Sharks
In short: a movement game with numbers — children run about freely and, at the call “Watch out! Sharks!”, form groups of the number called out. It combines movement and counting.
What it develops
- counting and a sense of number;
- quick reaction and finding your way in space;
- interaction — children look for each other and get together in groups.
Getting ready
- Age: from about 5–6.
- Players: from 8–10 children to a whole class.
- Place: yard or gym.
- Materials: none; if you like, cards with numbers.
How to play
Author: Andriana Tsankova
The pupils run around the playground or gym in different directions.
The teacher calls out: "Watch out! Sharks!"
The pupils ask: "How many?"
The teacher says a number, and the pupils must form groups of exactly that many children. For example, 6 sharks means groups of 6 children, and so on.
Tips for the leader
- Start with numbers that make the groups easy — for example 2 when the number of children is even.
- After each grouping, check together: “How many are you? Let’s count!”
- Children left without a group can start the next round as leaders.
Variants
- The teacher shows a card with the number or holds up fingers instead of only saying it.
- Grouping by the colour of clothes or the first letter of the name.
- Children who do not find a group help the teacher to count.
Including children with special educational needs
- Show the game once with gestures and examples before you start.
- Show the number with fingers too — so children who do not hear well can take part.
- Start with small numbers (2–3).
- Watch out for children who find noise and running hard — they can start as “counters”.
More games for movement and attention are in Fun and Education.