Groups and Games

Belonging to a group is important to young children. When they enter group

settings, they are exposed to behaviour, social rules and attitudes that improve
social development - all of this is best learned through playing with other children.

The 6 Bricks activities in this section are ideal ways for children to practise
important social skills, such as:

• learning ways to co-operate; disagree; share; communicate; assert themselves

effectively; accept others’ ideas
• learning to respect the rights and feelings of others; to display empathy towards
others; to express and manage their own feelings in appropriate ways
• to explore and engage with the environment
• to develop self-confidence; to make and develop friendships; “read” social
situations
• the development of self-regulation - the ability to reflect on feelings; control
impulses; delay gratification; resist temptation
• the ability to resolve conflicts; to give and receive emotional support; to
compromise

Take a break from the routine of the day, go outside and play
some of these 6 Bricks games!

“I’m afraid that sometimes

you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t
win ‘cause you’ll play
against you.”

From Dr Seuss -
“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”

127
COLOUR COLLECT

• Children work in groups of 6; place one set of six

bricks in the middle.
• Children close their eyes and pick out any one brick
from the pile in the middle.
• Children then have one minute to find and fetch as
many objects as they can that is the same colour as
their brick.
• They must bring those objects back to the group.
• Count and name the objects you have collected.
• Select any one of the objects you have found and
build a model of it, using your six bricks.

BRICK SLIDE

For this activity each child will need a 30cm ruler.

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6 and use one

brick only.
• Each child has a ruler in their hand. The game
is a relay in which each member of the team
must slide a brick down their ruler and pass it
onto the next child’s ruler without using their
hands.
• If the brick is dropped at any stage in the relay
then the team must begin again.

128
BRICK FUN

• Children work in groups of 6 - 8.

• Each child has their bricks loose behind their backs.
• Each child grasps any brick and brings it to the middle.

Q: Which colour have most people picked?

• Score a point if you’re in the highest colour majority.

• Lowest colour majority - children must do a forfeit, e.g.
stand on one leg for a minute.

PATHWAY
GAME

• Children work in groups of 6 - 8.

• Throw 2 dice to start the pathway - colour
dice and number dice.
• The first child takes the number of bricks
and the colour indicated by the dice, then
starts the pathway.
• The next child throws the dice - selects the
indicated bricks and adds to the pathway.
• Start at a certain place and the teacher
indicates where the pathway must end.
• As they build, they could attempt to create a
pattern.

129
TOWNSHIP GAME

For this activity you will need chalk.

• Children work individually.

• Draw a circle with chalk in front of the child.
• Place 5 bricks inside the circle. The 6th brick is
used as a marker brick with which to throw and
catch.
• The objective of the game is to throw the marker
brick up in the air and before it is caught again one
brick from inside the circle must be moved outside
of the circle.
• Then the child throws the marker brick up again
and moves the one brick from outside the circle to
inside the circle before catching the brick again.
• The child must throw the marker brick up and
move 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 bricks outside the circle before
catching the marker brick again.

CHING
CHONG
CHA

• Children work in groups of 4. Each child has

their 6 bricks on their laps hidden from each
other.
• Children chant a tune and on a certain word,
hold up any brick they choose.
• The aim is to be different to everyone else, so
they think about which brick no-one else will
hold up.
• All hold up their brick - the child who has a
different brick to everyone else earns a point.
• Play a few rounds and then tally up your points
to find a winner.

Variations:
• Change the rules - play the same game, but this
time score a point if you have the same colour
as everyone else.
• Encourage children to think up their own ideas
for how they could play this game.

130
DICE AND STACK

For this activity you will need dice.

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6. Each child has their 6

bricks in the middle of the play area. The group must
also have 2 dice.
• Children take turns to throw the two dice and then place
2 bricks on a communal build. The sum of the numbers
shown on the dice must be the number of studs that are
left open on the building stack.
• The game begins with two bricks as a starting level -
place next to each other.
• Child No. 1 throws the dice and it lands on 4 and 3. This
number (7) indicates the number of studs that must be
left open when placing bricks onto the starting level.
• Only 2 bricks may be used on each level - the child
takes 2 bricks and adds a new level to the starting bricks
leaving 7 studs open.

• The next child throws the dice and it lands on,

e.g. 2 and 6. (8) This child takes another 2
bricks from the pile and adds another level to
the stack and leaves 8 studs open.
• With each turn, the child will only cover studs
on the most recently added level. The stack
should get higher with each turn.
• The children will have to think creatively at
times.
• If a child cannot cover the studs correctly then
he / she is out and the game continues with the
remaining children.
• When building each level, the children must
try to keep the stack balanced. (This will not
always be possible.)
• Instead of adding the two numbers on the dice,
children could subtract the smaller number from
the bigger number.

