Cookie Jar

  1. Recess Games
  2. Tag Games

  • Large Group (10 and up)

  • Grades 1-2

  • None

  • Less Than 10 minutes

Development Goal

To develop active listening and evasion skills.

Before You Start

  • Demonstrate safe tagging:
    • Light touch, like a butterfly wings, on the back or shoulder.
    • Unsafe tags: hard contact that might cause the person being tagged to fall.
  • Line students up shoulder to shoulder along one of the boundary lines, making sure there is adequate space for the students to spread out.
  • Practice the verbal cues so the whole group asks “Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster are you Hungry?” in unison.
  • Review boundaries and consequences for going out of bounds.

Set Up

Set up a rectangular play area with enough space in between for the group to run around.

How to Play

  • Explain that the students are cookies and you are the Cookie Monster. It is almost lunchtime for you and you may be hungry.
  • The players must ask you, “Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster are you hungry?”
    • If you say “yes” they must try to run across the play area without getting tagged by you.
    • If you say “no” they must remain where they are and ask again until you say “yes.”
  • If someone gets tagged they become one of your helpers.

Variations

  • Modify for older kids who may not relate to cookie monster, i.e. “Boogie monster”.
  • Once the game is understood, allow one of the students to be the Cookie Monster.