Playgroup Resource Book - FHI 360

For Children Aged 

3-5 Years and 6-12 Years

Family Health International

For Children Aged 

3-5 Years and 6-12 Years 

This publication is intended to support life skills training for children and may be copied 

and distributed as required, provided the source is fully acknowledged. 

This Playgroup Resource Book is made possible by the support of the American 

people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and through 

the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). The contents in this book are 

the sole responsibility of Family Health International (FHI) and do not necessarily refl ect the 

views of USAID, the United States Government or GFATM.

Content 

OVERVIEW ……………......……………………………………………………………………….............................................................7 

GETTING STARTED ………......………………………………………………………………………...........................................9 

1 Why are playgroups so important?………………………......………………………………………………………………………...........9 

2 What is the role of a playgroup facilitator?.……….............................................................………………………………12 

3 How can the Playgroup Resource Book be used?....................................……...…………………………………........……14 

4 How to organize a playgroup for 3-5 and 6-12 year olds .......................................................................................17 

RUNNING A PLAYGROUP ………......………………………………………......................................................23 

1 Playgroup session for 3-5 year olds……………………………………………......…………………………………………………...........23 

2 Playgroup session for 6-12 year olds ............………..................................................................………………………………24 

3 Facilitator’s notes on running a playgroup.................................................………………………………………........…....…25 

1. Thevada tha ..................................28 

2. Foxes and geese...............................29 

3. Animal voices....................................................30 

4. The crow catches the chicken .............................31 

5. Clapping hands ..............................................................32 

6. Dance to the music .............................................................33 

7. Which animal am I? ..............................................................34 

8. Body parts .....................................................................................35 

9. Where is the shoe? ....................................................................................................................36 

10. Our fi ve senses ...........................................................................................................................37 

11. Crocodile and tiger ......................................................................................................................39 

12. Khmer alphabet song .....................................................................................................................40 

13. Bamboo and bamboo shoot ...............................................................................................................41 

14. Follow the shape ......................................................................................................................................42 

15. Big and small ................................................................................................................................................43 

16. Clean hands, healthy body .................................................................................................................44 

17. Mother hen .......................................................................................................................................46 

18. Self potraits .................................................................................................................................47 

19. Different kinds of leaves ....................................................................................................48 

20. Collage .............................................................................................................................49 

21. Tracing hands ...........................................................................................................50 

22. Dressing up ................................................................................................................51 

23. Clay modeling ...........................................................................................................52 

24. Coloring in pictures .................................................................................................53 

25. Draw the story ...............................................................................................54

GAMES/SONGS 

1. Chase the dragon’s tail .............................56 

2. Stand up ..........................................................................57 

3. Line up ...........................................................................................58 

4. The ghost, the girl and the monk ......................................................59 

5. Peanut relay ................................................................................................61 

6. Hopping across the river .............................................................................62 

7. Mental maths ......................................................................................................63 

8. Opposite clapping ........................................................................................................................................................64 

9. The counting game .......................................................................................................................................................65 

10. Leak kanseang ...............................................................................................................................................................66 

11. Three minus one ...............................................................................................................................................................67 

12. The policeperson catches the thief ..................................................................................................................................68 

13. Hot potatoes ...............................................................................................................................................................................69 

14. Birds fl y ..........................................................................................................................................................................................70 

15. Over under game ..........................................................................................................................................................................71 

16. Four up ..........................................................................................................................................................................................72 

17. This is a krama ..........................................................................................................................................................................73 

18. Opposite words .............................................................................................................................................................74 

19. The monkey ...................................................................................................................................................................75 

20. Traditional Khmer dancing ..................................................................................................................................76 

21 I like my neighbors ............................................................................77 

22. Object description ..................................................................78 

23. Grouping by numbers .....................................................79 

24. What am I? .......................................................................80 

25. Going shopping ..............................................................82 

GROUP LESSONS 

1. We are all different yet all the same .......................86 

2. Living and non-living things .................................................88 

3. Heavy and light ..............................................................................89 

4. Story time ...................................................................................................................................................................90 

5. Be careful ........................................................................................................................................................................91 

6. Clean hands, healthy body ................................................................................................................................................92 

7. Learning numbers .............................................................................................................................................................95 

8. Earth and sun play ...............................................................................................................................................................97 

9. Number hierarchy ...................................................................................................................................................................99 

10. Loving and caring for others ..............................................................................................................................................101 

11. Confl ict resolution .........................................................................................................................................................................103 

12. Take good care of your body ........................................................................................................................................................104 

13. My favorite animal .........................................................................................................................................................................107 

14. Where do animals live ................................................................................................................................................................108 

15. Eating healthily .......................................................................................................................................................................110 

16. Thunder run ......................................................................................................................................................................112 

17. Litter belongs in trashcans ........................................................................................................................................114 

18. Shadows ............................................................................................................................................................116 

19. Keeping my promise ..................................................................................................................................118 

20. Different ways of drawing .....................................................................................................................120 

21. My story ........................................................................................................................................................122 

22. Sokha's animals ............................................................................................................................................123 

23. Painting ..................................................................................................................................................125 

24. Improvisation theatre .....................................................................................................................127 

25. A line of dreams ..................................................................................................................128

Overview 

Playis 

essential to child development and an important component 

of Family Health International’s Community Based 

Care and Support ("We Can") program. Play can be especially important for orphans 

and vulnerable children (OVC) because the physical and emotional trauma they 

may face makes them more vulnerable to sadness and ill-health than other children. 

Non-structured and structured play become very important support activities for 

OVC because of all the good things they can do to improve a child’s physical and 

emotional well-being. 

The purpose of the Playgroup Resource Book is to guide Implementing Agencies 

and Family Care Community Assistants in how to run quality playgroups in their 

villages. It gives guidance and step-by-step instructions for organizing playgroups 

and facilitating playgroup sessions for children aged 3-5 and 6-12 years old. The 

book is designed to allow those facilitating the playgroup sessions the fl exibility to 

pick and choose activities, games, songs and group lessons that are suited to the 

children they are working with, the time and materials available to them, and their 

geographical location and setting. 

As the book is designed for use in resource-constrained contexts, all of the activities 

require minimal materials and preparation. Where materials are needed, almost 

all are readily available in the villages or can be bought at the local market.

Getting Started 

1 Why are playgroups 

so important? PLAYGROUP RESOURCE BOOK 9 

Getting 

Play - A Child's Work 

Started 

Why is play so important for children? 

Play is an essential part of child development. It helps children to develop motor, problemsolving 

and creative skills, build self-confi dence, and learn how to interact with other 

children, while having fun. 

Having fun and laughing help to strengthen 

children’s well-being by boosting their 

health and immune systems and ability 

to be resilient when diffi cult physical 

and emotional things happen to 

them. Children are also able to 

express emotions through play, 

and this can make play a very 

important outlet for children who 

are very sad. 

Play for a child 

is like work for an adult 

• A child will develop muscles by playing. 

• A child will learn how to be 

a friend by playing. 

• A child can work out his fears and 

fantasies through play. 

• A child will learn to understand 

feelings by playing. 

• A child will learn how to share by playing. 

• A child may learn colors and 

sizes and shapes and many other 

things by playing. 

(Evelyn Rooks-Weir and 

Millie Ferrer)

PLAYGROUP RESOURCE BOOK Getting Started 

10 

Play also provides caregivers with opportunities 

to better understand the emotional well-being 

of a child. Children approach games as they 

do life. If a child is very active and 

confi dent in game playing, they are 

probably the same in life. If a child 

is shy and hesitant to play, this may 

also be how they approach life. 

These are important clues for the 

Community Assistant (CA) which will 

help them to identify children who 

may need more care, support and 

attention than others. 

What is a playgroup? 

A playgroup is a fi xed period of time during which a small group of children participate 

in non-structured and structured play – including activities, games, songs and group lessonsfacilitated 

by adults or older youths. 

Adult/child ratio 

There should be at least one adult/older youth per 10 children to ensure that all the children 

are given equal attention, and that the adults/older youths are able to identify and pay 

particular attention to those children who are shy and withdrawn. 

Playgroup participants 

A playgroup should include OVC and non-OVC to better integrate OVC into the village. 

Ideally, there should be more OVC than non-OVC at each playgroup (70% OVC and 

30% non-OVC). This is not always possible in some villages, but at least half of the children 

should be OVC. Facilitators should focus on supporting the physical and emotional 

development of OVC so they do not get overwhelmed by the potentially more assertive 

non-OVC children.

Frequency of playgroups 

The more a child can play and be with friends, the 

more opportunities they will have to develop 

informal life-skills, build their self-confi dence 

and strengthen their relationships with others. 

Ideally, playgroups should be held in each 

village once a week. However, as some CAs are 

very busy, playgroups may only be possible 

on a monthly basis. 

How do playgroups affect 

children? 