131
UP AND DOWN

• Children work in pairs or in groups of 4 - 6.

• Children keep their 6 bricks in front of them.
• First child begins the game by building using all
6 bricks - must build all 6 bricks, going up. (Build
in any way, except one brick directly on top of the
other - in any position.
• Child No. 2 must continue that build, but go down
• Colour and orientation of bricks must be copied.

• Child No. 3 then builds up and No. 4 builds down.

Q: Can you keep the colours and the

pattern going? PASS ON THE
MESSAGE

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6.

• Children throw their 6 bricks into the middle.
• First child begins the game by building, hiding the
build, and then whispering the 3 colours into the next
child’s ear. E.g. Green, blue, yellow or Red, red,
orange etc.
• This message is whispered from one person to the
next in the group. The last person in the group must
listen to the colours and then build the sequence.
• The first child checks if this is correct.
• Repeat this activity so that every child has a chance
to build.
Variations:
• Add more colours to the message.
• Add different orientation of bricks to the message.

132
30 SECONDS

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6.

• Children throw their 6 bricks into the middle.
• Teacher / Leader calls out a name of an animal / object,
e.g. “cat” / “square”, etc.
• Children take turns to build that object in 30 seconds,
trying to use all the bricks in the middle.
• After 30 seconds, the teacher calls “Stop”. The children
count the number of bricks they did not use. This number
is written down to keep score.
• Once everyone has had a turn, reveal your scores and
compare. Whoever has the least bricks is the winner for
that round.
• Repeat the activity for another round.
• After the game is over, children reclaim their 6 bricks.

NO HANDS

• Work in groups of 4 - 6. Each child places

their bricks in the middle.
• The objective of the game is to make the
tallest tower before the tower falls over but
in making the tower no hands may be used.
The children must use two bricks (one in
each hand) to pick up bricks and build the
tower (without using clutch power).
• Each child has a chance to pick up one brick
and place it onto the tower. Each brick on
the tower must be in a different position to
the one below, i.e. no two bricks may be
placed in the same position.
• If a child places the brick on the tower and
the tower falls, they start over again.
• The teacher can give a time limit for this
game.

133
I WROTE A LETTER
TO MY LOVE

• Whole class activity. All children sit in a circle.

• One child is “on”. He / She walks around the outside
of the circle with one brick in his / her hand.

• The whole class chants the following rhyme:

I wrote a letter to my love

And on the way I dropped it,
Someone must have picked it up,
And put it in his pocket,
It wasn’t you … it wasn’t you …
It was you!

• While the class sings the rhyme the person circling

the children (Child A) drops the brick behind
someone.
• As soon as the brick is dropped, that child (Child B)
must pick up the brick and chase after the Child A.
Child A must run around the circle and
attempt to sit in the place of Child B. FLICK ANd
• If Child A is not caught then Child B
walks around the circle while CATCH
the class sings the rhyme again.
• Work with a partner and begin with one brick.
• Stand next to a desk. Place the brick balancing
over the edge of the desk.
• With the back of your hand, flick the brick upwards
and catch it with the same hand before it makes
contact with the desk.
• Once you have mastered this try it with the left
hand.
• Take turns to flick and catch or one child can flick,
the other can catch etc.
• Try flicking the brick off your friend’s hand.

Q: Can you think of other ideas to play this game

and think of a way to score points?

134
DOMINO RATTLE

• Working in groups of 5 or 6, ask the learners to place

their bricks into one pile.
• Each learner must place the bricks, one at a time, in a
row to build a domino line. The bricks must be placed
upright, balancing on the small edge. The objective is
make one long line to finish the pile of bricks. Once all
the bricks have been placed then one child can knock
the first brick to see if they can create a domino rattle
and knock all the bricks down.
• If the bricks are knocked down while creating the line
then the group must start again.

Q: What shapes can you create in your domino line?

Q: Could you join up with other groups to spell out a
word?

GAME WITH
DICE

• Children work in groups of 4 and place their

bricks in a pile together. Each group must
have one dice. One brick must be placed as a
starting block for the game.
• Taking turns, each child will throw the dice.
The child must call out the number that the dice
shows. He / She must then pick up one brick
and place it over the number of studs shown
on the dice. E.g. The dice shows 2. The child
must place his / her brick over the starting block
covering 2 studs. The model that the children
are starting to build must always balance and
not fall over.
• The game continues with each child having
a chance to throw the dice and build onto the
model.
• The game ends when the tower falls
over or cannot balance.

135
SKITTLES

For this activity you will need a soft ball and masking
tape.

