Connecting through Shared, Online Sessions

A video call with your link class can be a fantastic way for children to connect together. Here are a selection of games and activities that can be used on a video call and for shared class to class sessions.

These games are all best played for very short periods of time- if a game doesn’t work, move on! Video calls work especially well if the teacher leading the game has a microphone as their voice can be heard over the excitement.

Please see the Digital Safeguarding Guidance and the Video Calls Plan.

* Would you rather- Suggestions of choices on this list or the class could create a couple of their own to share with one another e.g. would you rather…climb a tree or see the stars at night? Would you rather…spend all day playing in the snow or spend all day playing in the sun? See below for statements.

* Charades- Each class take it in turns to mime a sport (skiing, running, dancing, tennis, javelin, basketball, football, hockey, rugby, dancing, archery, ten pin bowling), things you do in school (reading a book, painting, playing cricket, lining up as a class to go into the classroom, singing in assembly, sharpening a pencil, washing your hands, using an iPad, eating in the dining hall, playing tig) or an animal (kangaroo, snake, cat, elephant, giraffe, bird, frog, chicken, penguin, meerkat) whist the other class guesses. You could use the animal cards for this. Three way to do this: Children could be put into groups to do mime to the other class or the whole class could do the mime or only one child knows and both classes guess. The key is the teacher needs to know what the mime is! Set the rules is it a silent mime! You can have two teams: Team A and Team B in each class. Answers are written on a whiteboard not shouted out and teachers take answers in each class.

* Drawing challenge- It’s quick and surprisingly fun! There are no winners! One teacher names an object, for example, a tree, a house, a cat, an ice-cream, a spider, a tree next to a house. Each pupil and adult puts their whiteboard (or a piece of paper on top of a book) on their forehead or top of their head and draws the named object. When they think they are done, they take their drawings off their head and show them to the group. You may want to use a 30 second/1 minute timer to keep this activity pacey.

* Stand up, sit down- Share a statement with the children (suggested statements below and also on a sheet here), children in both classes stand up if this statement is true for them and sit down if it is false.

* Clap the rhythm back – one adult or child in the class claps a simple rhythm pattern. The children in both link classes clap the rhythm back

* Pictionary - Teachers need to pre plan the words in order. One child in each class is told the item to draw and both draw on the whiteboard function on your video call platform. Children in both classes guess the item by writing on mini whiteboards/pieces of paper. Everyone enjoys watching. One child could use the whiteboard function on your video call platform. You’ll have your own ideas but good examples are house, birthday cake, tree, sun, boat, grapes, book, scarf, pencil, clock, flower, pizza. (Alternatively, one child at a time is drawing for both classes)

* Name/place/thing/animal letter – Pick a letter from the alphabet and children have to name a food, an object, a sport/activity and an animal or place that start with that letter. The letter is stated and then 2 minutes are given. Children might work in pairs or you mute the call and choose as a class and see if you choose the same as one another or different. This could be done on mini whiteboards and then adult in each class shares a few examples at pace to keep interest. Good letters are S, F, T, B. Don’t keep the game going for too long so it may just be three letters.

* Kim’s game – one class gather together 5 objects to show the other class. After a minute of looking, the first class turn off their camera and remove one of the objects. When they turn their camera back on again, the second class tries to work out which item was removed.

Connecting through Shared, Online Sessions

* Question time- Use Wheel of Names (https://wheelofnames.com) to add all children’s names in pairs. If the wheel lands on a pair of names, both children have a go at answering the question (see below and here for questions that children could answer).* Musical statues – One teacher plays music for both classes and stops it for both. The children stand up and dance on the spot and then when the music stops they make a statue in both classrooms. The teacher can define the type of statue (an elephant, hands high in the sky. Children not got out but teachers highlight two from the link class each. This way everyone stays involved. * ‘Follow the Leader’ – One teacher runs the game for both classes. The teacher (or the preprepared sequence their class has put together) shares a sequence of actions. Both classes copy.

* Quiz Cards Give each child two coloured squares of card e.g. red and green. Children use these pieces of card to vote for their answer. One teacher shares a statement and children in both classes respond by holding up the card. e.g. Hold up the red card if you like snow best and the yellow card if you like sunshine best. Then you can allow both- e.g. if you love snow and sunshine hold up both cards.List of ordinary school life questions:

Which of these books do you like? a) The Twits b) Horrid Henry What colour is your school jumper? a) blue b) maroon What have you done in science this year? a) Plants b) Rocks c) Light d) Magnets Which of these fruits do you like? a) banana b) oranges c) apples d) strawberries Which of these foods do you like? a) Pizza b) Ice-cream c) sandwiches d) cake What do you like doing? a) reading and hearing stories b) PE and playing outside c) watching TV d) art

and drawing Have you ever been to a) City Park b) Lister Park c) Nell Bank d) Peel Park (List places in your district) What can you see outside your window at school right now? a) a tree b) a car c) rain d) sunshine Which of these weathers do you like most? (ONLY ONE ANSWER) a) snow b) sunshine c) rain

Talk to your partner – then write down one Can you write on a white board something you care about? Can you list a hope or dream for the world your group has?

This can also be done as a Kahoot quiz if you are both schools with access to a device for pairs of children to share. See further guidance for virtual quizzes at: https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/schools-linking-2020-

2021/digital-support/

Good practice guidance for video calls can be found here- please refer to this to

ensure a safe and successful interaction.Top Tip: have a test call in advance and

plan who is leading which stage of the call activities and check out the camera,

sound, microphone.