Overall 

objectives of the 

playgroup: 

Improve the overall well-being 

and developmental skills of OVC 

• 

Decrease stigma and discrimination 

against OVC in the community 

• 

Provide opportunities for children 

to play and have fun in a safe 

environment 

A Playgroup 

offers children opportunities to: 

• Learn new things 

• Build self-confidence 

• Learn how to get along with other 

children and make new friends 

• Laugh and have fun with their peers 

• Become more independent 

• Feel part of the community 

• Better understand their culture 

and traditional arts 


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Playgroups are especially important for OVC. 

These children are often negatively affected by 

diffi cult and traumatic things that happened 

or are happening in their lives, and so every 

opportunity for play, fun and laughter makes a 

big difference to them. 

2 What is the role of a playgroup 

facilitator? 

The key to a successful playgroup lies in the role of the Family Care Community Assistants 

(CAs) who act as playgroup facilitators. The job of the facilitator is to facilitate each 

playgroup in a safe, fun and respectful manner. 

Who can be a playgroup facilitator? 

It is very important that the right CAs are selected as 

playgroup facilitators as caring for, protecting and 

nurturing children is one of the most important jobs 

in the world. Good facilitators are people who: 

• Are responsible, mature and mindful of child 

safety and protection 

• Respect children and can understand the needs 

of children at different ages 

• Enjoy working with children 

• Can let children express themselves creatively and promote 

child creativity and child initiative 

• Are well-respected and have a good reputation in their communities

Who can help the playgroup facilitator? 

Between one and three helpers (depending on the size of the playgroup) should support 

the facilitator. Helpers can be CAs from nearby villages, responsible adults in the community 

or older youths from the Implementing Agency (IA)'s youth club. 

Ideally there should be two older youths (preferably one girl and one boy) per playgroup, 

both should be well-known to the CA, and both must be responsible, trustworthy and capable. 

Involving older youths in helping to run the playgroups is very important for building the 

self-confi dence and skills of youths in managing activities, and developing leadership skills. 

Younger children also benefi t from seeing and developing relationships with older youths, 

who act as positive role models. 

What are playgroup facilitators responsible for? 

Playgroup facilitators are responsible for: 

• Making sure the play site is safe for children 

• Preparing safe, simple, inexpensive, easily replaceable play materials and other materials 

in advance 

• Ensuring that a fi rst-aid kit is available at each playgroup for the management of 

minor injuries 

• Checking materials and replacing anything that has been lost or broken 

• Ensuring that all children and families are informed in advance of when and where the 

playgroup will take place 

• Ensuring that the majority of the children attending the playgroup are OVC - at least 

half of the children should be OVC 

• Selecting playgroup activities and preparing any additional materials needed 

• Recording name, age and gender of children who attend playgroup 

• Implementing playgroup activities according to the Playgroup Resource Book (modifying 

activities as and when appropriate) 

• Ensuring that nutritious snacks and safe, clean water for drinking is provided during 

every playgroup 


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• Promoting equal participation of children in activities during the playgroup 

• Acting promptly to appropriately manage children who bully (physically or emotionally 

hurt) other children 

• Noting when a child appears to be in distress and following up immediately to assess 

their needs and provide support 

• Debriefi ng IA supervisor after the playgroup and writing the playgroup report 

3 How can the Playgroup 

Resource Book be used? 

How can the Playgroup Resource Book be used? 

The Playgroup Resource Book is for FHI Cambodia’s Implementing Agencies, and the 

Family Care Community Assistants who are responsible for facilitating playgroups in the 

villages in which they work. 

How is the Playgroup Resource Book structured? 

The Playgroup Resource Book is divided into three parts: 

1 Activities for 3-5 year-old children 

2 Activities for 6-12 year-old children – Games and songs 

3 Activities for 6-12 year-old children – Group lessons 

Each activity in the Playgroup Resource 

Book outlines: 

• Duration 

• Aim 

• Materials needed 

• Instructions 

• Notes

Additional notes on the activities in the Playgroup Resource Book 

Selecting activities: The activities offered in the Playgroup Resource Book are ageappropriate; 

nevertheless the age-ranges (3-5 and 6-12) are very broad. Therefore, 

the facilitator should always be aware of the children’s ages, and should try to detect 

their abilities over time, in order to select the most appropriate activities for particular 

groups. 

Note: Some of the activities offered in the 3-5 year-old section on the Playgroup Resource 

Book can also be enjoyed by the 6-12 year-old children, and vice-versa. 

Working with a very large group: Some of the activities are designed to be done as a 

whole group. However, if the group is larger than normal, the facilitator should fi rst divide 

the children into two or three smaller groups before carrying out the activity. 

Dividing children into smaller groups: Many activities require the children to be divided 

into smaller groups. If the activity is competitive, groups should be of mixed age and ability 

in order for the activity to be equal and fair. The facilitator can choose any method to 

divide the children, including: 

1 Any kind of categorization as long as it’s not discriminatory (girls/boys, shoes/no 

shoes, short hair/long hair, shorts/pants, likes/dislikes). 

2 Giving each child a number as they sit or stand in rows by counting from one up to 

the number of groups you need. For example, if you need three groups, count to three 

and then all the ones, twos, and threes get together to make three different groups. 

3 As above, but mix the children up before giving them a number to make it even more 

random. For example, ask the children to get into a line from tallest to shortest, or 

oldest to youngest, or biggest hands to smallest hands, and then count down the line 

from one up to the number of groups you need. 

Choosing a child to be ' it ' : Many activities require one child to be ' it '. The facilitator 

can choose any method to choose one child to be ' it ' , including: 

1 Choosing a child who hasn’t been ' it ' before and keeping track so that over a period 

of a few weeks every child will have been ' it ' at least once. 


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2 Choosing a child who is new to the group or 

particularly shy to help build their confi dence 

and self-esteem (only if they want to 

and are ready for this). 

3 Asking the children to volunteer themselves 

and if you have more than one 

volunteer, asking them to play ‘ pao 

sing song’ (paper, scissors, stone) - 

the winner is ' it '. 

Making activities competitive: Many activities can 

be played in either a competitive or non-competitive 

way. For children aged 3-5, who tend to always want to 

win and don’t take losing very well, the facilitator should choose the non-competitive 

approach. For children aged 6-12 who are more mature and motivated and enjoy competition 

with their peers, the facilitator can choose the competitive approach. 

Leading group discussions: Many activities involve leading a discussion with the children. 

When doing this the facilitator should be fl exible, and not worry if the discussion does 

not follow the questions and answers given exactly, or takes a different order. The most 

important thing is that all the children participate and understand the key concepts. 

Facilitating arts and crafts activities: Many activities involve the children drawing or 

making something. At the end of the session the facilitator should encourage the children 

to show what they have made to the group (if they want to) and take the opportunity to 

praise and congratulate the children on what they have made. Children should also be 

encouraged to take home what they have made to show their families and decorate their 

houses. 

Ending activities: Some of the activities have no end. It is up to the facilitator to end the 

activity when he/she thinks it is appropriate (when everyone has had a turn, when children 

show signs of boredom or become too excited, when time is up, for example).

4 How to organize a playgroup 

for 3-5 and 6-12 year olds 

1 Identify the right team 

• The Implementing Agency should identify a Community Assistant to be the playgroup 

facilitator and overall person responsible for the playgroup in each village. The 

facilitator needs to be a person who enjoys working with children, is responsible, safe, 

and well respected in the community. (See ‘Who can be a playgroup facilitator?’ 

in section 2 for more information) 

• The facilitator will also need helpers to manage the playgroups. This is because there 

will be two age groups running at the same time for part of the playgroup. Between 

one and three helpers (depending on the size of the playgroup) should support 

the facilitator. Helpers can be CAs from nearby villages, responsible adults in the 

community or older youths from the IA’s youth club. (See ‘Who can help the 

playgroup facilitator?’ in section 2 for more information) 

2 Choose the right site 

• Establish a fixed play site in the 

community for every playgroup 

session. This is better for children 

since it helps promote stability 

and routine. 

• The site must be safe. 

• If running the playgroup at someone’s 

house, gain permission from 

the house owner. 

• If running the playgroup in a school or pagoda, 

draw up an agreement with the school or pagoda 

leader to ensure that the selected play site will be 

available on the selected play days. 


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What is a ‘safe’ play site? 

A safe play site is one where children will be protected from harm. Harm can come from 

people or the environment. 

Play sites should be: 

• Within a community 

• In a peaceful area away from markets and places where there are a lot of people 

and traffi c 

• Far from roads or fenced off properly to avoid children running into the road 

• Free of dangerous objects such as broken glass or metal, rubbish or smelly water, unused 

petrol or chemicals etc 

• Free of dangerous insects or animals such as mosquitoes, stray and unhealthy dogs, 

snakes etc 

• Not so big that it is diffi cult to watch over all the children at the same time, but not so 

small that the children do not have enough space to run around and play safely 

• In a shaded or covered area to protect children from heat and rain 

Note: Having parents/caregivers attend playgroups generally improves child safety because 

they tend to look out for their children and other children they know. 