• Children will need their 6 bricks and a ball, e.g.

tennis ball.
• Children work in groups of 6. Each child stacks
their 6 bricks on top of each other to make a
skittle.
• Create a “bowling alley” in the classroom or
area with smooth flooring. There must be a
demarcated line from which the children will ‘bowl’
the ball and a line approximately 5 metres away
showing where the skittles must be arranged.
• The skittles are placed in a formation. Each child
has a turn to try and knock the skittles over by
bowling the ball underhand along the ground.
They can begin by having 2 turns each to knock
the skittles over.

Variations:
• Target practice - children arrange their skittle
in a line. Using a paper ball or softer ball they
must aim and try to knock the skittles over.
Depending on the number of skittles displayed,
the child has that many chances to knock them
over. E.g. If there are 5 skittles then he / she
has 5 chances to knock them over.

136
CLEAR THE DESKS!

• Children work in groups of 6, all have their 6 bricks

randomly spread out in the space.
• Take turns to throw two dice, one shows colour;
one shows number.
• Remove from the desk, the number of bricks in the
colour shown by the dice.
• The winning group is the one who clears their desk
first.

TIC-TAC-TOE

• Work with a partner.

• On paper or a hand held white board, draw two
parallel lines vertically and horizontally to create
a ‘tic-tac-toe’ board.
• One partner uses their bricks studs down and
the other partner uses their bricks studs up.
• The partners work against each other, each
taking alternate turns to see who can get three
of their own bricks in a row (either vertically,
horizontally or diagonally).

137
KNOCK ‘EM DOWN!

• The children work in groups of 4.

• Each child builds a skittle for a game.
• Find a space to line your group’s skittles up, or
arrange them in a special way.
• Each group has their own ball; take turns in the
group to roll the ball from a certain distance, to
knock the skittles down.
• The children can work out their own rules and
scoring for the game.

Examples:
• Each colour skittle could have a certain value
attached to it; individuals could tally their score
according to the skittles they manage to knock
down on their turn.
• Or, if you knock down all the skittles, you score
4 points; if you only knock down one skittle, you
score one point, etc.

TUNNELS

• The children work with a partner. Between them,

they must build two tunnels - they could be
different sizes.
• Now join up with another couple to have a game,
using the four tunnels.
• The tunnels are placed at the end of a space.
• Each group of four has 4 marbles. Children take
turns to roll their marble through a tunnel, to score
a point.
• Children can come up with their own ideas for how
the game should be played.

Examples:
• The tunnels could have a value attached to
them, and children score that number if
they get their marble through.
• Children could call out which tunnel they
are aiming for, if the marble goes through
one of the other tunnels, they lose points, etc.
• Children pick a number out of a jar - they
must try to score that number by rolling
their marble through the appropriate tunnels.

138
BATTLESHIPS

• Children work with a partner to have a game of

Battleships.
• Each child will have an A4 grid, with number and letter
referencing.
• Teacher puts up a key: red brick = submarine; green &
yellow brick = battleship; orange, light blue & dark blue
= frigate
• Each child plots their battlefield using the bricks as their
ships.
• Have a screen up between the two children so that they
cannot see each other’s battlefield.
• Children take turns to call out a grid reference - trying to
“hit” each other’s ships.
• E.g. Child No 1 calls “A4”; Child No 2 will say whether it
is a hit / a hit & sunk / a miss.
• The child that gets all the ships first, is the winner of the
game.

CATCHING
COLOURS

• Children work in groups of 6; pile your 6

bricks in the middle.
• Each child decides on a colour and collects
all those bricks from the pile.
• Children take turns to throw a colour dice -
whatever colour comes up, that child takes
the colour brick from whoever has it.
• As soon as your pile of bricks has gone, you
are out of the game.
• Whoever lands up with the most bricks in
the end, is the winner.

Variations:
• Children take turns to throw the colour dice.
• The child with the colour brick that
corresponds to the dice, may begin a model
build.
• As each colour is thrown, the corresponding
child builds.
• Whoever finishes his / her colour first, wins
the round.

139
MASTER MIND

• 2 children sit opposite each other, with a screen

between them; their 6 bricks are randomly placed
in front of them.
• Child No. 1 selects any 2 bricks and joins them
and says to Child No. 2, “I have 2 bricks, one
connected directly on top of the other - Can you
build the same?”
• Child No. 2 selects any 2 bricks that he thinks
might be the same, connects them and holds them
above the screen for Child No. 1 to see.
• Child No. 1 then compares it to his / her model and
comments, e.g. “One colour is correct, but it is in
the wrong position.”
• Child No. 2 then changes, perhaps, the positioning
and shows it to Child No. 1 again. (May only make
one change at a time)
• Child No. 1 - “Yes, now you have 1 colour correct
and it is in the correct position.”
• Child No. 2 then knows that the bottom colour
is incorrect and then replaces it with another
colour until he / she gets the correct colour
- when Child No. 1 will tell him “Yes!”
• Compare and check models.

