moment to review each corner's player limit.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Elementary