cchapan
03-26-2004, 07:26 PM
Every year the Asian celebrate their new year with a new animal. This is the year of the monkey in China. It is also an excellent time to help kids blow off a little steam with their animal instincts and get off the couch and into exercise.
Wokin to the Heat
Materials:
Balls
Parachute
Put a parachute on the ground and start to wave it in the air. Set balls on the parachute to simulate the hot Asian meat and ingredients used to make a Chinese cuisine. When the balls fall off have someone stand outside the parachute area and throw them back into the middle of the parachute. This person can be the cook or the one who picks up the balls after they have fallen.
Stir Crazy
Materials:
Beanbags/lightweight balls
Parachutes
Use a parachute and with a single giant flap wave the parachute in the air and quickly brush off the beanbags or another lightweight object.
Both the parachute activities work the entire shoulder girdle, back and arms.
Chinese Dragon
Materials:
Parachutes
Start with one person holding the parachute and slowly add children underneath the parachute as the Asian music is being played until all the children are lined up under the parachute. Add a dragon face to the person who is in front to make the dragon more realistic. This teaches coordination and stabilization of the upper and lower body.
Jump rope Chant from China
Materials:
Jump rope
Little Ming, little Ming,
Little, little Ming, Little Ming
Up, up
Down, down
Left
Right right
Rock, paper, scissors
Materials: none
This game comes from Japan. When Asian children must decide who will be first in a game they play rock, paper scissors. They say instead the Japanese words jan, ken, po. This is a great game for children to play as they are waiting their turn to play the next Asian game.
Chop Stick Relay
Materials:
Four hula-hoops
Rubber chickens / or beanbags to represent chickens
Two chopsticks per line/ or rhthmn or lummi sticks
Two stir fry pans or hula-hoops that represent pans
Students line up in two teams with the first person from each team standing on a starting line. Give the first student in line two chopsticks. On the signal to begin, the first student will pick up the rubber chicken/ beanbag from inside the hoop using only the chopsticks. (They may not use hands or stick the chopstick inside the chicken). They will have to bring the chicken down to their stir fry pan, then return the sticks to the next student in line, who then goes to the pan and then puts another chicken in the stir fry pan. The process continues until everyone has had a turn.
Chinese Pick up Sticks
Materials:
Chopsticks per squad
Small cotton balls or light weight blocks
one poly spot or carpet sample for each team
Group students into squads of four with the line leader holding a pair of chopsticks in one hand, the other hand behind the back. Students will run on the signal to the opposite end of the playing area to pick up one cotton ball / blocks with their chopsticks. They will return to their line with the cotton ball/blocks and place it on a poly spot/ carpet sample, hand the sticks to the next player in line and go to the back of the line. On the signal to begin, play continues until all have had at least three turns. The team that has the most cotton balls/ light weight blocks at the end is declared the winner.
Fruit Basket
Materials:
One chair per student minus one
Circle formation with each student in a chair except one. ( You can also do this in a classroom with tables and chairs.) Assign all students one of these fruits, apple, orange, banana, or pear (repeating fruits as often as necessary). Choose a child who will be "It" and calls out the name of one of the fruits assigned to the children. All children with that particular fruit stand and change seats. "It" tries to sit in one of the empty seats. The child left without a seat gets one point. This child calls out another fruit and tries to find an empty seat. The game continues in this way. Instead of naming a specific fruit, "It" can say, "fruit basket," and everyone must change seats. When a child has three points, he or she is out of the game. Each time a child leaves the game, a chair should be removed. Continue until one chair and two children remain or you run out of time. You can also reinforce other skills that you are teaching with the children such as colors, numbers, various planets from space or something else that you are teaching.
Japanese Tag
Materials:
One or two buttons/ rope necklace to represent who is it.
The one who is chosen to be "Oni or "It" wears a button/ necklace and tries to tag a player. However, the tagged player must put one hand on the spot where "Oni" touched him or her, whether the back, the shoulder, the elbow, the knee, or other part of the body. With his or hand on this spot, he is now it must chase the other players. He or she is relieved of his position only when another player is tagged. When there are a large number of children, you may use more than one tagger.
Lame Duck
Materials:
One set of ten sticks for each team
Each team has ten sticks, ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten inches apart like rungs on a ladder, one row for each team. The player (lame chicken) must hop over these sticks without touching any of them. Touching a stick disqualifies him. After hopping over the last stick, still on one foot, he reaches down and picks up the stick. He then hops back over the remaining sticks. Dropping the stick, he hops over the nine remaining sticks, picks up the ninth stick, again hopping over the remaining sticks. This continues until all the sticks have been picked up. A player is disqualified if he touches both feet to the ground or if he touches a stick with his foot.