Variations:
• Repeat the activity with 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 bricks
according to the children’s ability.
• The same activity can be done with 2 / 3 / 4
/ 5 / 6 bricks, where the bricks are arranged
differently - not just one on top of the other.

140
PATTERN BUILD

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6; each with their 6

bricks placed randomly in front of them.
• Teacher instructs children to: Make a 2s pattern. One
child in the group starts the pattern by grouping any of
their 2 bricks together in any way.
• The next child uses the same colours, and adds his /
her group of 2, in any way, building onto the first child’s
build.
• Carry on until each group member has added their two
to the pattern.
• Discuss the pattern that emerges.

Variations:
• Repeat the activity, this time each child adds 2 bricks of
a different colour combination.
• Build a pattern as you join them; discuss.
• Count your 2s pattern - how many bricks did you
count?
• Repeat the activity with patterns of 3s; 4s; 5s; 6s.

BLOSSOMS ON
THE TREE

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6 with their 6 bricks

piled in the middle.
• Each group has a big cut-out of a tree on the mat,
with numbers 1 - 12 randomly placed on the tree.
(Repeat the numbers a few times)
• Each child takes a turn to throw 2 dice.
• That child decides whether to add the two
numbers, or subtract one from the other and calls
out either, “Add” or “Subtract”.
• Each child in the group then does the mental
calculation, takes the number of bricks for the
answer, joins them in any way and then places the
bricks on top of that number.
• Whoever gets their bricks onto the number first,
collects a counter.
• Play a few rounds, then count your counters to see
who has the most.
• Think of other ways to play this game - make up
different rules.

141
SNAP!

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6 with their 6 bricks

piled in their lap / out of their partner’s sight.
• Each child pulls out any brick - if any two / three /
four children pull out the same colour, the first one
to shout “SNAP!” wins a counter.
• Play a few rounds, then tally up your counters to
see who got the most.

MINUTE TO
WIN IT

For this activity you will need a stop watch.

• Children work groups of 3.

• Each child places their bricks together on the
table.
• The teacher gives the children a challenge which
must be completed in one minute. (Have a stop
watch handy.)
• The first activity is to create a tower using 18
bricks. The trick is that no bricks may be clicked
together and all bricks must be placed on their
smallest flat side in a vertical position.
• Each child in the group has a chance to try and
build the tower in one minute.
• Those who succeed can go through to another
knock-out round to ultimately find a winner.
• Different challenges can be created and given to
the children to complete or the children can think
of other challenges.

142
PYRAMID OF BRICKS

• Children work in groups of 3.

• Each child places their bricks together on the table.
• The group must build a pyramid of bricks. Each brick
must be stacked using the long, horizontal side of the
brick.
• The bottom layer of bricks must have 6 bricks, the next
layer must have 5 bricks, the next four and the last layer
must have 3 bricks.
• The objective of the game is to remove one brick from
each of the three bottom layers without the pyramid falling
over. The children may not remove the bricks on the
edges of each row.
• The only row that will stay intact is the top row.

STUD TIMING

For this activity you will need a stop watch.

• Children work in groups of 3.

• Each child places their bricks together on the
table.
• The teacher gives the instructions of the game:

Build a tower with one brick on top of each other but

you are only allowed to cover / click two studs. Each
person in the group takes chances to place a brick on
top.

• There is a time limit for this game. Give the group

a minute to build.
• The first group to place 18 bricks in a two stud
tower that will stand on its own is the winner.
• This activity can also be played with 12 bricks but
only one stud must be covered and clicked to build
the tower. This is a game of careful placement of
bricks, compensation and problem solving to keep
the tower from falling over while still building one
on top of the other.

143
PLAY NOW

• Children work in groups of 4 - 6.

• Place your 6 bricks loosely in your lap, hidden
from the rest of the group.
• When Child No. 1 says, ”Play now!” all place any
colour brick on top of the table for all to see.
• If any of the colours are the same as Child No. 1,
you must give those bricks to him / her.
• Play 2 rounds for each person in the group.
• The winner is the one with the most bricks at the
end.
• Think of other ways to play this game.

DECISION DICE

• Children can work with a partner or in small

groups.
• Each child brings their chair to the play area
and they sit on their chair to play this game.
• Use one set of 6 bricks to build a cube; each
group will also need a dice.
• Teacher displays a key to the numbers on the
dice - e.g. if a child throws a one, they must use
their feet to pass the cube to each other; if they
throw a two, they must pass the cube with their
left hand; if they throw a four, they must pass
the cube from under their chin etc.
• Children can help Teacher to decide on different
ways to pass the cube.
• Children refer to the key each time they throw
the dice to see how they have to pass the cube.
• Children can think of different ways to play this
game, and come up with their own rules and
ideas for scoring.

144