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Pass the Chicken

Students worked hard all week? Do they deserve a special reward for a job well done? This activity will offer students a nice break from structured learning. Adapt it to fit your needs. Have some Friday Fun!

DESCRIPTION

In this game, nobody wants to hold the rubber chicken -- the game's only prop!

To begin the game, all students sit in a circle. Select one person to be It. That person holds the rubber chicken. The teacher or a "caller" says to the person holding the chicken something like...

  • "Name five fast-food restaurants. Pass the chicken!"
  • "State five first names of boys. None of the names can be names of boys in our class. Pass the chicken!"
  • "Name five presidents of the United States. Pass the chicken!"
  • "Name five addition facts that result in a sum of 7. Pass the chicken!"
  • "Name five 3-syllable words. Pass the chicken!"
As the examples above illustrate, your statements might relate to the classroom curriculum or they might be "general information" topics.

As soon as students hear the caller say "Pass the chicken," the person holding the chicken passes it to the right. Students quickly pass the chicken around the circle. If it returns to the original holder before he or she can name five fast-food restaurants (or presidents or number facts or), the holder is still It. Otherwise, the person holding the chicken when It finishes listing five restaurants is the new It.

Note: You should prepare the topic cards for this game in advance. Click the link below for a more detailed explanation of this activity, including some additional topics.

READ MORE

Ten Games for Classroom Fun
Education World (September 28, 2001)

Find links to more Friday Fun activity ideas in our Friday Fun archive.

Find more great learning games in our Learning Game Archive.

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2006 Education World

07/21/2006