Magician’s Rock, Paper, Scissors!

Objectives

• Explain the importance of observation when doing science.

Materials

• Per Class:
  students
  large open space

What To Do

Levels:

• 1 – A magician’s hat (hold hands in a triangle above the head)
• 2 – A magician’s bunny (hop around like a bunny holding fingers up like ears)
• 3 – A magician’s dove (flapping wings)

How to Play:

1. Students begin at level 2. They move as the magician’s bunny.
2. When two students meet they play rock paper scissors.
3. The winner goes up a level (and makes the appropriate sign). The loser goes down a level.

Variations:

• Continuous play — For continuous play with no winner, set the rules so that students can continue to play, even if they lose when they are at level one.
• Play with an ending — For play with an end-point and a winner, have students sit down if they lose while at level one. The last student standing is the winner!
• Conga-line — When a level one student loses, they stand behind their winning partner with hands on the winner’s shoulders. They move as one unit, the winners gathering a line of students behind them. Eventually, the class will become two long lines with two magicians facing off!