3 Prepare the play materials 

• The play materials needed for the playgroup will vary depending on the activities 

chosen, but there should be some play materials that are available at every playgroup 

session, and can be used during free play and as back up in case some of the activities 

chosen need to be changed at the last minute. 

• All toys and play materials used must be safe. There should be no small materials that 

children could choke on, or materials that children could otherwise hurt themselves with 

(broken toys with sharp edges etc). 

• All play materials should be simple, inexpensive and easily replaceable in the event of 

breakage or loss. 

• Keep all play materials in a container that protects them from dust, insects and water 

damage and can be easily transported to the play site.

Play materials that should be available 

every playgroup session: 

1 Thick plastic sheeting (or straw mats) to place on 

the ground to protect children from muddy, dirty 

surfaces 

2 Stick or piece of chalk to mark the ground 

with (depending on whether the ground is 

dirt or concrete) 

3 Stuffed and/or plastic dolls and animals 

4 Blocks and building toys (but not so small 

that they can fi t into a child’s mouth) 

5 Rubber and/or thatched balls of different sizes (but 

not so small that they can fi t into a child’s mouth) 

6 Locally made toys (pick-up sticks, feather cocks etc) 

7 Scarves or kramas for playing with 

8 A variety of storybooks with lots of pictures 

9 Coloring books or photocopied pictures that children can color in 

10 Sheets of colored and white paper for painting and drawing 

11 Colored crayons and pencils 

12 Scissors 

13 Glue sticks, PVA glue or other non-toxic glue 

14 Masking tape 

15 Stapler 

16 String 

Additional materials that should be 

available every session: 

17 Buckets of clean water for handwashing 

18 Gentle moisturizing soap for handwashing 

19 Clean kramas or towels for drying hands 

20 First Aid Kit in case of injury 

Note: Children do not need expensive 

toys in order to play. Children are so 

creative and imaginative that even the 

simplest objects can hold their attention 

and be learning tools. Children may also 

like to bring their own safe, cheap, 

locally available objects that they enjoy 

playing with. 


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4 Inform the community 

• Once the team, play site and basic materials have been purchased, inform the 

community about the playgroups - their purpose, who can participate in them and 

the date and location. If the play site is in the community it is important that the IA 

and playgroup facilitator work with the village leader to do this. 

• Invite children to the playgroup - bearing in mind how many facilitators and helpers 

there are and available space and resources. 

Note: It is important to be clear with communities about how many children can participate 

in a playgroup since the number will be limited. If many children want to join playgroup 

sessions, the facilitator may need to alternate which children can attend each time. Priority 

should always be given to OVC. 

• Encourage parents/caregivers to accompany their children to the playgroup and stay 

for the duration. This will give children a sense of comfort and safety; parents/caregivers 

learn new things about play, child development and their own child; and the bond 

between parents/caregivers and their children is increased. 

Note: The IA supervisor should try to be available to support the facilitator to inform the 

community the fi rst few times they run a playgroup since this can sometimes be very challenging 

and stressful. 

5 Select the playgroup activities 

• At least two days before each playgroup session, select which activities to conduct at 

the next playgroup session. 

• If additional materials are needed for the activities selected, add these to the container 

of regular materials. 

Note: For children aged 3-5 years old, the facilitators should choose and prepare material in 

advance for two activities. 

For children aged 6-12 years old, the facilitators should choose and prepare material in 

advance for two games/songs and one group lesson/activity.

6 Arrange for the provision 

of nutritious foods and 

drinking water 

• Nutritious snacks should be given out to 

the children at every playgroup. 

• In order to help the children grow well 

only nutritious snacks should be provided, 

for example, fresh fruit, boiled corn, banana and 

sticky rice, bean cakes and other sweets or savories 

which are locally made and available. 

• Also provide safe, clean water for drinking and 

clean cups – children get dehydrated easily in hot 

weather, especially when they have been engaging 

in lots of physical activity. 

7 Run the playgroup 

Don’t 

forget 

Children should be 

encouraged to wash their 

hands at every session, 

before having their 

snack! 

• On the day, pack the play materials and snacks and transport them to the play site. 

• Arrive at the play site at least 15 minutes before the start of the playgroup to greet 

the village leader as appropriate, debrief team, re-check 

site safety and set up materials. 

• When the children start to arrive, 

welcome them and encourage their 

parents/caregivers to stay and 

watch. 

• Record the names, age and 

gender of each of the children 

who attend the playgroup (helpers 

can be in charge of this). 


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• Follow the routine as listed in the ‘Running a playgroup’ section (on pages 23-26), to 

give the playgroup it’s structure, and copy the instructions given under the activities 

selected to lead the games/songs, group lessons and activities. 

• Involve the helpers in order to supervise and support children appropriately. Play is 

a dynamic process and the fi rst few times it may be diffi cult to manage lots of creative, 

energetic children. 

• After concluding the playgroup, pack up and clear play site of any rubbish. 

8 Wrap up the playgroup and prepare for the next one 

• Check playgroup supplies and replace anything that has been broken or lost for 

next time. 

• Complete a playgroup report or any other forms required by the Implementing Agency.

Running 

a playgroup 

The children in the playgroup should be divided into two age groups: 3-5 year olds and 6- 

12 year olds. Each age group has a slightly different playgroup routine to follow, but some 

activities will be the same for both groups. For example, both groups will have free play 

at the beginning of the session, snack halfway through, and a goodbye song at the end. 

For these activities, the children can be brought together and they can be done as one 

big group. However, if there is not enough space or too many children for this, then they can 

be done separately within the different age groups. 

Follow the routines below for each age 

group, every playgroup session. 

ACTIVITY 

Free Play 

Games/Songs 1 

Handwashing 

Snack 

Games/Songs 2 

Goodbye Song 

Total 

1 Playgroup session 

for 3-5 year olds 

PURPOSE 

To give children a chance to play 

with toys or their peers 

To have some fun and build the 

cognitive and other developmental 

abilities of children 

To teach and encourage good 

hygiene before snack 

To give children nutritious food 

and a chance to rest 

To provide one last 

opportunity for fun before the end 

of the playgroup! 

To close the session and 

say goodbye 

APPROXIMATE TIME 

20 - 30 min 

20 - 30 min 

5 - 10 min 

10 - 20 min 

15 - 20 min 

10 min 

80 - 120 min 

PLAYGROUP RESOURCE BOOK Running a playgroup 

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ACTIVITY 

Free Play 

Games/Songs 1 

Group Lesson 

or Activities 

Handwashing 

Snack 

Games/Songs 2 

Goodbye Song 

Total 

2 Playgroup session for 

6-12 year olds 

PURPOSE 

To give children a chance to play 

with toys or their peers 

To get children settled and 

comfortable with each other 

To build the cognitive and other 

developmental abilities of children 

To teach and encourage good 

hygiene before snack 

To give children nutritious food 

and a chance to rest 

To provide one 

last opportunity for fun before 

the end of the playgroup! 

To close the session and 

say goodbye 

APPROXIMATE TIME 

15 - 20 min 

10 - 15 min 

20 - 30 min 

5 - 10 min 

10 - 20 min 

10 - 15 min 

10 min 

80 - 120 min 

Note: It is very important for children to have routines and schedules as these build confi dence, 

a sense of safety, and organizational skills. The playgroup should reinforce this and follow the 

same routine each time it is held.

3 Facilitator’s notes on running 

a playgroup 

Being welcoming 

As children may be nervous when fi rst attending a playgroup, always say a few words 

of welcome to the whole group at the beginning of every playgroup and spend time 

saying goodbye at the end. Clear hellos and goodbyes will give the playgroup more 

structure and help children who feel nervous or unsure to relax and feel included. 

Being clear 

When introducing each activity, use short simple sentences and explain things slowly and 

clearly. Ask the children to explain what you have said back to you to check understanding. 

If an activity is new to the children or seems complicated, use a few children to help you 

demonstrate the activity. 

Involving children 

Children generally like helping and learn 

a lot from doing so. Encourage older 

children to help the younger ones 

during snack time or during 

activities. Younger children can 

be encouraged to help each 

other by picking up toys and 

returning them to the storage 

container or putting rubbish in 

bins/bags. 


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Encouraging and praising children 

Take every opportunity to encourage and praise all the children in the playgroup in order 

to build up their self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. 

Giving additional support to especially 

vulnerable children 

Some children attending playgroups may show signs of withdrawal, sadness or distress. In 

this case, pay special attention to the child by providing extra encouragement, praise and 

care during the playgroup and by providing follow-up support to the child/family at 

home. Document this observation and follow-up support in the child’s fi le. Some children 

participating in the playgroup may be HIV positive or otherwise unwell, and special 

attention and care should also be given to them in line with their physical needs. Give 

additional support subtly without singling out or embarrassing individual children. 

Respecting and encouraging individual 

children’s contributions 

Encourage the children to express themselves individually, without being infl uenced by 

others. Children should be encouraged to freely say what they think, what they believe, or 

what they know. If a child copies others or is infl uenced by others when asked to do something, 

encourage individual creativity by spending a bit more time with that child or asking him/ 

her directly what they think is the best thing to do. 

