Age Group: Pre-K-5

# of Students: Minimum of 5 students, but more are welcome

Overview
Students will learn commonalities and differences of each other while playing a variation of the “Tag” game.

Materials
Large open space

Duration: 15 minutes (or longer with repeated games)

Instructions
1. In a large open space, designate one wall as the “yes” wall and the wall on the opposite side of the room as the “no” wall. Then designate a circle in the center of the room as the “maybe/sometimes” area. (The “maybe/sometimes” area may need to be outlined with cones or borders.)
2. Explain the game. Instructor: “We are going to play a variation of tag while learning commonalities and differences with each other. *This* wall is the yes wall, *this* wall is the no wall, and *this* space is the maybe/sometimes area. I will choose one person to be ‘it.’ The ‘it’ will call out a category, like “cats.” The ‘it’ will yell ‘I like CATS!’ All players will then share their opinions by running to the wall they most agree with. The ‘It’ will try and tag someone. If someone is tagged, they are ‘it” and will call out a new category. The game continues as long as you want.
3. Ask for questions.
4. Have everyone start at one designated area and begin the game.

Optional variation #1: Instead of only tagging one person each round, the ‘it’ can tag as many people as they can and all of those students will be ‘its.’ The challenge with this version is that all the ‘its’ have to quickly decide on what the category will be. The ‘its’ will be replaced each round by the students they tag next.

Optional variation #2: All ‘its’ will remain ‘its’ rather than rejoining the game after tagging someone. The game is over once there is only one runner left, as everyone else has been tagged and is an ‘it.’

Reflection Questions:
1. What new thing did you learn about someone?
2. Can you think of a time when someone wasn’t respectful to you due to your difference of opinion or background?
3. How can we be respectful when someone may share a different opinion than ours?

Age Group: K-5

# of Students: Minimum of 6, but more are welcome

Overview
Students will practice listening skills and cooperation in a game where they have to order themselves in a line based off of the given prompt. Use the variation options to change the difficulty and age level.

Materials
Open space

Duration
5-10 minutes (or longer with repeated games)

Instructions
1. Gather students in a large open space.
2. Explain the game. Instructor: “We are going to practice listening skills and teamwork while also learning about each other. I will give a prompt and you must line yourselves up by the given prompt. For example, if I say ‘birthdays,’ you should line up by birthdays starting in January through December. January would be at the beginning of the line and December would be at the end.”
3. Show an example of the game with a few students.
4. Ask for questions.
5. Begin the game.

Optional Variation #1: After a few rounds of students speaking to one another, start a new rule that they have to play without verbal communication. The students will now have to work together using only their hands and facial expressions. No talking is allowed. This variation might only work well with older students, like 3rd-5th graders.

Example prompts
Line up by . . .

• Height
• Age
• Birthdays
• Hair length
• Shoe size
• Grade
  
  

Reflection Questions:
1. Which category was the most difficult to determine? Why?
2. Was there anyone that was next to you often?
3. How does sharing commonalities with your friends or classmates make you feel?
4. Why do you think it’s important to share commonalities? Why is it okay to have differences?

Age Group: Pre-K-5

# of Students: Minimum of 6, but more are welcome

Overview
Students will practice listening skills and teamwork in this fun cooperative game. Students will form teams using prompts and group numbers given.

Materials
Open space

Duration
15 minutes (or longer with repeated games)

Instructions
1. Gather students into open space.
2. Explain the game. Instructor, “We are going to learn more about each other and work on our listening skills and teamwork at the same time. I will call out a prompt. You will have 5-10 seconds to find a partner who meets the prompt. We will start with pairs of 2. After I finish counting down, whoever has not found a partner in a group of exactly two must sit out and cheer on the rest of the students.”
3. Play one round as an example. “In pairs of 2, find someone who. . . . is in your same grade.” (Then count down from 5 or 10. At the end, all students should freeze. Whoever is not in a pair (or does not match the prompt) is out and will cheer for the rest of the game.
4. Listen for questions.
5. Begin the game.

Optional variation #1:
Once the students understand the game, you can increase difficulty by changing the number in each group from pairs to groups of 3, 4, 5, etc.

Prompt Examples

• Has the same color hair
• Has same color shoes
• Has a pet
• Is the same age
• Born in the same month
• Has a sister
• Has a brother
• Has been to Mexico
• Plays on a sports team

Reflection Questions:
1. How did it feel having only 10 seconds to find someone that matched?
2. Did any of your partners shock you? Why?
3. If you didn’t find a partner or group in time, how did you help your classmates from the sideline?
4. What did you feel when you finally found your partner or group?

Age Group: K-2

TEKS: Health K.9(B); 1.9(A); 2.9(B)

Overview
In Ball Roll, students will practice communication and respecting differences as they learn more about the likes and interests of their classmates.

Materials 
Large open space; rubber ball (6″-8″ diameter); 20 Questions handout

Duration
20 minutes 

• 2 minutes – Introduce the activity
• 15 minutes – Play the game
• 3 minutes – Reflect on the activity

Instructions
1. Before the activity, print a 20 Questions handout for each student and one for the teacher.
2. Ask students to sit in a large circle, close together (but not touching) so the ball won’t escape.
3. Start with the ball and ask one of the questions on the list. Then make eye contact with a student, say their name and then roll the ball to them.
4. The student will catch the ball and answer the question. Then that student should make eye contact with another student, say their name and roll the ball to them.
5. This will continue until three students have answered the same question. The third student will roll the ball back to the teacher after answering.
6. Now, the teacher will ask a new question and roll the ball to a student that has not answered yet.
7. This pattern will continue for 15 minutes. Remind the students to roll the ball to people who have not received it. Once everyone in the group has answered one question, they can receive the ball again.

