Top 19 Team Games for Preschoolers on the First Day of School

Objective:

• Develop quick reflexes.
• Enhance coordination and teamwork skills.

How to Play:

• Divide the children into 3-4 teams, each forming a line with a one-arm distance between them. Place a flag 3-4 meters ahead. On the signal, the child at the front of each line runs to the flag and back, tapping the next teammate to take their turn. This continues until all team members have participated. The team that finishes first, without breaking the rules, wins.

Notes:

• Allow children to play for 10-15 minutes, with no limit on the number of turns.
• The playing area should be flat and spacious.

Objective:

• Help children develop physical strength, agility, and a sense of urgency.
• Improve flexibility and coordination skills.

How to Play:

• Divide the children into equal teams, each standing in a line. Hang a ball (can be a volleyball, soccer ball, or balloon) at an appropriate height for each child's age, so they can reach it by jumping. When the game starts, the first child in each team races to the ball and jumps to touch it. Afterward, they run back and tag the next teammate. The game continues until all team members have had their turn. The first team to finish wins.

Notes:

• Children must jump and touch the ball. If they fail, they must try again until they succeed.

Objective:

• Enhance agility and responsiveness.
• Build physical strength and stamina.

How to Play:

• This game is based on the concept of a chicken fight. Each child has two balls tied to their feet. Divide the children into groups and mark boundaries to create separate territories (like chicken flocks). The teacher acts as the referee. When the game begins, and the music starts, the children hop around like chickens, trying to kick and pop their opponent's balls. The last player remaining with a ball is the winner, or the player who still has their ball when the music stops wins.

Notes:

• Ensure the playing area is spacious and flat.
• Do not tie the balls too tightly to the children's feet.

Objective:

• Improve physical strength, coordination, and rhythm.
• Enhance mental quickness and decision-making skills.
• Strengthen teamwork abilities.

How to Play:

• Divide the children into two or four teams. Each round will feature two teams competing against each other. Use a long rope and tie knots at both ends. In the middle of the rope, attach a ribbon or cloth. Split the children into balanced teams, ensuring similar numbers and sizes. Each team stands at one end of the rope, with the ribbon placed at the center as the boundary line. When the teacher signals to start, the teams pull the rope towards their side. The team that crosses the boundary first loses the round.

Notes:

• During the game, children might experience some friction on their hands, so gloves are recommended for protection.

Objective:

• Enhance physical movement skills.
• Boost agility and quick reflexes.

How to Play:

• Have the children form a wide circle and raise their hands to create tunnels. Select two children: one will be the cat and the other the mouse. The cat and mouse start 2 meters apart. At the signal 'chase,' the mouse will try to dodge and weave through the tunnels to escape the cat. The cat must try to catch the mouse by touching them.

Notes:

• If the mouse manages to complete two laps around the circle without being caught, the cat loses.

Objective:

• Develop motor skills.
• Foster empathy and a love for animals.

How to Play:

• The phrases 'Day' and 'Night' are commands that the instructor will use to signal when children should either pretend to be asleep or awake. When the instructor says 'Night,' all children close their eyes, sit down, and rest their heads to simulate sleep. When the instructor says 'Day,' the children rise, stretch their arms wide, and mimic the sounds and movements of chicks by flapping their arms and saying 'chip, chip.'
• For the second round, the children pretend to be kittens, walking around on tiptoe with their hands on their hips, meowing 'meow, meow.' When the instructor says 'Night,' the children must squat, close their eyes, and rest their heads on their hands as if sleeping. After about 30 seconds, the instructor calls 'Day,' and the children make kitten sounds, 'meow, meow, meow.'

Notes:

• The instructor can also create additional animal movements for the children to imitate.

Objective:

• Foster teamwork and unity.
• Enhance agility and quick reflexes.

How to Play:

• Before starting: Choose one child to play the role of the healer (this can also be the teacher), and the rest will form a long line of dragons and snakes.
• Game begins: The healer stands still at one point, while the rest of the children form a line and snake around the play area, singing a nursery rhyme. When the rhyme reaches the final line, the dragon and snake line halts in front of the healer and asks if the healer is home. They then listen for the healer's response before continuing to sing.
• If the healer replies “no,” the children continue the song and keep asking, until the healer says “yes,” at which point the song continues.
• If the healer says “yes,” the game turns into a call-and-response nursery rhyme between the healer and the dragon-snake team.
• When the rhyme reaches the line “Run free and chase,” the healer begins to chase the children, attempting to touch the last person in the line. The first child must protect the last by shielding them. If the healer catches the last person, that child is out of the game. Anyone who breaks off from the line is also out.

• Nursery Rhyme: Dragon and snake climb the clouds / There’s a tree that wobbles / Is the healer home?