Ensuring mutual respect for all children within the group 

Do not accept any form of bullying in the playgroup. No child should be allowed to put-down 

or tease others. If it happens, subtly and gently speak to the child/children causing the problems 

and explain to them the importance of respect both in the playgroup, and in life. 

Respecting voluntary participation 

Do not force any child to participate if they don’t want to. Some children might be very shy 

and lack self-confi dence. It is okay if they just want to watch. Maybe they will want to join in 

during the next playgroup. Provide extra support and encouragement to very shy children 

to boost their confi dence in joining activities in the future.

PLAYGROUP ACTIVITIES For Children Aged 3-5 Years 

28 

Duration: 5 - 10 minutes 

1 

THEVADA THA 

Aim: To develop listening, concentration and coordination skills 

Materials needed: None 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to stand facing you. 

Explain that you will do an action and at the same time 

give a command to the children to do the same action. 

When you give a command starting with the phrase 

‘Thevada Tha’, the children must follow your 

command. For example, if you say, “Thevada 

Tha put your hands on your head”, all the 

children should put their hands on their head. 

But, when you say something that doesn’t start 

with ‘Thevada Tha’, the children should not 

follow your command. For example, if you say, 

“Put your hands on your head”, the children 

should not do this, even if you are! 

Any child who follows your command when they shouldn’t 

is out of the game. The last child left in the game is the winner. 

Some examples of 

commands: 

• Thevada Tha put your 

hands on your hips 

• Put your hands in the air 

• Thevada Tha close both eyes 

• Thevada Tha jump up and down 

• Now stop 

• Thevada Tha stand on one foot 

• Put your hands on 

your head 

Note: Remember to do the action every time yourself, even when you don’t say, “ Thevada Tha ”, 

so that the children have to listen carefully to your commands and not just copy you.

Duration: 10 - 15 minutess 

Aim: To develop quick thinking and moving skills 

2 

FOXES AND 

GEESE 

Materials needed: 1 stick or piece of chalk (depending on whether the ground 

is dirt or concrete) 

Instructions: 

Mark out a large circle on the ground, with a cross separating the circle into quarters 

(see diagram below) using the stick or piece of chalk. 

Choose one child to be the fox and ask him/her to stand on the 

middle of the cross. Tell the rest of the children that they are 

all geese. 

Explain that the fox must try to catch the geese. The geese 

can run anywhere along the lines drawn (around the 

large circle and up and down the cross-shape path) to 

get away from the fox but the fox can only run along 

the cross-shape path and not around the large circle. 

Any goose who gets caught by the fox should leave the circle 

and watch the game from the outside. The game ends when all the 

geese have been caught by the fox. If there is time to play again, the last goose caught 

can be the fox for the next game. 

Note: This game can also be played with two children being foxes in the middle. 


29


30 


3 

ANIMAL VOICES 

Aim: To develop listening skills and learn about animals 


Instructions: 

Choose one child to be the hunter and ask him/her to stand in front of the other children, 

face away from them and close his/her eyes. 

Explain that you will whisper the name of an animal to one child. While the hunter is still 

facing the other way with his/her eyes closed the child must move closer to the hunter and 

make the noise of this animal before moving back to the group. Without turning around 

the hunter has to guess what animal noise was being made. 

If the hunter guesses the right animal, he/she can turn around and try to identify the child 

who made the noise. If the hunter guesses right again, all the children clap. If the hunter 

guesses wrong, the other children can help him/her to identify the right child by giving 

some clues. 

Continue the game for as long as is appropriate; try to give all the children the opportunity 

to be the hunter and/or make the animal noise. 

Note: When the children understand the game, let them decide which animal they want to 

imitate instead of telling them, and help them only if they cannot think of one.

Duration: 5-10 minutes 



Instructions: 

4 

THE CROW 

CATCHES THE 

CHICKENS 

Choose one child to be the crow and another child to be the hen and tell the rest of the 

children that they are the hen’s chicks. All the chicks must stand in a line behind the hen holding 

on to each other’s waists. The child right behind the hen holds on to the hen’s waist. 

Explain that the crow must try to catch the chicks from behind the hen and the hen must 

run around to try to keep his/her chicks away from the crow. The chicks must move with 

the hen and never let go of the waist of the chick or hen in front of them. 

The fi rst chick to get caught by the crow leaves the hen and goes to hold on to the waist 

of the crow. The second chick to get caught holds on to the waist of the fi rst chick behind 

the crow and so on. 

The game ends when all the chicks have been caught by the crow. If there is time to play 

again, try to give different children the opportunity to be the crow and the hen. 


31


32 


Aim: To develop counting, listening and rhythmic skills 


Instructions: 

5 

CLAPPING 

HANDS 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. Choose one or more of the following activities depending 

on the age and ability of the children. 

1 Say a number; the children clap their hands this many times. 

2 Hold up a number of fi ngers and say the number of fi ngers you are holding up at the 

same time; the children clap their hands this many times. 

3 Hold up a number of fi ngers, wait for the children to say the number of fi ngers you are 

holding up out-loud; the children clap their hands this many times. 

4 Clap a simple rhythm while the children listen; the children copy the clapping rhythm.




Instructions: 


6 

DANCE TO 

THE MUSIC 

Explain that you will sing a song for the children to dance to (ask some children to sing 

with you if you don’t feel confi dent singing alone), but that whenever you stop singing they 

must freeze like a statue in whatever position they were in when you stopped singing. 

Any child who does not freeze, leaves the dancing area and stands to the side. The last 

child left dancing is the winner. 

Note: If there is more than one singer, the singers must decide on a signal to stop, for 

example, when someone puts a fi nger in front of their lips all the singers must stop. 


33


34 


Aim: To develop acting and miming skills and learn about animals 


Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. 

7 

WHICH 

ANIMAL 

AM I? 

Explain that you will go into the middle of the circle and pretend to be a particular animal, 

using just actions and noises, and the children must guess which animal you are. The fi rst 

child to guess right takes your place in the middle of the circle and pretends to be another 

animal so the other children can guess. 

Play the game for as long as necessary to give every child the opportunity to go in the circle.


Aim: To learn about body parts 


Instructions: 

8 

BODY PARTS 



1 Name a body part; the children point to this body part on themselves. 

2 Name a body part; the children point to this body part on a partner. 

3 Point to a body part on yourself; the children name it and point to it on themselves. 

Note: If there are children in the group who have had any amputations, act sensitively 

when talking about this body part, or avoid talking about it if it will make the child feel 

awkward or embarrassed. 


35


36 


Aim: To learn and practice new vocabulary 

Materials needed: 1 shoe; 1 chair; 1 bag 

Instructions: 


Explain that you will place the shoe somewhere near the chair and the children must tell 

you where it is. 

Place the shoe behind the chair, and the children should say, “It’s behind the chair”. 

Place the shoe in front of/next to/on top of/under the chair and each time let the 

children tell you where it is. 

Next, replace the chair with the bag and go through the same process, adding ‘inside’ 

by putting the shoe inside the bag. 

End the activity by summarizing what the children have learned. 

9 

WHERE IS 

THE SHOE? 

Note: ‘Left’ and ‘right’ can be confusing if the object is in front of the children. It is better 

just to say ‘next to’.


Aim: To learn about the fi ve senses 


Instructions: 

10 

OUR FIVE 

SENSES 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. Lead a discussion using the following questions and 

answers: 

• “Where are your eyes?” (Children point to their eyes) 

• “Where are your ears?” (Children point to their ears) 

• “Where is your mouth?” (Children point to their mouth) 

• “Where is your nose?” (Children point to their nose) 

• “Where are your hands?” (Children show their hands) 

• “How many eyes do you have?” (Two) 

• “How many ears do you have?” (Two) 

• “How many mouths do you have?” (One) 

• “How many noses do you have?” (One) 

• “How many hands do you have?” (Two) 


37


38 

• “What can we do with our eyes?” (We see with our eyes) 

• “What can we do with our ears?” (We hear with our ears) 

• “What can we do with our mouth?” (We taste with our mouth) 

• “What can we do with our nose?” (We smell with our nose) 

• “What can we do with our hands?” (We touch with our hands) 

• “What can I see with my two eyes?” 

(My family, my friends, animals, my house, the sky etc) 

• “What can I taste with my mouth?” 

(Rice, chicken, mango, coconut milk, medicine, my skin, rain water etc) 

• “What can I hear with my two ears?” 

(Talking, laughter, music, animals, thunder, cars, motos etc) 

• “What can I smell with my nose?” 

(Good smells – cooking, fl owers, perfume etc. Bad smells – rotting food, rubbish, 

chemicals etc) 

• “What can I touch with my two hands?” 

(My family, my friends, my clothes, trees, plants, animals etc) 

End the activity by summarizing what the children have learned.





Instructions: 

Draw a big circle on the ground using the stick or piece of chalk, and tell the children to 

pretend that the inside of the circle is an island, and the outside is water. 

