Circle time games teach private kindergartners important social skills. Taking turns, performing in front of others, and academic skills like adding and comparing numbers are vital to proper development and easy to incorporate into circle time games.
- Balloon Bounce – For this Circle Time game, all you need are preschoolers and a balloon. The first child taps the balloon into the air towards another child. Once in motion, the goal of the game is to keep the balloon moving without holding it or allowing it to touch the floor.
- Five and Out – All you need for this game is an object that can be divided into 5 equal segments, and a way to mark them. Each child holds the stick vertically by gripping one segment and passes it to the next child, who grips the next segment above the one being gripped. Each child announces their number as they receive the stick. When the count gets to five, that child picks a number from 1 to 5 to be the next goal and then passes it to the next child who starts at one. Using a rainstick adds more interactive excitement to the game.
- What I’ve Got – For this activity you will need a bag with a variety of objects and a towel. The children face away from the center, except one that takes an object from the container and hides it under the towel. The kids turn back to face the center, and the girl with the object gives a clue (“I have something blue,” for example) and the rest try to guess what she has. When a child guesses correctly, the towel and object are passed to her and the cycle repeats.
- Number Match – For this game, you will need cards numbered from 1 to 10 for each player. Place each child’s numbers in a bag or box. The first child selects a number and then holds it up for all to see. Each child then picks a random card and holds it up. If the numbers do not match, that child’s number goes back in the bag and the next child holds up a card. When there is a match, those 2 cards are removed from play. The first child to run out of cards in their bag wins.
Use these simple activities as a starting point for similar games that teach and entertain daycare children.