Fun Activities for Kids, Families, and Teachers

Hit the Beach! Fun Ocean-Themed Outdoor Games for Groups

In the Sea, On the Shore
Lay a rope on the ground. Children all stand on one side of the rope, parallel to it (facing sideways, not toward the rope). Leader calls out “In the Sea!” and kids jump sideways to the other side of the rope in one jump. Leader then calls “On the Shore!” and the kids jump back. Leader does this several times except starts to deliberately trick them by saying things like “On the Door!” or “In the Tree!” etc. and also by going faster and faster! Children can only jump when the correct command is given! If they make a mistake, they must go sit down. When only a few are left, start over.

Port and Starboard
In a long open space area designate one side as Port and one side as Starboard. Have children start on Port side. The Captain calls out orders to run to one side or the other and then whistles to stop them and then gives a command for a position they must assume for fun. If they run in the wrong direction or act out the wrong position they are out.
Positions to call out:
• Beauty on the beach! (hands on hips and wiggle)
• Muscle Man on the beach! (arms up flexing muscles)
• Shark in the Water! (pretend to swim frantically)
• Surfers! (pretend to be on a surfboard)
• Man Overboard! (lay on ground, waving hands and feet)
EXAMPLE: Children are on one side of the yard, Captain calls out STARBOARD!
Everyone starts running to the other side and then Captain blows the whistle and shouts MAN OVER BOARD! Everyone drops and starts waving hands and feet. Anyone not doing it is ‘out!’

Sealife Scramble
In a large area, designate a starting line and a finish line. All children start on one line, and the Captain calls out various animals - zoo animals, jungle animals, birds, pet, as well as sea life. Any time a sea life animal is called the children RUN to the other side while the Captain tries to tag them! First one tagged trades places with Captain and it starts over.

Sardines
This game is like Hide and Seek but one person hides and the others seek! As each child finds the hider, they join him and hide in there together like sardines until the last person finds them. He then becomes the next hider.

Octopus
Kids in groups of at least 4 stand in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder. They thrust hands forward and join hands with the other children making sure not to get the same person’s hands twice or the hands of the person directly next to them. Then try to untangle going over, under, or through the other players (teaches cooperative problem solving!). They must NOT release their grips EVER! For extra fun, have 2 groups doing it at once and see who can get untangled the fastest! If they are really truly stuck, have them start over.

Here are some fun ways you, your children, fellow parents, or students can honor the teachers in your life, either for Teacher Appreciation Month in May, or as end of the year gifts. Don’t forget the dance or music teachers, preschool teachers, or directors, too! Anyone who works with children would love to be thanked in a special way! Need a last minute Mother’s Day gift? Some of these would work for that as well!

Flowers — If teachers were like flowers I’d pick you! Thanks for all you
do.

Plant — Thanks for helping our students grow. We appreciate all you do!

Ice Cream and Scoop — Here’s the “scoop!” You’re the best teacher around!

Favorite Soda — YOU are Soda-rific! Or… I just “soda” want to tell you how great you are! You are simply the best!

Nice Pen — “Jot” this down….We think you’re the greatest teacher around!
Keep up the good work!

Bites Candies (Reese’s, Kit Kat, York’s, etc) You took BIG BITES out of a huge job and you continue to do so each and every day. Hooray for YOU!

Nutter Butter Cookies — There’s “Nutter Butter” teacher around. You’re the best! Thank you!

Goldfish Snack — You do a “snack-tacular” job! Way to Go!!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — There are many “Reese’s” why we think you’re a great teacher!

Cheese grater (or a magnet miniature) — YOU are a “grate” teacher!!

Notepad — To a “Noteworthy” teacher!!!

Donuts — “Donut” you know you’re the best teacher around! Thanks for all you do!!

EXTRA Gum — You always go the EXTRA mile. We appreciate all you do for our students.

Mints — You have “mint” a lot to our students!

Watermelon Jolly Ranchers or slices of watermelon — Teacher, you are one in a “melon”.

ANY TREAT — Teachers come and teachers go, but you’re the best I’ll ever know! Thanks for always being there!

Amazin’ Fruits — You’re “amazing” when it comes to teaching! You’re the best.

100 Grand Candy Bars — You’re worth a Million, but all I could afford was a Hundred
Grand. ?

Poster Idea – Glue the candies and write this text onto a large poster board and hang in the hall way:

FOR A SWEET GROUP OF TEACHERS
Thank you, teachers! You are all (SweetTarts) for everything you teach our children. You deserve (100 Grand)every (Payday). We know sometimes our kids act like (Airheads) and (Nerds) or like they’re from somewhere beyondm the (Milky Way) (us parents, too!). You bring them such (Almond Joy) when you teach about the (Whatchamacallit) and ignore their (Whoppers). It must be hard to contain your (Snickers) when those little (Sugar Babies) tell you (Mounds) of (Nutrageous) stories. Sometimes it must seem that all you do is (Skor) papers. Most days you probably want to make like (Baby Ruth) and just run home! Thanks, teachers, for (Raisin) our children to a higher level. You are the (Riesen) they’re (Smarties) instead of (Dum Dums). You are (LifeSavers) ‹ you’re worth a (Mint) to us all, and we (Treasure) all you do. We couldn’t (Chewz) a better group of teachers than you!! Have an (Extra) (Carefree) weekend. ………. With (Hugs) and (Kisses), (School Name)”

Some other sayings that can go with candy:

(Mini Mounds Bars)
Mounds of Thanks for All You Do!
Mounds of Learning!
Mounds of Fun!
Mounds of Work!
Mounds of Love!
HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION MONTH!

(Any candy with gold foil wrapping)
Our Teachers Have Hearts of Gold!