Explain that when you say, “crocodile”, the children have to jump onto the island (inside 

the circle) to escape from the crocodile, and when you say, “tiger”, they have to jump into 

the water (outside the circle) to escape from the tiger. 

Continue the game for as long as is appropriate. 

11 

CROCODILE 

AND TIGER 

Note: Make this game harder by instead of just saying the animal names, tell a story with 

the words ‘crocodile’ and ‘tiger’ in it (repeated many times). When the children hear, 

“crocodile”, they jump into the circle, and when they hear, “tiger”, they jump outside 

the circle. 


39


40 


Aim: To learn a new song and develop listening, language and musical skills 


Preparation: Learn the Khmer alphabet song 

Instructions: 

12 

KHMER 

ALPHABET 

SONG 



1 Sing the song out loud to the children and teach them to clap their hands in time. 

2 Sing the song out loud to the children, one sentence at a time; they repeat each 

sentence of the song after you, until they know the whole song well. When the 

children know the song well you can sing it altogether, or small groups can take it in 

turns to perform it to everyone. 

3 Sing the song together with the children and teach them how to act out the words of 

the song using simple gestures and actions. When the children know the actions well, 

small groups can take it in turns to perform it to everyone.




Instructions: 


Explain that when you say, “bamboo 

shoot”, the children have to crouch, and 

when you say, “bamboo”, they have 

to stand. 

Say the words faster and faster, 

and then come back to a slower pace 

in order to calm down the children 

and end the session. 

Continue the game for as long as is 

appropriate. 

13 

BAMBOO 

AND BAMBOO 

SHOOT 

Note: When the children understand the concept, give those who want to, the opportunity 

to call out the words. 


41


42 


Aim: To learn geometrical shapes 



Instructions: 

Draw a large shape (circle/square/ 

triangle/rectangle/diamond/oval/ 

star) on the ground using the stick or 

piece of chalk. 

Ask the children what the shape 

is and then ask them to make the 

shape by standing on the outline. 

When all of the children form the 

shape together perfectly, they should 

say (or sing out) altogether, “This is a circle” 

or “This is a square” etc. 

14 

FOLLOW 

THE SHAPE 

If the children are able, they can carefully walk around 

the outline of the shape as a group (it must stay a perfect circle/square/triangle etc). 

Repeat this activity with different shapes and end by summarizing what the children 

have learned.


Aim: To learn the difference between big and small 

Materials needed: Any clean, safe objects that can be easily found in the village 

(fruit, vegetables, shoes, books, pencils etc) 

Instructions: 


Show everyday life objects of different sizes to the children (fruit, vegetables, animals, 

shoes, books, pencils etc). Ask them, “Which objects are big and which are small?” and 

allow them to point out the big and small objects. 

When the children understand the concept, show them two objects which are the same but 

different sizes, for example, two differently sized pineapples, and ask, “Which one is 

bigger and which one is smaller?” Help the children to understand bigger and smaller. 

If the children understand ‘bigger’ and ‘smaller’, show them three objects of different 

sizes, and ask them questions such as: “Is this one bigger or smaller than this one?” 

and “Which one is the biggest and which one is the smallest?”. Give them time to think 

and answer. 


15 

BIG AND 

SMALL 


43


44 


Aim: To understand the importance of clean hands and learn how to wash hands 

properly 

Materials needed: 2 buckets of clean water; 1 bar of soap; 1 clean krama or 

towel 

Instructions: 

16 

CLEAN HANDS, 

HEALTHY BODY 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. Lead a discussion using the following questions and answers: 

• “What are clean hands?” (Hands without dirt or germs on them, which are safe for 

eating with) 

• “How can we get our hands clean?” (By washing with soap and clean water) 

• “What are dirty hands?” (Hands which have touched many things such as the ground, 

animals and play things, and have dirt and germs on them) 

• “Why is it bad to have dirty hands?” (When our hands are dirty and have germs on 

them, the germs can make us sick) 

• “What is one way of knowing if our hands are clean or dirty?” (By looking at them) 

• “Sometimes we can know if our hands are clean or dirty by looking at them, 

but sometimes, the dirt is so small that we cannot see it, so our hands may look 

clean but actually they have dirt and germs on them.”

• “Our hands touch many things that are not clean, so we need to wash our hands 

often to stop ourselves from getting sick.” 

• “When should we wash our hands?” (Whenever they are dirty, after touching 

something that is dirty, before and after eating, after going to the toilet, after touching 

animals) 

Use the buckets of water, soap, and clean krama or towel to show the children how to 

wash their hands correctly by following the fi ve simple steps (explain what you are 

doing at each step): 

1 WET hands 

2 LATHER hands with soap 

3 RUB hands together for 15 seconds (away from the water) – children can count 

slowly to 15, sing their favorite song or recite the Khmer alphabet 

4 RINSE hands with clean water 

5 DRY hands with a clean krama or towel 

When you have fi nished showing the children the fi ve steps, ask them to practice washing 

their hands in the same way. Help each child as they take their turn and praise and 

encourage them as they go. Remember to change the water in the two buckets, especially 

if it is a large group. 



45


46 


Aim: To develop coordination and listening skills 

Materials needed: 1 small ball 

Instructions: 

17 

MOTHER HEN 

Choose one child to be the Mother Hen and give him/her a ball. Tell the rest of the 

children to stand in a line about two meters away from the Mother Hen. They are all 

the Mother Hen’s chicks. The Mother Hen must stand facing away from the line of chicks. 

Explain that the Mother Hen must throw the ball over his/her shoulder towards the line of 

chicks (but without looking at who to throw to). The chicks must try to catch the ball. 

The chick who catches the ball holds it behind his/her back with both hands. All the other 

chicks hold their hands behind their backs in the same way, but only the chick with the 

ball calls out “cheep, cheep, cheep”. 

The Mother Hen must then turn around and try to guess who has the ball. If the Mother 

Hen guesses right, the chick with the ball is the next Mother Hen and the game repeats. 

If Mother Hen doesn’t guess right after two tries, the child with the ball should reveal 

him/herself; that child then becomes the next Mother Hen and the game repeats. 


to be the Mother Hen.


Aim: To develop creative skills 

18 

SELF- 

PORTRAITS 

Materials needed: Paper plates or circles of card/paper (1 per child); colored 

crayons or pencils; scissors; stapler or sticky tape; ball of wool or string 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the colored crayons or pencils in the middle of 

the circle. 

Give each child a paper plate or circle of card/paper and ask them to draw their faces 

on them. 

Help the children to cut out the shape of the eyes and to stick or staple a piece of wool 

or string to each side of the paper plate or paper circle, so that they can wear them as 

masks. 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to describe their self-portraits 

and what they like about them to the group or to each other. 

Tell the children that they all have eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hair - so they are all alike. 

But, as each of these self-portraits look different, so they are all different as well (they 

look different, their names are different, they have different families etc). Congratulate 

the children on their work. 


47


48 



Materials needed: Different types of 

textured leaves (the children can be given 

time to gather these at the beginning of 

the session or they can be gathered in 

advance by the facilitator); sheets of paper 

(1 per child); colored crayons or pencils 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the different 

leaves and the colored crayons or pencils in the middle 

of the circle. 

19 

DIFFERENT 

KINDS OF 

LEAVES 

Give each child a sheet of paper and ask them to choose a leaf from the selection. 

Show the children how to rub over their sheets of paper with a crayon or pencil (with the 

leaf underneath the paper) until the outline of the leaf can be seen through the paper. 

When the children have rubbed over their leaf and made a picture, ask them to swap 

their leaves with each other so they can all try again with a different leaf. 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to show their leaf rubbings to 

the group if they want to. Congratulate the children on their work.



Materials needed: Sheets of paper (1 per child); colored crayons or pencils; 

small objects collected in the village (fl owers, grass, leaves, rice, sticks etc); glue; 

1 large (poster-sized) sheet of paper or card; coloring books 

Instructions: 

20 

COLLAGE 



1 Draw simple objects on the children’s sheets of paper (fl ower, star, ball etc). Each 

child is to decorate their own piece of paper by gluing their small objects on top. 

2 Draw a simple picture on the large (poster-sized) sheet of paper. Encourage all 

the children to decorate it by gluing their small objects on top. 

3 The children try to represent something on their own by gluing their small objects on 

their sheets of paper. They can create a picture, or just make a random shape or 

pattern. 

4 The children try to represent something as a group by gluing their small objects on 

the large (poster-sized) sheet of paper. They can create a picture, or just make a 

random shape or pattern. 


49


50 



Materials needed: Sheets of paper (1 per child); colored crayons or pencils 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the colored 

crayons or pencils in the middle of the circle. 

Give each child a sheet of paper. 

Show the children how to draw their hand 

by placing the palm of their hand fl at on 

the paper and drawing around it. 

When the children have drawn their 

hands, they can color in their drawings 

or go on to draw around their feet in the 

same way. 

