Students had fun playing a variety of holiday games. I often read a short picture book that went along with our game. Students got to hear The Hannukah Mice, and played a dreidel game, Bear Stays Up for Christmas, playing a tag game, The Reindeer Christmas, playing two games; a running game called "Run, Run, Reindeer" and reindeer relays with scooters, The Gingerbread Man, playing gingerbread tag, and Snowmen at Christmas, where children had a snowball fight with crumpled pieces of paper. We used the song "The Christmas Paper Party Wrap." Other activities included Christmas Lollipop Tennis and a dance to "Jingle Bells" using colored plastic plates that children hit together. Students majoring in Physical Education from Friends University sometimes came to participate with the children. These activities kept the children very busy and they had a good time.
Students spin the dreidel to see what exercise they will have to perform.
Students from Friends University read Bear Stays Up for Christmas.
The bears are sleeping and prepare to chase students who sneak up on them.
Run, Run, Reindeer has students running from rooftop to rooftop while
the music plays. If caught off the mat (rooftop) 3 times they must go to
the reindeer hospital to perform an exercise to get back in the game.
Students enjoyed pulling each other on the scooter during
Reindeer Relays. Santa and his reindeer had to deliver a lummi
stick (present) down a cone (chimney) and then return to the north pole.
Lollipop paddles were used to tap Santa back and forth across a makeshift net.
"Run, run run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!"
All the gingerbread children ran fast so they could keep away from the tagger. They had
to move from one side of the gym to the other without being caught.
The Christmas Paper Party Wrap had children dancing with
paper and then rolling the paper into a ball for a snowball fight.
Students danced with a partner to "Jingle Bells."