Ship Ahoy!
Summary
A classic game - useful to develop listening skills and spatial awareness.
How Do I Play It?
The teacher first explains that we are about to go on a ship and as crew there are lots of jobs that we need to do.
Students start by forming a line (one behind the other) directly in front of the teacher to enter ship.
The teacher then shouts a command and the children have to perform the activity associated with that command and go to various areas of the ‘ship’.
Commands include:
- Captains coming – salute and stand still for inspection
- Boom crossing – students duck
- Scrub the deck – students all scrub the floor
- Climb the rigging – all pretend to climb up sail
- Port – go left and load the cannons
- Starboard – go right and look out
- Bow - go to the front and all walk the plank
- Stern - go to the back and all pull in the anchor
Tips
To remember where you’re going - 'port' has four letters as has 'left'!
Variations
This game could be adapted to a different setting – plane, car, beach.
Also you could get musical – call out ‘three men in a boat’ and the students must form groups of three and sing "Row, row, row your boat.
Participants
Whole Group
Expertise
Novice
Duration
Medium (5 - 10 mins)
Skills
Character, Spatial Awareness, Spontaneity