The second semester of school is under way and it’s off to a great start!
School staff have been working the entire first semester of school to create a welcoming environment at recess, teach conflict resolution skills, and play so many fun games. In January, school staff were focusing on encouraging students to initiate and sustain games they have been playing all year long.
Every kid deserves the opportunity to shine. The playground is the perfect place to empower students and build their confidence by giving them opportunities to lead, whether it be with their own classmates or students in younger grades.
Leveraging play time as a space to empower students and practice skills such as communication, collaboration, and teamwork is crucial to their development.
Here are some games and activities to practice leadership and empower students to initiate and sustain games at recess:
- Maze Game: Students must work together and come up with a strategy in order to be successful in this game. Perfect for both indoor and outdoor recess and brain breaks, the Maze Game will test students’ ability to communicate effectively and strategize!
- Rock Paper Scissors Rockstar: An important part of leadership is knowing how to cheer people on and offer encouragement. RPS Rockstar is a great game to practice cheering classmates on, as well as empowering students to practice using Rock Paper Scissors to resolve minor conflicts.
- Alligator Swamp: In order to be successful in Alligator Swamp, students have to strategize and communicate to get everyone from one side of the “swamp” to the other. You may notice some students stepping up to lead their group strategy and others being the encouragers. At the end of the game, be sure to highlight that there are many different leadership styles, all of them important and necessary.
Check out the rest of our series Building Skill Through Play HERE!