When the children have fi nished give them the 

opportunity to show their drawings to the group if 

they want to. Congratulate the children on their work. 

21 

DRAWING 

OUR HANDS


Aim: To develop role-play and improvisation skills 

Materials needed: Adult clothes (skirts, pants, shirts, t-shirts, kramas or 

scarves, shoes, hats etc) 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the different adult clothes in the middle of the circle. 

Explain that you will be playing dressing-up. 

22 

DRESSING UP 

Ask for two children to select three pieces of clothing each and to put them on over their 

normal clothes. The children may need assistance if they don’t already know how to put 

on the clothes. 

Once the children are wearing their adult clothes, they can say who they are dressed up 

like. For example, the child may say, “I’m dressed up like mummy” or “I’m dressed up 

like Grandpa Mao” or “I’m dressed up like my older sister/brother Keo”. 

While the children take off their adult clothes, ask for another two volunteers. Play the 

game for as long as necessary to give everyone the opportunity to play dressing-up. 

Note: If enough old clothes are available, more than two volunteers can be chosen at a time. 


51


52 



Materials needed: Clay (made in advance – see preparation below) 

Preparation: Make modeling clay by combining the following ingredients in a 

bowl and kneading until smooth: • 2 cups fl our 

• 1 cup salt 

• ½ to 1 cup water 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Place the modeling clay in an airtight container to keep it fresh until you need it. 

Instructions: 


23 

CLAY 

MODELING 

Give each child a piece of clay and ask them to make anything they want. 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to show their clay models to 

the group if they want to. Congratulate the children on their work and tell them that their 

models will dry within a few days. 

Note: The process of clay-modeling (experimenting with clay on fi ngers) is more important 

than the fi nal product; the children do not have to make a model that looks like something 

real if they don’t want to.



Materials needed: Coloring books or photocopies of pictures; colored 

crayons or pencils 

Instructions: 

24 

COLORING 

IN PICTURES 


the circle. 

Give each child a picture (children can share if there aren't enough) and ask them to 

color it in. 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to show their pictures to the 

group if they want to. Congratulate the children on their work. 

Note: The pictures given to the children should be suitable for their age, such as pictures with 

simple shapes and/or thick outlines. 


53


54 


Aim: To develop listening and creative skills 

Materials needed: 1 storybook; sheets of paper (1 per child); colored crayons 

or pencils 

Instructions: 

25 

DRAW THE 

STORY 


the circle. 

Explain that you will read them a story from the storybook and they must listen carefully. 

After you have read the story give each child a sheet of paper and ask them to draw a 

picture from the story they have just heard. 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to show their pictures to the 

group if they want to. Congratulate the children on their work. 

Note: If a child does not know what to draw, help them to think of an idea by suggesting 

simple things related to the story, for example, a ball, fl ower or character etc.

GAMES/SONGS For Children Aged 6-12 Years 

56 


Aim: To develop quick thinking, moving and teamwork skills 


Instructions: 

Choose one child to be the dragon’s head and tell the rest of the children that they are 

the dragon’s tail. Tell all the children to line up behind the child who is the dragon’s head 

and put their hands on the shoulders of the child in front. 

Explain that the dragon’s head must try to catch the end of the dragon’s tail (the last child 

in the line). The children must move together and shouldn’t let go of the shoulders of the 

child in front of them. The dragon’s tail must try to get away from the dragon’s head. 

When the end of the dragon’s tail has been caught, the last child in the line is out of the 

game and the child who was the dragon’s head takes his/her place and becomes the new 

end of the dragon’s tail. 

The game ends when all the children have been caught and there are only two children 

remaining (the dragon's head and tail). 

1 

CHASE THE 

DRAGON’S TAIL


Aim: To develop, coordination and teamwork skills 


Instructions: 

2 

STAND UP 

Ask the children to fi nd a partner and sit on the ground back-to-back with him/her, with 

their knees bent and elbows linked. 

Explain that in their pairs the children must count to three and then try to stand up at the 

same time, without unlinking their elbows. 

Continue the game long enough for the majority of children to master the task. If any of 

the pairs are very good at it, ask them to demonstrate to the rest of the group. 

Note: Make this game harder by playing it in groups of threes, fours or fi ves. 


57


58 


Aim: To learn to categorize and work as a team 


Instructions: 

3 

LINE UP 

Ask the children to line up in a particular order, for example: tallest to shortest, longest 

hair to shortest hair, oldest to youngest, alphabetical name order etc. The children are to 

work together as a team but they are not allowed to talk! 

Any kind of order can be used, as long as it is not discriminatory, and does not make 

any of the children feel uncomfortable. 

Note: This is a good activity for getting the group settled and focused.


Aim: To develop teamwork skills 


Instructions: 

4 

THE GHOST, 

THE GIRL AND 

THE MONK 

Divide the children into two teams and ask them to stand in two lines facing each other. 

Explain that for this game there needs to be three different actions and noises to represent 

a ghost, a girl and a monk. Ask the children to suggest an action and a noise for each one 

and then agree on these as a whole group. 

Tell the children that in their teams they must decide whether to be a ghost, a girl or a 

monk but they must do so secretly, and not tell the other team what they have chosen 

(everyone in the same team must be the same thing). 

Then ask both teams to face away from each other in their lines and on the count of three, 

all the children are to jump around and do the action and noise of the character chosen 

by their team. 


59


60 

Girls win over monks, monks win over ghosts, and ghosts win over girls (if both teams 

are the same character neither team wins). Give one point to the winning team, and 

continue the game, keeping track of the score. 

Repeat the game as many times as is appropriate. 

Note: Make this game more physical by making it so that the winning team chases the other 

team if they win. For example, if one team are monks and the other are ghosts, the monks 

then chase the ghosts and whoever they catch joins their team for the next round.


Aim: To develop coordination and teamwork skills 

Materials needed: Peanut shells (1 per team) 

Instructions: 

5 

PEANUT 

RELAY 

Divide the children into teams of four or fi ve and give each team one peanut shell. Mark 

out a starting and fi nishing line. Ask the teams to line up behind the starting line. 

Explain that when you say, “go” the fi rst child in each line must get on their hands and 

knees and blow the peanut shell across the ground to the fi nishing line. When they pass 

the fi nishing line, they must pick up the peanut and walk/run back to their team. Then 

they must give the next child in line the peanut shell and go to the back of the line. 

The next child in line takes the peanut shell and does the same thing. The game ends when 

all the children in one team have had a turn, and the fi rst child to go is at the front of the 

line again. The fi rst team to fi nish is the winning team. 


61


62 


Aim: To develop coordination and teamwork skills 

Materials needed: 4 large circles of cardboard or paper (2 per team) 

Instructions: 

6 

HOPPING 

ACROSS THE 

RIVER 

Divide the children into two teams and give each team two large circles of cardboard or 

paper. Mark out a starting and finishing line and ask the teams to line up behind the 

starting line. 

Explain that the ground is the river and the children have to pass to the other side of the 

river and back again (from the starting line to the fi nishing line and back again). To do this 

the children have to pretend that the cardboard or paper circles are rocks and use them 

so that they don’t fall in the river. 

Tell the children that they must cross the river in pairs. In each pair one child is the helper 

and one is the hopper. The helper has to put down the rocks (the cardboard or paper 

circles) for the hopper and the hopper has to jump from one rock to the next without falling 

in the river. 

When the pairs get to the fi nishing line, they switch roles: the hopper becomes the helper 

and vice-versa, and they cross back to the starting line. Then they must give the next pair 

in line the paper rocks and go to the back of the line. 

The next pair in line takes the rocks and does the same thing. The game ends when all the 

pairs in one team have had a turn, and the fi rst pair to go is at the front of the line again. 

The fi rst team to fi nish is the winning team.


Aim: To develop mathematical thinking 


Instructions: 

7 

MENTAL 

MATHS 

Divide the children into two teams and ask them to make two lines, standing one behind 

the other in order of age; the youngest at the front and the oldest at the back. Check 

that the children in each corresponding part of the line are roughly at about the same 

age or math level (if they are not, move them around so that they are). 

Explain that you will be asking some maths questions and ask the children to sit down 

in their lines except for the two at the front. Ask the two at the front a maths question 

that matches their age and math level (addition and subtraction for the younger ones, 

multiplication and division for the older ones). 

The child who is the fi rst to answer wins a point for their team (but the rest of the team 

cannot help with the answer). Both children go to the back of their lines and the next two 

stand up ready for their maths question. The game ends when all the children have faced 

a maths question and the fi rst children to be asked a question are at the front of the line 

again. The team with the highest score wins. 


63


64 


Aim: To develop listening and concentration skills 


Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit facing you. 

Explain that you will call out a number and at the same time hold up a different number 

of fi ngers. The children must clap their hands the same number of times as the number 

called, rather than the number of fi ngers shown. For example, when you say, “three”, 

but show only two fi ngers, they should clap their hands three times, not two. 

Choose any number, and go faster or slower, according to the children’s ability. 

