Take a Hike

 

Arrange chairs around the cheder, and have everyone sit down. Choose one chanich to be in the center, and remove that chair, so there is enough chairs for all but one person. Say a phrase such as "If you're wearing tennis shoes, take a hike!", all chanichim wearing tennis shoes must run to find another seat. The last chanich to find a seat will move to the center and can choose the next phrase for example "If your birthday is in the summer", "If you like ice cream", or "If you've ever been skiing", etc.

 

Memory

 

Takes a moment to learn, but this game is a memory-based game which sometimes leads to humorous results.  Form a line with five chairs.

The object of the game is for the guys to get five guys on the chairs while the girls try to get five girls on the chairs.

Have everyone fill out their name on a piece of paper. Place all the pieces of paper in a container. Go around the room and have someone pick out a piece of paper with someone’s name on it. They cannot have their own name, and they must not let anyone know whose name they have.

Place two males and two females on the seats, and one empty chair.

The Madrich chooses one of the seating people and tell him/her to choose one name from the Kvutzah. The name called (no the actal person) come to the empty chair and seat. If a man calls a man, the man sit in an empty chair o a chair occupied by a women, and he continues to try and call another man - although a man can be named by a girly name depending on what name is on his/her paper.  If a man calls a women, he need to stand up, leave the chair and the woman sits and call a name. 

 

 

Fruit Game

 

Have a large Kvutzah form a big circle with their chairs facing inward.  Have everyone go around and state a fruit. Tell them to remember their fruit name and that nobody can choose the same fruit.  Then choose one volunteer from the kvutzah and remove his chair. The way the game works is the volunteer calls out a fruit, and then the person who chose that fruit stands up and states his fruit and another fruit before sitting back down in their seat. The volnteer's aim is to touch any person that is standing up before he/she sits back down in his/her chair. If the person gets tagged before he/she sits down then they are the new volunteer, if not, the game continues until the volunteer tags someone. If the chanichim start memorizing the fruits of each one, then it is time to stop the game. 

 

 

Empty Chair

 

Spread the chairs around the cheder. Select a chanich to begin, say Victor. Victor stands up in one edge of the room, and has to try to sit on the empty seat, while everyone sitting tries to block him from sitting. They will do so by making sure no seat is vacant as Victor aproaches thus moving as needed (they should not have to use their arms). This usually means everyone in the room is busy filling the seat while Victor chases. Whomever is responsible for letting Victor sit, has to take his place.

For Yonathan, is better to play this game, when chairs are in a maagal.

 

 

 

"I am sitting on a chair and calling number ...."

 

All chanichim sit on chairs in a circle. There is one extra chair. Give everyone a number, (1 to however many people there are...)
Now, the Chanich to the right (or left, if you want), of the empty chair, (lets say Eitan), must stand up and then sit down on that empty chair. As Eitan does this he says "I". This then leaves the chair on Eitan's right empty. The next Chanich (to the right of the new empty chair), (lets say Miriam), stands up and then sits down on the empty chair, saying "am". The next Chanich after Miriam says "sitting" as they do the same. This continues until the phrase "I am sitting on a chair and calling number ...." is said. Now, after the last Chanich says "number", the next Chanich must call out an actual number as they move chairs. This actual number said, must correspond to someone sitting in the circle. This chanich called by the number has to run across the circle and sit on the empty chair. Then, the game starts over again, because there is an empty seat on the other side of the circle.

Chanichim are not allowed to call twice the same number.

 

There are 5 ways to get out:

a) If you mess up when saying part of the phrase "i am sitting on a chair calling number ..." (like you say knitting instead of sitting). Or if you mess up by not saying a word when supposed to, or if you get the order wrong, or if you don't move seats...

b) If you call out a number that doesn't refer to anyone in the circle (like 29, if you only have 15 people playing).

c) If you call out a number that refers to someone who was already called.

d) If you call a number that refers to the Chanich who is next to you.

 

 

The game then runs along merrily until there is a winner. If instead of numbers, you are using names, you can use it as a ice-breaker for the first Peulot or for you, to remember their names.

 

 

Musical Animal

 

Place several chairs in a maagal and put a stuffed animal on each chair or place the animals in a circle on the floor. Chanichim walk around the circle and, when the music stops, they each pick up an animal and sit down. Players then take turns acting out that animal.

If you play with chanichim +9 you can put the animal inside an envelope or hidden so the other chanichim cannot see which animal everyone gets. Then, after the music stops and each chanich sits down, they will act the animal and for the rest to guess.

 

 

Would you rather?

Make a maagal with chairs or place a line of tape in the centre of the room. Ask the Kvuzah to sit or to straddle the tape. When asked 'Would you rather?’ they have to sit/jump to the left or right as indicated by the madrich.

Examples of Would you rather..? questions:

• Visit the doctor or the dentist?
• Eat broccoli or carrots?
• Watch TV or listen to music?
• Own a lizard or a snake?
• Have a beach holiday or a mountain holiday?
• Be an apple or a banana?
• Be invisible or be able to read minds?
• Be hairy all over or completely bald?
• Be the most popular or the smartest person you know?
• Make headlines for saving somebody's life or winning a Nobel Prize?
• Go without television or fast food for the rest of your life?
• Have permanent diarrhoea or permanent constipation?
• Be handsome/beautiful and dumb or be ugly and really smart?
• Always be cold or always be hot?
• Not hear or not see?
• Eliminate hunger and disease or be able to bring lasting world peace?
• Be stranded on a deserted island alone or with someone you don't like?
• See the future or change the past?
• Be three inches taller or three inches shorter?
• Wrestle a lion or fight a shark?