Reflection Questions
1. How did you feel when someone said your name and rolled the ball to you?
2. What new thing did you learn about someone in the circle?
3. How did it feel to work together and learn more about your friends?
4. Why is it important to have differences?

Age Group: 3-5

TEKS: Health 3.9(D); 4.9(D); 5.9(D)

Overview
In Snowball Fight, students will learn more about one another and their differences in a fun and interactive way. Students will gain a deeper understanding of what it means to respect differences and appreciate all of our unique characteristics.

Materials 
Large open space; small squares of white paper; pencils; 20 Questions handout; whistle

Duration
20 Minutes

• 2 minutes – Introduce the activity
• 15 minutes – Play the game
• 3 minutes – Reflect on the activity

Instructions
1. Before the activity, cut white printer paper into smaller squares and print one copy of the 20 Questions handout for the teacher to use as a reference.
2. Invite students to sit in a large circle.
3. Pass out pencils and multiple squares of paper to each student.
4. Ask a question from the handout
5. Each student will write their answer on a square of paper. They do not need to write their name. Then, crumple up the paper to make the answer into a “snowball.”
6. Count for 15 seconds while everyone throws their snowballs in the circle.
7. Blow the whistle. At the sound, each student will grab a snowball and sit back down.
8. Students will uncrumple their papers and share the answers.
9. Once everyone shares the snowball they found, collect snowballs and put aside.
10. Ask another question. Students will write down their answers, have a snowball fight, and share.
11. Continue until all the questions have been answered or time runs out.
12. Ask students to clean up and recycle the papers.
13. Gather back into a circle to reflect.

Reflection Questions
1. What did you learn that you have in common with someone else?
2. Explain something new that you learned about a classmate.
3. Why is it important to have differences?
4. How can we respect differences, even when we don’t agree with someone?
5. Describe a time when someone was respectful towards you.

Age Group: K-5 (more challenging for younger students)

# of Students: Minimum of 5 students, but more are welcome

Overview
Students will observe more commonalities and differences between one another in a fun, musical chairs-like game.

Materials
Open space; chairs; marker spots or cones for each person in the game, minus 1. (So if you have 15 people, you will need 14 chairs or spots.) Note: The game DOES NOT work if you do not have a spot or some type of marker for each student, minus 1.

Duration
10 minutes (or longer with repeated games)

Instructions
1. Gather students in an open space with the chairs or markers in a large circle. There must be 1 chair or marker for each student, minus 1.
2. Ask students to take a seat or stand behind their chair. The student without a chair stands in the center of the circle.
3. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to practice listening skills and learn more about one another. Like a game of musical chairs, there will always be one fewer chair than we need. The person standing in the middle will wait until everyone is seated or in place of their marker. They will say, ‘the wind blows for anyone who likes . . .’ and say something they like. For example, ‘the wind blows for anyone who likes hamburgers!’ Any students who like hamburgers will get up and find another chair. The person in the center will also try to find a chair. Once everyone is seated or back to their marker, there will be one person left standing in the center. Then the game will begin again. Note that you cannot move to the chair right next to you — you must move at least two seats over if the prompt applies to you. However, if the prompt does not apply to you, do not move.”
4. Play one quick example.
5. Listen for questions.
6. Begin game.

Prompt Examples

• Likes the color purple
• Has a brother/ sister
• Was born in January 
• Has travelled to Oklahoma
• Loves to eat spaghetti
• Has a buzz cut
• Has lost a tooth
• Prefers winter over the summer
  

Reflection Questions:
1. Did you see anyone who shared many similarities with you? Was there anyone who seemed to be your opposite?
2. Why is it important for this game that we have different opinions and likes?
3. What makes you unique?

Age Group: 3-5 

# of Students: Minimum of 8 students, but more are welcome.

Overview
Students will continue to learn more about each other in a fun version of the classic BINGO game!

Materials
Open space; printed “Find Somebody Who” bingo sheets for each student; pencils or markers

Download “Find Somebody Who” sheets.

Duration
10-15 minutes (or longer with repeated games)

Instructions 
1. Gather students in an open space. Pass out BINGO sheets and pencils to each student.
2. Explain the game. Instructor: “We are going to learn more about one another with ‘find somebody who’ BINGO. You must find someone who answers each BINGO square. Mark the square and write their initials in the square. We will play with different sheets and make different winning BINGO shapes. For example: in the first round, a ‘BINGO’ will be a single line. In the second round, a ‘BINGO’ will be an ‘L’ shape, the third round will be a capital ‘T’, and the last round will be a giant ‘X’. Let’s begin!”
3. Listen for questions.
4. Begin game.

Optional Variation: Additional bingo sheets are provided if you would like to print them. You can give different options of different winning bingo shapes, such as an ‘L,’ ‘T,’ or ‘X’ to make the game more challenging.

Reflection Questions:
1. Did you learn something new about someone? What did you learn?
2. How did it feel to tell someone something that they may have not known about you?
3. How did it feel having to talk to everyone in order to fill your card, not just people you already knew?