A SUPER Fun Game!!

Hello Bloggy Friends! 

In my last post I mentioned that I LOVE for my kiddos to learn through games. I thought I would introduce you to a game that I play with my kiddos that is really versatile & can be played with any subject. My aunt, who used to be a teacher, taught me this game. She used it in 4th grade & I have used it in Kindergarten & First Grade. It is really simple to play & seriously fun for the kiddos! 

Have I built the suspense enough?!? Ha!

I have always called the game "Up Down". I'm sure that it goes by many others & I want you to know that I DID NOT invent this game. If you know who did, please let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due! :)

Up Down

To play students will need a white board, marker, & eraser. 

They will need to be seated at their desk/table.

Like I said, this can be played with ANY subject. For the sake of understanding the directions I'm going to use letter ID in the example.

The teacher will call out a letter. Students will write the letter on their white boards. After 5 seconds (you can decide it you need more or less time) the teacher says "Boards Up" & the students have to hold their boards facing the teacher above their heads. The teacher will then quickly scan the boards & tell each student "Up" or "Down" according to the answer on the board. 

 (OK, so he didn't hold it above his head, but in a room full of kids that's the only way to quickly see all the boards.)

If the answer is correct the students move UP. 

Yes, moving UP means that the students are now sitting on top of their desk **GASP** Can we really do that! Yes, you can!! 


If the answer is incorrect the students move DOWN. 

 Moving down means that the student moves down to the floor. 

Throughout the course of the game students will be moving UP & DOWN. The student that is on the floor will move back to the chair when he gets a correct answer. The student sitting on the desk will move down to the chair with an incorrect answer. A second incorrect answer will get that student to the floor. 

**You will want to sprinkle in questions that are very easy so that your low students will not stay on the floor! It is a great confidence builder when they get to sit on top of the desk. Likewise, you will want to have some difficult questions for your high flyers to knock them off the desks. 

This game can be played whole group or small group. I have done it both ways & it was great fun either way. I have played it by calling out spelling words, math facts, land forms, shapes, numbers, letters, blends, digraphs, showing time on a clock, calling out rules & they write yes/no if what I say is or isn't following a rule...I mean, the possibilities are ENDLESS! 

Try the game! I promise that your kiddos will love it! 

Let me know if I need to explain anything to make it a little clearer!