Notes:

• To ensure safety, the teacher should limit the number of players to 6-12 children.
• Choose a wide, flat area free of obstacles or sharp objects that could cause harm.

Objective:

• Improve coordination and agility.
• Enhance teamwork and collaboration skills.

How to Play:

• Set up a series of poles in a straight line and mark the starting line. Divide the children into two teams, with each team positioned at the starting line. The first player from each team will roll the ball along a zigzag path to the finish line, then run back with the ball and hand it off to the next teammate, who will continue the same task. The game continues until all players have had their turn. The team that finishes first wins.

Notes: The teacher can arrange for the other children to stay behind in the cheering area to avoid congestion and confusion before their turn.

Objective:

• Develop teamwork and cooperation skills.
• Enhance flexibility and agility using the feet.

How to Play:

• Organize the children into three vertical lines, spaced about 0.5 to 0.6 meters apart. When the game starts, the first player uses both feet to trap the ball and passes it over their head to the next player. The players continue passing the ball with their feet, and the last player retrieves the ball with their hands and places it in a basket behind them. The team that finishes first wins.

Notes: The teacher should arrange the children in a manner that is appropriate for their height to ensure smooth gameplay.

Objective:

• Enhance players' strategic thinking and quick reflexes.
• Foster team bonding and cooperation.

How to Play: Set up a hoop with a 2-meter marking. Divide the children into two equal teams. The first player from each team runs forward, grabs the ball, and attempts to throw it into the basket. Afterward, they retrieve the ball and pass it to the next player, returning to the back of the line. The next player repeats the process until everyone has had a turn. The team that makes the most successful shots wins the game.

Notes: The teacher may prepare small rewards for the winning team to encourage enthusiasm among the children.

Objective:

• Enhance players' thinking abilities and quick reactions.
• Improve agility and speed.

How to Play: Each pair of children makes a den by holding hands. Some children act as rabbits (more rabbits than dens). The rabbits roam around looking for food, singing or reciting poems about rabbits as they go. When a command like "Nighttime" or "Rain" is given, all rabbits must rush into a den. When the command "Change dens" is given, all rabbits must move to a different den. During this time, any rabbit without a den must quickly find one to enter. If a rabbit is slow and doesn't get a den, it will be left outside or penalized.

Notes:

• When the command is given, all rabbits must leave their current dens and prepare to find a new one.
• After a while, switch the roles of the rabbits and the den keepers.

Objective:

• Encourage teamwork and social interaction among players.
• Develop coordination and team collaboration.
• Enhance unity, flexibility, agility, and dexterity.

How to Play: Use chalk or sticks to mark a starting line on the playing surface, making sure it's wide enough for all teams. Draw another line parallel to the starting line, approximately 5-8 meters away (adjust based on your playing area), to serve as the finish line. Teams line up behind the starting line. The children sit on the ground and form a 'boat' by linking their legs around the player in front. The hands are used as paddles. This formation resembles a centipede, which is why this game is also called Centipede Racing. When the game begins, teams move forward by pushing with their hands while carefully shifting their bodies and legs to maintain balance, as their feet are locked to the legs of the person ahead. The team that crosses the finish line without breaking their formation wins the race.

Notes:

• The playing area should be spacious, clean, and free of sharp objects.
• Teams must keep their formation intact. If a team breaks apart, they must return to the starting line and start over.
• Ideal locations for this game include grassy fields, schoolyards, playgrounds, or beaches.

Objective:

• Develop movement skills, agility, dexterity, and the ability to make quick judgments.
• Enhance teamwork and unity.

How to Play - Version 1:

After playing the "White Hands, Black Hands" game to eliminate two players, these two will play rock-paper-scissors. The loser will be blindfolded and become the goat catcher, while the winner will be the goat. The rest of the players will form a circle. The goat must continuously call out "be, be" and avoid being caught by the blindfolded player. The goat cannot leave the circle, or they will be blindfolded. When the blindfolded player catches the goat, the roles will switch.

How to Play - Version 2:

After playing "White Hands, Black Hands" and "Rock-Paper-Scissors," the loser is blindfolded and must catch the goat. The other players, acting as goats, run around calling "be, be" while trying to avoid being tagged. When the blindfolded player catches someone, they must guess who it is. If the guess is correct, the caught player becomes the new blindfolded player. If the guess is wrong, the game continues. The caught players can deceive the blindfolded player by crouching or standing on tiptoe to confuse their height.

Notes:

• Choose a flat, spacious area for the game.
• The area should not be too large, or it may make the game difficult to finish.

Objective:

• Enhance physical fitness.
• Improve recognition, judgment, and concentration skills.

