7 Favorite Name Games
Hello friends! Every week, I pick a social-emotional learning focus for my class. This week, my big idea was been building a sense of belonging: and the skill we focused on was using names when addressing others. Are you working on names and name recognition in your class? Here are a few of my FAVORITE whole group activities for the first week or two.
These are a great way to get all students using the names of others in your class, and are fun for morning meeting or any time!
1. Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar: Have all students chant/sing. When you get to the end, have the student say the name of the person sitting next to them and repeat!
"Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? (Michelle) stole the cookie from the cookie jar! Who me? Yes you! Couldn't be. Then who?"
2. In the Box: Have a child in the middle of the circle. Ask them if you can cover them up with a box, blanket, jacket...something you have available! (Some student will not want to be covered up. I always give them a choice. They can either skip their turn OR just not be covered up when it is their turn.) All students chant: "(Michelle) in the box...sits so still. Will she come out? Yes she will!" At the end, pull off the box to reveal the student popping out! Repeat for all students.
3. In the Middle: Each child gets a turn to be in the middle! I have heard several variations of this chant/song, here is mine! "(Michelle), (Michelle), (Michelle) in the middle! Let me see you dance, let me see you wiggle! Turn around, now sit back down!" Repeat, replacing student names. I always offer to go in the middle with anyone who is shy. If they don't want to dance in the middle, I still have the other children sing their name.
4. Bumble Bee: I carry a small object "bee" around the room and sing the song. When it lands on the students head, they just say their name! This one is great for a first game because it is simple. Teacher:"Hicket-pickety-bumble-bee, who can say their name for me?" Student: Michelle!
5. Willoughby-Wallaby-Woo: I sing the song (you can find the tune on Youtube!) and we replace each students name with /w/ for the beginning sound! I also carry around a small elephant toy and place it on each students head as we sing for extra fun. "Willoughby-Wallaby-Woo, An elephant sat on you! Willoughby-Wallaby-(/W/ichelle!), and elephant sat on (Michelle!)
6. Name clapping: It's as simple as it sounds. We go around the circle, clapping syllables of each students name. We do each child three times: one at a normal volume, once shouting, and once at a whisper.
7. Jack-be-nimble: I put this poem in a pocket chart, and use a small object as a candle-stick! We read the poem, replacing "Jack" with a student name. That student gets to go jump over the candle stick when its their turn! "(Michelle) be nimble, (Michelle) be quick! (Michelle) jumps over the candle-stick!"
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