We have lots of fun Back to School themed singing time ideas here at Primary Singing! This Schoolyard Games primary activity is no exception!
Bring back some classic playground games with this fun Back to School Schoolyard Games activity! Learn 4 fun & simple primary ideas that are based on some favorite games that so many of us played as children!
Back to School Schoolyard Games
I’m so excited to share these Back to School games with you! These short games based on playground activities are a great way to get your primary kids moving around while reviewing lots of different songs.
This activity can work with a variety of review songs or one focus song. Before primary, choose which song(s) you’ll be reviewing.
If you have any playground equipment (i.e. jump rope, sidewalk chalk, jacks, dodgeball), feel free to bring them to primary to make the room more of a schoolyard!
Start by choosing one song to review at the beginning of singing time. Then, explain that you’ll be playing some fun games in primary! Write the names of each game or place each prop on the table. Choose a child to pick the first game.
Depending on which game they choose, explain the rules before singing. I’ve provided detailed explanations for each game below. I’ve also created a printable that includes instructions for the games that you can use as a reminder during primary!
Sing through the song a few times while playing the game, then move on to another game! Continue trying each schoolyard game while you review primary songs!
4 Schoolyard Primary Games:
1. 4 Square
Assign a number to each corner of the room. Have a child come to the front of the room and close their eyes. As you start singing, have the rest of the children randomly stand in any of the 4 corners. When the child says, “STOP” everyone must stay in their spot. Have the child call out a number. Any children standing in that corner will sing the next line of the song.
2. Jump Rope
Choose a key word in the song. Each time that word is sung in the song, have the children JUMP up in the air. Start with one key word. Gradually add in a few more to make it more challenging!
3. Jacks
For this game, pass around a jack (or another small object) while you sing. When the music stops, have the person holding the jack finish the line of the song. For an extra challenge, pass two or three jacks around the room. Start each of the jacks on opposite sides of the room.
4. Hopscotch
Create a simple Hopscotch board with 8 pieces of cardstock Choose 3-4 different songs to review. If your hopscotch board is on the ground, have the kids roll a dice on the board. Sing whichever song they land on!
I’ve created a sample hopscotch game below by writing song titles on each piece of cardstock. Then, I arranged the cards in a hopscotch pattern. I also used these cute foam dice from the Dollar Tree!
Extension Activities:
- What other fun schoolyard games can you think of? Add some other games to the mix! For example, you could play “tetherball” by having two kids come to the front of the room. Have the kids alternate singing every other word. You could also play this with two sides of the room.
- Have the kids try to guess which schoolyard game you are playing. You might choose to explain all 4 games without revealing the titles of the games or play them one by one. See if the kids can guess which game is which.
- Invite the children to share some of their favorite games to play at school! After singing through the song, have a child share one of their favorite games.
For another fun school-themed game, try this Build a Pencil Scramble Review!
Back to School Schoolyard Games Printable
Grab this schoolyard games printable for some cute visuals to use during this activity! The first page of this printable includes brief instructions for each game. I definitely recommend printing out this page if you need a quick reminder of how to play any of these games.
The rest of the printable includes mini-posters for each of the games. These can be used instead of bringing in playground equipment. Just print out each of these posters and tape them to the board at the beginning of singing time!
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Head over to this cute Back to School Alphabet Bingo for another great Back-to-School primary activity!
What were some of your favorite schoolyard games as a kid?