Each team has ten sticks, ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten inches apart like rungs on a ladder, one row for each team. The player (lame chicken) must hop over these sticks without touching any of them. Touching a stick disqualifies him. After hopping over the last stick, still on one foot, he reaches down and picks up the stick. He then hops back over the remaining sticks. Dropping the stick, he hops over
The Eagle and the Chicks
Materials: none
In the game, the hawk tries to catch one of the chicks and the mother eagle tries to protect the chicks from the hawk.
The chicks will line behind the mother hen one by one. The first chick behind the mother eagle will hold on to her waist, paper plate, or towel. The one behind the first chick will hold on to the first, and so on. The hawk can catch the chicks by tagging the chick, and the mother eagle can protect the chicks by spreading her arms shoulder high. When the chasing begins, the hawk is free to run anywhere to catch the chick. The mother eagle will try to be in front of the hawk to protect the chicks. The mother eagle cant be tagged and when all the chicks are tagged another person is chosen to be the hawk.
The hawk has to go around the mother eagle to catch the chick and he will try to avoid any contact with the mother eagle
Helping the Harvest
Materials:
Two Hoes
Two Cardboard Flowers
Two Watering Cans
Two Fertilizer Buckets
Two Spray Cans
Two Baskets
Two Bicycles, tricycles, or scooters
Teams are made up of six members. Each team needs a hoe, cardboard flowers, a watering can, a fertilizer buckets, and spray can, a basket and a tricycle. (You can also use pictures or words to represent the various parts of the relay). Each child takes in order the planter, then the hoe, the flowers, a watering can, fertilizer, and then the bicycle and comes back with the flowers planted and grown. The first team that arrives with the bicycle and the flowers is declared the winner.
Big Turnip
Materials: none
This is another harvesting games in which one child pretends that the is there a big turnip in the ground. A single child cannot pull him out of the ground. A pre-determined number of pullers are needed before the turnip can be pulled out tot the ground. The objective is for children to learn that you can accomplish working together what you cannot accomplish alone. Make sure that the person beginning to be picked up is in a safe area such as a mat so that if he/she are dropped that they will not get hurt.
So-fa-game
Materials: none
Half of the children form a circle and begin to sing a song and clap their hands. The other half of the children skip around inside the circle clapping their hands. On a specific word in the song, the children inside the circle stop in front of some in the outer circle and play a quick pat-a-cake routine. They then clap their hands together, spin around quickly, shake hands with the person in front of them and change places. Children love to learn about other cultures and having them exposed to other cultures will give them appreciation of this exciting continent.
Wokin to the Heat
Materials:
Balls
Parachute
Put a parachute on the ground and start to wave it in the air. Set balls on the parachute to simulate the hot Asian meat and ingredients used to make a Chinese cuisine. When the balls fall off have someone stand outside the parachute area and throw them back into the middle of the parachute. This person can be the cook or the one who picks up the balls after they have fallen.
Stir Crazy
Materials:
Beanbags/lightweight balls
Parachutes
Use a parachute and with a single giant flap wave the parachute in the air and quickly brush off the beanbags or another lightweight object.
Both the parachute activities work the entire shoulder girdle, back and arms.
Chinese Dragon
Materials:
Parachutes
Start with one person holding the parachute and slowly add children underneath the parachute as the Asian music is being played until all the children are lined up under the parachute. Add a dragon face to the person who is in front to make the dragon more realistic. This teaches coordination and stabilization of the upper and lower body.
Jump rope Chant from China
Materials:
Jump rope
Little Ming, little Ming,
Little, little Ming, Little Ming
Up, up
Down, down
Left
Right right
Rock, paper, scissors
Materials: none
This game comes from Japan. When Asian children must decide who will be first in a game they play rock, paper scissors. They say instead the Japanese words jan, ken, po. This is a great game for children to play as they are waiting their turn to play the next Asian game.
Chop Stick Relay
Materials:
Four hula-hoops
Rubber chickens / or beanbags to represent chickens
Two chopsticks per line/ or rhthmn or lummi sticks
Two stir fry pans or hula-hoops that represent pans
Students line up in two teams with the first person from each team standing on a starting line. Give the first student in line two chopsticks. On the signal to begin, the first student will pick up the rubber chicken/ beanbag from inside the hoop using only the chopsticks. (They may not use hands or stick the chopstick inside the chicken). They will have to bring the chicken down to their stir fry pan, then return the sticks to the next student in line, who then goes to the pan and then puts another chicken in the stir fry pan. The process continues until everyone has had a turn.
Chinese Pick up Sticks
Materials:
Chopsticks per squad
Small cotton balls or light weight blocks
one poly spot or carpet sample for each team
Group students into squads of four with the line leader holding a pair of chopsticks in one hand, the other hand behind the back. Students will run on the signal to the opposite end of the playing area to pick up one cotton ball / blocks with their chopsticks. They will return to their line with the cotton ball/blocks and place it on a poly spot/ carpet sample, hand the sticks to the next player in line and go to the back of the line. On the signal to begin, play continues until all have had at least three turns. The team that has the most cotton balls/ light weight blocks at the end is declared the winner.
