Activity Categories: Acquainted: Community Level 1

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: None

How to Play: Begin the activity by saying, “I’m going on a trip,
and I need to pack my grandmother’s trunk.” The first child then says
what they will pack in the trunk. For example, “I’m going on a trip,
and I’m taking my bike.” Each child in the circle then adds one item to
the trunk. “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking my bike and my
sneakers.” “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking my bike, my sneakers,
and a baseball.” And so on around the group.

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: None

How To Play: Leader decides on a category. He says, “I am going
camping and I’m bringing___________,” and names one item in that
category without revealing the category itself. Players try to guess
the category by adding items appropriate to the category. Players
continue guessing until all players have demonstrated they understand
the category.

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: Note cards with categories created in advance

How To Play: Players are in a circle. Choose a player to be the
caller. From the predetermined categories, the caller picks a category
and says, “Get together with people who like the same kind of ice cream
(or other category) as you.” Players move around trying to find the
group they fit into. When everyone is in a group, have the groups call
out their category name, for example, “We like chocolate ice cream!”

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: A bag of Skittles or similar-style candies

How to Play: Each player takes a candy (their firefly) out of the
bag and hides it in her hand. After all players have their fireflies,
they walk around silently giving each other a peek at the color of their
candy. When they find a color match they travel together finding more
matching fireflies. Once all players have found friends, each group
reveals its color.

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: None

How To Play: A student is chosen to tell three things about
themselves: two are facts and one is fiction. The other players raise
their hands and try to guess which one is fiction. The player who
guesses is the next one to tell three things. After two wrong guesses it
is obvious which one is fiction!

Plan for Success: With younger students, review fact and fiction.

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: An object to pass (stuffed animal – bee, beanie baby, etc)

How to Play: Students pass the object around in rhythm as they
repeat the chant. The second time around the circle, students silently
make one pass before resuming the chant. Each time through the chant,
the students add one more silent pass. The student who ends with the
bee after each session is out and starts an inside circle with the same
pattern and a second object to pass.

Chant:

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: None

How To Play: Players begin in circles of five, with a sixth
person in the middle. Players forming the circles establish a steady,
even beat by clapping, and then begin the chant below. The player in
the middle mimes an elephant playing on a spider web. At “asked another
elephant,” the player in the middle touches the hand of one of the
players in the circle, who goes in the middle. Eventually, all the
players are elephants.

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: A chart with the chant written on it

How to play: Players begin in a circle, with one player in the
middle. All players establish a steady, even beat by clapping, and then
begin the chant:

“One elephant went out to play
On a spider’s web one day.
He had such enormous fun
He asked another elephant to come.”

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: None

How To Play: Form a circle and chose one player to go to the
center. The player in the center of the circle points to someone and
calls out one of the following: Earth, Water, Wind, or Fire. The player
pointed to must do the following, or replace the player in the center.

For earth: name an animal that moves upon the earth.
For water: name an animal that moves through the water.
For wind: name an animal that flies in the wind.

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Grade Level: Primary, Intermediate, and Middle School
Materials: None

How To Play: Players form partners and match gestures to the following chant.

Double double (clap own hands)
this this, (clap partner’s hands)

Double double (clap own hands)
that that, (clap backs of partner’s hands)

Double (clap own)
this, (clap partner’s hands)
double (clap own)

Community Level 1 – Acquainted

Materials: Large, plastic cups, one for each player

How To Play: Seated in a circle on the floor, start with cups
upside down in front of players. Perform the following movements and
sounds in unison.

PART ONE
Beat 1: clap
Beat 2: clap
Beat 3: tap cup bottom twice
Beat 4: tap cup bottom once
Beat 5: clap
Beat 6: raise cup a few inches off floor
Beat 7: place cup down again
Beat 8: rest

PART TWO