Continue the activity for as long as is appropriate. 

8 

OPPOSITE 

CLAPPING 

Note: Make this activity harder by saying a number and asking the children to clap their hands 

twice as many times as that number. For example, if you say “two”, the children must clap 

their hands four times.


Aim: To develop listening and counting skills 


Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit or stand in a circle. 

9 

THE 

COUNTING 

GAME 

Explain that each child (going around the circle in a clock-wise direction) is to take it in 

turns to say a number, counting from one upwards. 

When every child has said a number, explain that now they must go back around the circle 

in the opposite direction (anti-clockwise) counting backwards from the highest number 

reached to one. The children should all be saying the same numbers they said the fi rst 

time around, but this time counting down instead of up, for example, 15, 14, 13, 12, 

11…etc 

If the children are good at counting and are ready for it, ask them to go around the circle 

again in a clockwise direction, but this time counting in twos (2, 4, 6...), in fi ves (5, 10, 15...) 

and/or in tens (10, 20, 30 etc). Other multiples can be used, depending on the ability of 

the children. 


65


66 



Materials needed: 1 krama (or scarf) 

Instructions: 

10 

LEAK 

KANSEANG 

Ask the children to sit in a circle on the ground with their hands on their knees. Choose one 

child to be the runner and give him/her a scarf or krama. 

Explain that the runner must walk around the outside of the circle while the other children 

sing ‘Leak Kanseng’. The runner must place the krama behind one of the children sitting 

in the circle and then run around the circle as fast as they can to take that child’s place. 

Meanwhile, the child with the krama placed behind him/her must stand up and use the 

krama to try and tag the child on his/her right. To avoid being tagged, the child on 

his/her right must also quickly stand up and run around the circle. If the child is tagged, 

he/she becomes the new runner and the child who had the krama sits back down in the 

circle. If the child is not tagged, the child who had the krama becomes the new runner 

and the game starts again. 


to run around the circle. 

Note: If you and the children don’t know the song, sing another fun song.


Aim: To develop concentration, quick thinking and moving skills 


Instructions: 

Choose two children; one to be the catcher (C), and one to 

be the runner (R). Ask the rest of the children to fi nd a 

partner and stand one in front of the other in a circle so that 

two circles are formed - an inner and an outer circle. 

Explain that the runner can run in any direction and that the 

catcher must try to catch the runner (see diagram 1). However, 

once the runner runs and stops in front of someone in the inner 

circle, he/she is safe and can’t be caught anymore. When this 

happens the child at the end of that line (in the outer circle - see 

the blue spot on diagram 2) becomes the new runner and the 

catcher must try to catch him/her. If the catcher catches 

the new runner, that runner becomes the new catcher, and the 

catcher then becomes the new runner and the game continues. 

Play the game for as long as necessary to give every child 

the opportunity to be the catcher and/or the runner. 

11 

THREE 

MINUS ONE 

C 

R 

R 

Catcher tries to 

catch the Runner 

Diagram 1 

New Runner 

Diagram 2 

C 

Catcher now 

tries to catch the 

new Runner 


67


68 


Aim: To develop concentration, speed and coordination skills 

Materials needed: 2 differently colored kramas (or scarves) 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to stand in a circle. Show them one krama 

and say that it is the policeperson and show them the 

other krama and say that it is the thief. 

Choose two children who are standing directly opposite 

each other in the circle. Tie the policeperson krama 

around one of their waists with one knot only, and 

the thief krama around the other child’s waist with a 

double knot. Explain that on the count of three, the 

children must untie their kramas and tie them around 

the waist of the child on their right. They must always tie 

the policeperson krama once and the thief krama twice. 

12 

THE POLICE 

PERSON CATCHES 

THE THIEF 

As soon as the kramas have been tied, the new children wearing 

the kramas must untie them again and tie them around the waist of the child on their right, 

and so on and so on. The children must try to tie and untie as quickly as possible as the 

policeperson is trying to catch the thief quickly and the thief is trying to get away quickly. 

The krama passes around the circle until ‘the policeperson catches the thief’ which 

means that both kramas are on the same child.


Aim: To learn and practice reading and writing 

Materials needed: Sheets of paper (1 per pair); pens or pencils 

Instructions: 

13 

HOT 

POTATOES 

Divide the children into pairs: one younger child (who cannot write well) and one older 

child (who can write well). Give each pair a sheet of paper and one pen or pencil. 

Explain that before you can play the game everyone must help to make the hot potato. 

Each pair must write one command - for example, ‘run around the circle’ or ‘hop to the 

facilitator’ or ‘do a handstand’ or ‘make a funny face’ – on their sheet of paper. They 

must keep their commands secret. 

When the pairs have written on their sheets of paper ask one pair to make a ball by 

crumpling up their sheet of paper. Then ask them to pass the paper ball to the next pair 

so that they can wrap their sheet of paper around the ball, and the next pair can wrap 

their sheet of paper around that sheet of paper, and so on. The paper ball will get 

bigger and bigger. 

When all the pairs have wrapped their sheets of paper around the ball, the game 

can begin. 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and explain that the paper ball is a hot potato that 

they are going to eat. When you start singing the children must pass the hot potato 

around the circle quickly (as though it really is hot and burning them) and when you 

stop singing, whoever is holding the hot potato has to peel the fi rst layer of paper 

off (without ripping it!), and do whatever the command says. When you start singing 

again they can pass the hot potato on. The game ends when the last command has been 

carried out, and the hot potato has been ‘eaten up’. 


69


70 




Instructions: 


14 

BIRDS FLY 

Explain that you will call out the names of birds that can fl y, for example, “Robins fl y!”, 

“Ducks fl y!”, “Sparrows fl y!” and when you do all the children must run around and fl ap 

their arms like wings. But if you call out an animal that can’t fl y, for example “Cows fl y!” 

all the children must stand still. 

Any child who fl aps their wings when they shouldn’t is out of the game. The last child left 

in the game is the winner.


Aim: To develop concentration, coordination and teamwork skills 

Materials needed: 2 balls 

Instructions: 

Divide the children into teams of fi ve or six and give each 

team a ball. Mark out a starting and fi nishing line and 

ask the teams to line up behind the starting line. 

Explain that when you say, “Go!” the child at the 

front of the team must pass the ball over his/ 

her head to the child behind (without turning 

around). The next child takes the ball and passes 

it under his/her legs (without turning around). 

The next child takes the ball and passes it over 

his/her head and so on. This ‘over-under’ pattern 

continues all the way down the line until the ball reaches 

the child at the end of the line. This child must run from the back of the 

line to the front and start the ‘over-under’ process again. 

15 

OVER UNDER 

GAME 

The game continues until every child has had a turn at the front of the line. When the 

child who was at the front of the line at the start of the game is back at the front again, 

the whole team must sit down. The fi rst team to sit down is the winner. 


71


72 


Aim: To develop observation, quick thinking and moving skills 


Instructions: 

16 

FOUR UP 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and choose four children to stand up in their places in the 

circle. 

Explain that there must always be four children standing up in the circle but that 

children can only stay standing up for fi ve seconds before they have to sit down 

again. This means that other children have to choose when to stand up to ensure that there 

are always four children standing up at any one time. 

Say that there is no order or pattern to who stands up when, and there should be no 

talking during the activity. Anyone can stand up at any time, but there should never be 

more or less than four children standing up. For example, if fi ve children stand up at the 

same time, one child must sit down again, but if two children sit down and there are 

only three children left standing up, one more child must stand up. 

Say that children can stand up as many times as they like, the only rule is that they don’t 

stay standing up for more than fi ve seconds at a time, but they are free to stand up again 

immediately after sitting down. 

Continue the activity long enough for the children to master the concept.


Aim: To develop imagination and language skills 

Materials needed: 1 krama (or scarf) 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit or stand in a circle. 

Take a krama and say, “This is a krama, but it’s not really a krama, it’s a ball”, and 

make a ball out of it. Pass the krama to the next child in the circle who must pretend 

that the krama is something else, for example, “This is a krama, but it’s not really a 

krama, it’s a chair”, and pretend to sit on it, or, “This is a krama, but it’s not really 

a krama, it’s a book”, and pretend to read it. 

The krama should be passed around the whole circle like this so that everyone gets a turn 

to pretend that the krama is something different. 

The activity ends when every child has had a turn. 

17 

THIS IS A 

KRAMA 

Note: Make this activity harder by using only mime to show what the krama is, but not saying 

the word. The other children then have to guess what the krama is by watching the mime 

carefully. The child who guesses right is the next to receive the krama. 


73


74 


Aim: To learn about opposites and develop vocabulary 


Instructions: 

Divide the children into two teams and ask them 

to sit together in their teams, facing you. 

Explain that you will call out a word, and the 

children must call out the opposite word. The 

fi rst team to call out correctly gets one point. 

The team with the highest score wins. 