Connecting through Shared, Online SessionsWould You Rather Statements- Children choose between one of two statements shown. Think of your own or choose from the statements below:

…climb a tree or make a daisy chain …blow bubbles or have a water balloon fight …play in the snow or stay indoors …eat chocolate cupcakes or eat fruit and vegetables …fly around the world or swim under the seas and oceans …be a character in your favourite book or be a character in your

favourite film …speak every language in the world or play every instrument in the

world …stroke a cat or stroke a tiger …have peas in your ice-cream or have peas in your jelly …have a flying magic carpet or have your own robot …have wings but not be able to fly or have gills but not be able to swim

under water …have the power to be able to read minds for a day or have the power

to be invisible for a day

For these next few statements, children decide what they would prefer to do with their link class

…travel all around the world on the fastest rollercoaster with our Linking Class or travel around the world on the slowest train with our Linking Class

…taste every flavour of jellybean with our Linking Class or taste every flavour of chocolate with our Linking Class

…go on a tour of Brazil with our Linking Class or go on a tour of Australia with our Linking Class

…encourage people to recycle more with our Linking Class or plant more trees with our Linking Class

…leave water and food out for the birds with our Linking class or sing a song for a local care home with our Linking Class

Wheel Of Names Questions: Use https://wheelofnames.com to add names of children in pairs (one child from each class). If the spinner lands on a pair, they can have a go at answering one of the following questions:

What is your favourite food? What is your favourite animal? Would you rather be able to fly or be able to run at super speed? What is your favourite colour? Would you rather eat burgers forever or eat pizzas forever? If you were travelling to the moon, which item would you take with

you?

Stand Up, Sit Down Statements (Or Hold a Card Up Game): Share a statement with the children (suggested statements below and also on a sheet here), children in both classes stand up if this statement is true for them and sit down if it is false.

True- stand upFalse- Sit down

…if you prefer chocolate over sweets …if you like running as fast as the wind/you would like to run backwards

in the wind …if you would like to roar like a lion …if you would like to go into space in a rocket …if you would like to ride on the fastest rollercoaster …if you prefer English over maths …if you prefer reading over writing …if you can count backwards from 10 (you may then want to let the

children do this) …if you prefer pizza over a burger …if you prefer ice-cream over chocolate cake/jelly …if you would like to be invisible for the day …if you would like to be prime minister for the day

Connecting through Shared, Online Sessions

Drawing Challenge: One teacher names an object. Each pupil and adult puts their whiteboard (or a piece of paper on top of a book) on their forehead or top of their head and draws the named object. When they think they are done, they take their drawings off their head and show them to the group. You may want to use a 30 second/1 minute timer to keep this activity pacey.

Possible objects that children could draw for this challenge:* a cat* an ice-cream* a house next to a tree* a spider* or obviously other items of your choice that are easy enough to draw.

Curiosity Questions Map : Children fill this in before the call and then teachers call out questions. Children hold up answers on white boards and one or two children in each class are asked to share their answer. Or classes given the mat to work on at the start of the call. Teachers share some answers. Call paused and classes work on answers and send across for the other class to enjoy.

Connecting through Shared, Online Sessions

* Share a story together – one teacher reads a story to both classes on the call. Here are some recorded stories (The Suitcase, Sometimes I Feel Sunny, How to be a Lion, Incredible You, which can be found here). If you have a copy of one of the following books: Incredible You, Only One You, Secret Sky Garden, The Hueys, you could read the story together on video call and then pause the call. Both classes could then use the TLN PPTS to work in class on the same activity (e.g. give advice to the Lion, create Only One You Fish, create their own Hueys, make Posters to say don’t drop litter from the Secret Sky Garden or even Incredible You art work).

*You could display a photograph such as Freedom Park by Amnesty and both classes could create their own freedom park (a 3D model or even a list of things you want to see in the park). Use the lesson PowerPoint to support you with this activity in class and then join back to share what you’ve done and celebrate!

* Share some of the Signed Supported English that both classes have learned

* Select some Curiosity Questions to answer during the video call. You may want to use Curiosity Question word maps for your call (see below).

* Share photos of some work that each class has completed- you could take photos of some artwork created in class and create a PPT presentation to share, e.g. Incredible You artwork.

* Share some poetry- if children completed identity poetry in Phase 1 (e.g. People Equal poem, I am I Wonder, I am who I am poem), they could share and perform their poems on the video call. Is there somewhere you can share your poems? library?

Connecting through Shared, Online Sessions

* Tour of school – if allowed take photos/video in advance of the different areas in your school/playground and send over in advance or share the photos/video on your video call and link respond with questions. Watch an example here

* Watch When We Started Singing (Mr. Popple ) online play from M6 Theatre at the same time (if you haven’t already.) Arrange a video call for afterwards to share thoughts and responses to the video.

* Watch the More in Common video as two classes together and then each class go away to create a response and meet again to share back. You could connect to the Great Get Together day (June 18th). Create More in Common shared pieces. Can you make one with your link teacher or with a member of staff in school such as TA?

* Celebrate Elmer Day together, which is about celebrating diversity and similarity. Read Elmer, go away and make class Elmers and then share both.

* Celebrate Empathy Day https://www.empathylab.uk/empathy-day or another special event/day together

* Exchange identity work in advance of a call, write letters to one another, create a shared book, share locality maps or share responses from Family Engagement (e.g. Family Games, Family Stories, Identity Bags)

Good practice guidance for video calls can be found here- please refer to this to ensure a safe and successful interaction.

Top Tip: have a test call in advance and plan who is leading which stage of the call activities and check out the camera, sound, microphone.