HUMAN BINGO
This is a great game for when a group of kids gets together for the first time. We used it during the first week of school so that the students could get a little more comfortable around each other. Each student gets a sheet and a pen, and then has a designated amount of time to get BINGO on their card (You can change the rules to suit your needs and your time restraints, ie. first one to complete a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row, first one to fill in the entire sheet, or the person who gets the most filled in within the time limit.) The hardest part about this game is making the Bingo sheets, and luckily for you, I’ve already done it for you!! There are 5 different sheets, each one with different questions so that no one can just copy off of someone else. Feel free to change the squares to suit your kids!
Bingo Sheet 1
Bingo Sheet 2
Bingo Sheet 3
Bingo Sheet 4
Bingo Sheet 5
NOSE JOUSTING
An activity that forces participants to be ok with feeling a little silly.
Everyone gets a strip of masking tape approximately 3 inches long. Everyone rolls their tape into a loop, sticky side out (like if you were putting it on the back of a piece of paper to hang up) and sticks it on their nose. When the teacher says “Go!” everyone begins “jousting.” To nose joust is to touch the tip of your nose to another’s, and see who’s tape “grabs” the tape off of the other persons nose. The student who loses their tape in battle places their hands on the shoulders of the winner and creates a train behind them (preferably chanting the name of the winner.) The winner then battles another winner, and whoever loses also joins on the train. The jousting continues until only 2 people remain with huge balls of tape on their nose. They compete in the final joust. This game is fast-paced, as it starts out with many jousts occurring at the same time, and is exciting because as more people join the chain, the chanting gets louder and the anticipation builds. It’s also great because “losers” immediately become part of a potentially winning team.
ALPHABET HANDS AND FEET
Divide students up into teams of five. They will need to play this game with bare feet. Groups can play against each other, or the clock. Use a felt tip (washable) marker and write 3 letters on each student: one on each hand, and one on one foot. Use these letters:
1. TDO
2. HYI
3. EHR
4. BFT
5. OCS
As you call out words from the list below, the group has to spell out the word using their hands and feet. The words must be shown to the teacher, or to another student you designate as a judge.
rest, fist, dice, trot, crib, boot, rich, host, shoot, first, drift, shirt, roost, shred, hired, forest, theory, bitter, bother, frosty, boiled, strict, thirsty, ostrich, october, boosted, shifted, hoisted, stitched
Happy team building, let me know how it goes!
Teaching Alternative Art Lessons 
Hi, Amy……I linked to your blog and posted a photo on my blog, “Bulletin Boards to Remember.” I should have asked first, so if you don’t like it there, let me know. I’ll take it down promptly. Mostly, that blog is for my own use as I have been assigned all the showcases and bulletin boards in my school. Yea. I use that blog as a place to park good ideas that I might refer to later. Here’s the address: http://www.bulletinboardstoremember.blogspot.com. jan
Jan, that’s fine, I don’t mind at all!! I really feel for you, as I was in the same predicament. I can’t STAND when administration thinks that only the art teacher can do a bulletin board. I fought every year to get them assigned to the other teachers as well. Good luck, and maybe get the kids to help you at least!