How to Play:

The teacher prepares 4-5 colorful flags. Then, divide the play area into 4-5 sections, each matching one of the flag colors. Each child is given a flag or a colored paper corresponding to one of the colors. The child becomes a car, with the car’s color matching the flag or paper they were given. The game begins, and the children can move freely while holding their hands in front of their chest as if steering a car. When the teacher shouts, "Cars, get ready to park!" and shows the corresponding flag color, the cars with that color must race to the designated stop. All other cars should slow down.

Notes:

• Children must park in the correct section that matches their car's color. Any child who parks in the wrong area must leave that round of the game.
• The play area should be spacious and well-ventilated.

Objective:

• Increase physical activity.
• Develop the habit of following instructions and requests from others.

How to Play:

Prepare circles or markers to serve as shelters for the rain. Place each shelter about 40cm apart, and there should be fewer shelters than the number of players (you can have 1 or 2 less shelters for each round). The children act as little birds flying around the sky, walking and chirping as they go. When the leader shouts, "It’s raining, it’s raining!" each child must quickly find shelter. Each shelter can only hold one player. If a child cannot find a shelter, they will get wet and be eliminated from the game. The game continues, and the number of shelters is gradually reduced to match the number of remaining players. When the host determines that enough children have been eliminated, the game ends and the punishment phase begins.

Notes:

• If a player cannot find a shelter when the host calls out, they will be eliminated.
• The game is much more fun when played outdoors with more participants.

Objective:

• Foster connection and teamwork with friends.
• Enhance language and communication skills.

How to Play:

The teacher selects one child to be the fox and has them sit in a corner of the room. The other children act as rabbits and rabbit holes, with two children forming a rabbit hole for every rabbit. The rabbit holes form a circle. The teacher instructs the rabbits to remember their designated hole. The rabbits hop around, moving with both hands raised to imitate bunny ears, and recite the following rhyme:

"On the grassy meadow,
The little rabbits,
Look for food,
Happily they hop.
But beware, my friends,
A sly fox is near,
Ready to chase you down,
So run fast and fear!"

Once the rhyme ends, the fox appears and growls, chasing after the rabbits. Upon hearing the fox's growl, the rabbits must dash quickly back to their hole. If any rabbit is caught by the fox, they must step out of the game for one round, then roles are switched.

Notes:

• Rabbits must return to their designated hole.
• Any rabbit who runs too slowly will be caught by the fox. If they return to the wrong hole, they must step out for one round.

Objective:

• Enhance children's memory.
• Develop teamwork and coordination skills.

How to Play:

Divide the children into 2-3 teams and arrange them in either a circle or a line to create a competitive environment. The teacher whispers a phrase to one child from each team, such as: "Today is the first day of school." Each child then passes the message on by whispering it to the next player in their group, continuing until the last child. The final child announces the message loudly for the teacher and everyone to hear. The team that passes the message accurately and quickly wins the game.

Note: Players must whisper the message to the person next to them.

Objective:

• Improve agility and coordination.
• Enhance teamwork and movement synchronization.

How to Play:

Divide the children into 2-3 teams and arrange them in lines, standing about an arm's length apart. Place a ball basket at the front of each line and another one at the end. The teacher selects a song that the children will sing while passing the ball. As the song starts, the child at the front of the line passes the ball over their head to the person behind them. The process continues until the song ends. The team that manages to get the most balls into their basket wins the game.

Note: If a team drops a ball, they must start the passing process again from the front of the line.

Objective:

• Enhance running, evading, chasing, stopping, and changing direction skills.
• Develop speed and agility.
• Foster teamwork, courage, and respect for the rules.

How to Play:

• Divide the children into 2-4 teams, standing in two lines (facing each other) or four lines (forming a square). In the center, draw a circle about 20-25 cm in diameter and place the flag (or any object like a cloth, branch, or ball) inside. Draw a starting line for each team about 3-4 meters away from the circle.
• Each player in the team is assigned a number, which they must remember. When the teacher calls a number, the player with that number from each team must run to capture the flag. Once a player grabs the flag, they must race back to their team’s starting line. Meanwhile, any player from the opposing team can try to tag them before they return to their line. If the player successfully gets the flag back, their team earns a point. If they are tagged before returning, the opposing team scores instead. Play continues in this way until the rounds are over. At the end, the team with the most points wins.

Note:

• The teacher should call 5-10 rounds per game.
• You can only run to capture the flag when your number is called.
• Any player who runs when their number isn’t called loses a point.
• You may only lightly tap the player holding the flag on the hand, shoulder, or body.
• If the flag holder crosses the finish line, no tagging is allowed.
• Choose a large, flat, and open playing area.