Fruit Basket
Materials:
One chair per student minus one
Circle formation with each student in a chair except one. ( You can also do this in a classroom with tables and chairs.) Assign all students one of these fruits, apple, orange, banana, or pear (repeating fruits as often as necessary). Choose a child who will be "It" and calls out the name of one of the fruits assigned to the children. All children with that particular fruit stand and change seats. "It" tries to sit in one of the empty seats. The child left without a seat gets one point. This child calls out another fruit and tries to find an empty seat. The game continues in this way. Instead of naming a specific fruit, "It" can say, "fruit basket," and everyone must change seats. When a child has three points, he or she is out of the game. Each time a child leaves the game, a chair should be removed. Continue until one chair and two children remain or you run out of time. You can also reinforce other skills that you are teaching with the children such as colors, numbers, various planets from space or something else that you are teaching.
Japanese Tag
Materials:
One or two buttons/ rope necklace to represent who is it.
The one who is chosen to be "Oni or "It" wears a button/ necklace and tries to tag a player. However, the tagged player must put one hand on the spot where "Oni" touched him or her, whether the back, the shoulder, the elbow, the knee, or other part of the body. With his or hand on this spot, he is now it must chase the other players. He or she is relieved of his position only when another player is tagged. When there are a large number of children, you may use more than one tagger.
Lame Duck
Materials:
One set of ten sticks for each team
Each team has ten sticks, ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten inches apart like rungs on a ladder, one row for each team. The player (lame chicken) must hop over these sticks without touching any of them. Touching a stick disqualifies him. After hopping over the last stick, still on one foot, he reaches down and picks up the stick. He then hops back over the remaining sticks. Dropping the stick, he hops over the nine remaining sticks, picks up the ninth stick, again hopping over the remaining sticks. This continues until all the sticks have been picked up. A player is disqualified if he touches both feet to the ground or if he touches a stick with his foot.
Each team has ten sticks, ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten or twelve inches long. These sticks are arranged in a row about ten inches apart like rungs on a ladder, one row for each team. The player (lame chicken) must hop over these sticks without touching any of them. Touching a stick disqualifies him. After hopping over the last stick, still on one foot, he reaches down and picks up the stick. He then hops back over the remaining sticks. Dropping the stick, he hops over
The Eagle and the Chicks
Materials: none
In the game, the hawk tries to catch one of the chicks and the mother eagle tries to protect the chicks from the hawk.
The chicks will line behind the mother hen one by one. The first chick behind the mother eagle will hold on to her waist, paper plate, or towel. The one behind the first chick will hold on to the first, and so on. The hawk can catch the chicks by tagging the chick, and the mother eagle can protect the chicks by spreading her arms shoulder high. When the chasing begins, the hawk is free to run anywhere to catch the chick. The mother eagle will try to be in front of the hawk to protect the chicks. The mother eagle cant be tagged and when all the chicks are tagged another person is chosen to be the hawk.
The hawk has to go around the mother eagle to catch the chick and he will try to avoid any contact with the mother eagle
Helping the Harvest
Materials:
Two Hoes
Two Cardboard Flowers
Two Watering Cans
Two Fertilizer Buckets
Two Spray Cans
Two Baskets
Two Bicycles, tricycles, or scooters
Teams are made up of six members. Each team needs a hoe, cardboard flowers, a watering can, a fertilizer buckets, and spray can, a basket and a tricycle. (You can also use pictures or words to represent the various parts of the relay). Each child takes in order the planter, then the hoe, the flowers, a watering can, fertilizer, and then the bicycle and comes back with the flowers planted and grown. The first team that arrives with the bicycle and the flowers is declared the winner.
Big Turnip
Materials: none
This is another harvesting games in which one child pretends that the is there a big turnip in the ground. A single child cannot pull him out of the ground. A pre-determined number of pullers are needed before the turnip can be pulled out tot the ground. The objective is for children to learn that you can accomplish working together what you cannot accomplish alone. Make sure that the person beginning to be picked up is in a safe area such as a mat so that if he/she are dropped that they will not get hurt.
So-fa-game
Materials: none
Half of the children form a circle and begin to sing a song and clap their hands. The other half of the children skip around inside the circle clapping their hands. On a specific word in the song, the children inside the circle stop in front of some in the outer circle and play a quick pat-a-cake routine. They then clap their hands together, spin around quickly, shake hands with the person in front of them and change places. Children love to learn about other cultures and having them exposed to other cultures will give them appreciation of this exciting continent.