Do you remember what your favourite playground game was as a child? I sat down and tried to list all of those that I remembered: Queenie i o who has the ball, London Bridge, In and out the dusty bluebells, Red Rover, Stuck in the mud, Dodge Ball…

I think that it is vitally important as educators and parents that we expose children to traditional playground games as they:

• are great fun
• encourage social interaction and the formation of friendships
• increase fitness levels
• increase the heart rate helping to keep the heart and circulatory system healthy
• teach children how to co-operate and focus on achieving a common goal.
• help to release stress and anxiety through having fun

I always teach traditional playground games during my PE classes in September and October. Giving children a repertoire of games to play will encourage happier lunch-times and fewer arguments as the rules are clear and everyone knows how to play. 

I found this great website today and thought that I would share it with you!

Please click here for a link to this site

This website is a fantastic resource for those of us who are a little hazy on how exactly we played some of our favourite games. There are also lots of games that I had forgotten about and am now motivated to teach my class. We shall be playing “Den to Den” this Friday for sure!

What games are you going to play this week?

Why not bookmark this site and use some of the games to keep children  entertained on play dates or for birthday parties. They will cost practically nothing. I would recommend purchasing a large foam ball to ensure fewer tears but beyond that most are free!

I would love to know your thoughts and whether or not you try out some.

Have fun,

Miss Mernagh 🙂