(Hershey Hugs and Hershey Kisses)
Some hugs and kisses just for you!
You deserve some hugs and kisses!
Your commitment to caring never misses.
For your eagerness to lend a hand,
We have to say you’re simply grand!
You’ve earned this special thank-you treat
For being someone extra sweet!
HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION MONTH!

(Little baggie of mints)
TEACHERS ARE WORTH A ³MINT²
Thanks for your Encourage-”mint!”
Thanks for your Involve-”mint!”
Thanks for your Invest-”mint” of time!
Thanks for making each day an Enjoy-”mint!
Thanks for helping to create a nice Environ-”mint!”
HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION MONTH!

(chocolate Treasures minis)
WE TREASURE YOU!
It’s great that we can count on you
To handle all the tasks you do.
We appreciate the way you share
Your commitment, effort, skills, and care.
Having you here is truly a pleasure
Thanks for being such a treasure!
HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION MONTH!

Poems:

FOREVER IN YOUR HEART

Although you’re not their mother
you care for them each day.
You cuddle, sing and read to them
and watch them as they play.
You see each new accomplishment,
you help them grow and learn.
You understand their language.
You listen with concern.
They come to you for comfort,
and you kiss away their tears.
They proudly show their work to you,
you give the loudest cheers!
No, you are not their mothers,
But your role is just as strong.
You nurture them and keep them safe,
though maybe not for long.
You know someday they time may come
when you will have to part,
but you know each child you cared for
is forever in your heart!

The Hand Holders (Childcare)

There is no job more important than yours,
no job anywhere else in the land.
You are the keepers of the future;
you hold the smallest of hands.

Into your care you are trusted
to nurture and care for the young,
and for all of your everyday heroics,
your talents and skills go unsung.

You wipe tears from the eyes of the injured.
You rock babies brand new in your arms.
You encourage the shy and unsure child.
You make sure they are safe from all harm.

You foster the bonds of friendships,
letting no child go away mad.
You respect and you honor their emotions.
You give hugs to each child when they’re sad.

You have more impact than does a professor,
a child’s mind is molded by four;
so whatever you lay on the table
is whatever that child will explore.

Give each child the tools for adventure,
let them be artists and writers and more;
let them fly in the wind and dance on the stars
and build castles of sand on the shore.

It is true that you don’t make much money
and you don’t get a whole lot of praise,
but when one small child says, “I love you,”
you’re reminded of how this job pays.

Capture the Egg

You might have heard of “capture the flag”. This is just the Easter version! Divide a group of kids into two groups. Each team has four eggs. They place the eggs on the ground in a row and then run to the other teams side and try to take there eggs back to their side without getting touched. If they do get touched they have to stand still until one of their teammates can free them by touching them on the shoulder.




Where is your Egg?

Played like “Doggie Doggie where’s your bone?” Have one child sit in the middle of the circle, and hide their eyes. Give another child an egg to hide behind their back. Have all the other children put their hands behind their back. Chant the following song:



Bunny, Bunny,

Your egg you can’t find

Somebody has it,

check behind,



The child in the middle gets three guesses. Then the child who had the egg goes into the middle.




What time is it Easter Bunny?

This is a fun game to play outside. You can change the name to suit any theme. The children all line up against a wall or fence. And one child, (Easter Bunny) or the teacher faces away from the children, a good distance away from the children. The children yell, what time is it “Easter Bunny”, Easter Bunny answers 1 o’clock, and the children all take one step toward Easter Bunny. The children yell again, what time is it “Easter Bunny”, Easter Bunny answers (fill in the blank) o’clock, and the children all take same number of step toward Easter Bunny. This continues until all the children are very close to Easter Bunny then Easter Bunny will answer it’s midnight, and Easter Bunny chases the children back to the fence or wall that they started at. The first person Easter Bunny touches will be the new Easter Bunny.




Draw a Bunny

This is a relay race to complete a bunny face. Each team needs 6 children but you can probably adapt it by drawing more or less. When you yell Go, the first child in each team line runs to the board and draws a circle and then goes to the end of his line and sits down after handing off the chalk to the first person in the line. The next child draws 2 ears, then 2 eyes, then a nose, then a mouth, and finally whiskers. First team with all children sitting wins. I model this drawing and we act it out before we start. I also have the step-by-step bunny drawn at the top of the board.




Bunny Tails

An outdoor game (or in the gym) is Bunny Tails. I make a masking tape roll and put it on each child’s bottom, then attach a cotton ball “tail”. They try to take each other’s bunny tails.




Egg Match

An inside game that is fun is having each child choose an egg from a basket. The teacher would have placed some kind of matching things into the eggs–opposite pictures, the color words and the actual colors, numbers and dots. They have to find their matching partner.




Matching Egg Halves

Write each child’s first name on the top half of the egg and their last name on the bottom half. Then hide the halves separately—and the children have to find their first and last names. When they find their name, give them one treat to put inside their egg.




Cardboard Egg Hop Game

Draw and cut out two large cardboard eggs. Decorate them with paint, markers, or crayons. Have each player choose a partner and give each pair of players two eggs. To play: In each pair, there is a hopper and a helper. Starting at one end of the room, the helper places an egg on the floor in front of the hopper, who hops onto it with both feet. The helper then places the other egg a little way ahead and the hopper jumps onto it. This continues until the pair gets to the end of the room. Now players change roles. The first pair back to the starting line wins.




Easter Egg Says

Make construction paper eggs, then have the kids decorate. On the back of each egg, write something the child has to do: hop 10 times, say their name 4 times fast, count to 20, spin around 5 times, touch their toes 9 times, flap their wings 12 times, sing Happy Birthday, say the alphabet, crawl and bark like a dog, etc. Anything silly you can think of. Hide the paper eggs around the room and have an egg hunt! When all eggs are found, sit in a circle and go around doing whatever it says on the back of each egg.