Catch and Tell
You will need a small ball or to play this game. The teacher says a letter and then tosses the ball to a child. That child must name something that begins with that sound before tossing the ball back to the teacher.
*This game can be adapted for rhyming words, colors, math, social studies, and other skills. It’s perfect for waiting in the hall or during transitions.
Touch Something
The teacher says a letter (word, color, shape, object) and the children have to walk around the room and touch something that matches the word.
Hot Potato
You can pretend a beanbag or small stuffed animal is the "hot potato" when you play this traditional game. You'll also need flashcards for skills you are working on. Children stand or sit in a circle. The potato (or other object) is passed around the circle until the music stops or the teacher blows a whistle. The child caught holding the potato has to identify a shape, letter, or other information on a flash card.
*Pass the potato and each child says a number as they receive the potato. Every time you get to a multiple of ten, that child is out.
*After you’ve read an informative book ask the child holding the potato to tell you one new thing they learned.
Whisper and Release
When you ask a question have the students hold up their palm and “whisper” the answer in it before closing their fingers and making a fist. When the teacher says, “Release!” students open their palm and say the answer.