18 

OPPOSITE 

WORDS 


opposites: 

• Hot/cold • White/black 

• Big/small • Good/bad • Tall/short 

• Boy/girl • Baby/old person 

Brother/sister • Husband/wife 

• Move/stand still 

• Win/lose • Cry/laugh 

• Healthy/sick


Aim: To develop fast moving and teamwork skills 

Materials needed: 4 of the children's shoes 

Instructions: 

Divide the children into groups of fi ve and tell each 

group to fi nd a space and mark out a square - using 

four shoes to mark out the four corners. 

Tell each group to play ‘pao sing song’ (paper, 

scissors, stone); whoever loses starts off as the 

monkey, and stands in the middle of the square 

while the other four children stand on the four 

corners of the square. 

19 

THE 

MONKEY 

Explain that the children standing on the corners of the square have to try and swap 

places with each other without giving the monkey time to reach one of the corners. If the 

monkey manages to reach a corner while it is empty, the child who has nowhere to stand 

becomes the monkey. 


to be the monkey. 


75


76 


Aim: To learn a traditional Khmer dance 

20 

TRADITIONAL 

KHMER 

DANCING 

Materials needed: CD or tape player and music CD or tape (if available) 

Instructions: 

Teach the children a typical Khmer dance. Demonstrate the steps slowly and ask them 

to copy you. (If a CD/tape player is available, play it while the group dances, if not, 

then sing/hum a song with the children.) 

When the children know the dance well, give them the opportunity to perform it to each 

other in small groups, or altogether to another group of children or adults in the community. 

Note: If you do not feel comfortable teaching Khmer dance, invite someone in the community 

to show or teach the children.


Aim: To develop observation, speed and coordination skills 

Materials needed: Chairs (1 per child - if available) 

Instructions: 

Choose one child to be ‘it’ and ask the rest of the children 

to sit in a big circle - on a chair or on one of their shoes 

(there should be no empty spaces in the circle). Ask 

the child who is ‘it’ to stand in the middle of the circle. 

Explain that the child who is ‘it’ must make a statement 

that starts with, “I like my neighbors...” and fi nishes 

with something like “... who are wearing shorts”. 

When the child makes this statement all the children 

who are wearing shorts have to leave their spaces 

and fi nd a new space (where there is a chair/shoe) as 

quickly as they can. At the same time the child who is ‘it’ 

must also try to fi nd a space to sit in. 

21 

I LIKE MY 

NEIGHBORS 


statements: 

• 

I like my neighbors who 

have long hair 

• 

I like my neighbors who have brothers 

• 

I like my neighbors who are 

wearing something green 

The child left standing in the middle of the circle without a space to sit in becomes the new 

‘it’ and must make another statement and try to get a new space in the circle. 


to be ‘it’. 


77


78 

Duration: 10 -15 minutes 

Aim: To develop language skills and vocabulary 

22 

OBJECT 

DESCRIPTION 

Materials needed: 2-3 objects that are easily found in the village (these can 

be household objects or farming tools etc) 

Instructions: 



1 Show each object to the children and ask them to describe it (size, color, shape, what 

it is used for, how do you use it etc). 

2 Describe a thing that you can see in your surroundings and ask the children to guess 

what you are describing. Start each description with the words "I spy with my little 

eye something...." For example: I spy with my little eye something that is green and 

yellow (a description of bananas). 

Note: When the children understand the concept, give them the opportunity to play the role 

of the facilitator in the above activities if they want to.


Aim: To develop counting and teamwork skills 


Instructions: 


Explain that you are going to call out different numbers and when a number is called, the 

children have to quickly get into groups of that number. For example, if number four is 

called out, the children have to get into groups of four, and if number two is called out, 

the children have to get into groups of two. 

Play the game for as long as is appropriate. 

23 

GROUPING 

BY NUMBERS 


79


80 


Aim: To develop language skills and vocabulary 


Instructions: 


Some examples of descriptions: 

24 

WHAT AM I? 

Explain that you will think of an object or living thing and try to describe it to the children as 

simply as possible. The children have to guess the object/living thing you are describing. 

Mosquito: “I am very small and can fl y. I like to hide in dark 

places. I bite humans when I am hungry!” 

Flower: “I can be red, pink, yellow, white, purple or orange and 

have many petals. I grow from the ground or on trees. I have many 

leaves on my body. People sometimes pick me to put inside their 

house or put on their hair”.

Dog: “I have four legs and I bark WOOF WOOF. I can be friendly 

to people but can also bite people if they make me angry”. 

Banana: “I am a long green or yellow fruit. Many people grow 

me near their house. You have to peel my skin off fi rst before you 

eat me. Inside my fl esh is very pale yellow, almost white”. 

Play the game for as long as is appropriate. 

Note: When the children understand the concept, give them the opportunity to play the role 

of the facilitator if they want to. 


81


82 


Aim: To develop language, memory 

and concentration skills 

Materials needed: Chairs 

(1 per child – if available) 

Instructions: 

25 

GOING 

SHOPPING 

Choose one child to be the shopper and ask the rest of the children to sit in a circle - on a 

chair or on one of their shoes (there should be no empty spaces in the circle) while the 

shopper stands on the outside of the circle. 

Tell the children in the circle that they are all things that can be bought in the market, 

for example, rice, bananas, pineapples, mangoes etc, and they must choose to be one 

thing each. Go around the circle and ask each child what they have chosen to be. Then 

ask the shopper to go through all of the things (with the help of the group) to remind 

everyone what is on sale at the market. 

Explain that the shopper must pretend to go shopping by walking around the outside of 

the circle and calling out the names of things he/she wants to buy, for example, “I 

want to buy a mango. I want to buy a cake. I want to buy some rice” etc. Whatever 

the shopper calls out, the child who is pretending to be that thing must leave their space 

in the circle and follow the shopper as they walk around.

When the shopper has bought everything they want, he/she must say, “I’ve fi nished 

shopping!”, and then all the children (including the shopper) have to fi nd a space 

(where there is a chair/shoe) as quickly as they can. The child left standing without a 

space to sit in becomes the new shopper. 

Play the game for as long as is appropriate; try to give different children the opportunity 

to be the shopper. 


83

GROUP LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES For Children Aged 6-12 Years 

86 


Aim: To learn about differences and similarities between people 

Materials needed: 1 brown egg; 1 white egg; 1 bowl 

Instructions: 


• “Look at yourselves and look at each other, in what ways are you the same?” 

(Children point to their two eyes/two ears/mouth/nose/two hands/two arms/two legs/ 

hair etc) 

• “We are the same in many ways, but we are also different in some ways, for 

example, we all look a bit different, we all come from different families, we all live 

in different places, and we think different thoughts.” 

• Show the children the two eggs: one brown, one white. “Are the eggs different to 

each other or the same?” (The eggs are both the same as they are both round, both 

the same size, both have hard shells, but they are also different because one is 

brown and one is white) 

• Crack the eggs into a bowl and show that the two eggs are the same on the inside 

even though they looked different on the outside. 

1 

WE ARE ALL 

DIFFERENT YET 

ALL THE SAME

• “How are the eggs similar to people?” (The eggs are similar to people because 

people may look a bit different on the outside but they are very similar on the inside) 

• “No matter how someone looks on the outside; whether they have light skin or 

dark skin, long hair or short hair, whether they have a disability or not, we are all 

very similar on the inside; we all have feelings, hopes, fears, happy days, sad 

days, dreams and goals. We should always remember how similar we all are on 

the inside, like the eggs, to help us to be kind and considerate to people around us.” 


Note: If there are children in the group who have had any amputations, act sensitively when 

talking about this body part, or avoid talking about it if it will make the child feel awkward 

or embarrassed. 


87


88 


2 

LIVING AND 

NON-LIVING 

THINGS 

Aim: To learn about the difference between living and non-living things 


Instructions: 


• “What does the word ‘living’ mean?” (Things that are living are alive and grow) 

• “What living things can you see around you?” (People, animals, trees, fl owers) 

• “What non-living things (things that are not alive and don’t grow) can you see 

around you?” (Electric poles, rocks, houses, boats, books) 

Ask the children to go looking for living and non-living 

things to bring back to the circle. When the children 

bring these things, they have to decide whether they 

are living or non-living. They should place all the living 

things and all the non-living things in two separate piles. 

Ask the children to look through the two piles as a group 

and decide together whether the things have been 

placed in the correct pile or not. If it is decided that 

something has been put in the wrong pile, the children 

should move it to the correct pile. 


Note: Be careful about what 

the children collect. Tell them 

not to bring back an animal or 

anything unhygienic. Some of 

the things should be disposed 

of in a bin, or put back where 

they came from.


Aim: To learn about the difference between heavy and light 

Materials needed: Weighing scales (if available) 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to go and collect some ordinary everyday objects 

from their surroundings (for example, feathers, shoes, pens, pots, 

kramas, hats, food etc). 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the objects they have 

collected in front of you. Hold up any two of the objects and ask 

the children, “Which one do you think is heavier and which one 

do you think is lighter?” When a child gives an answer give 

him/her both objects, one in each hand, in order to feel which 

one is heavier and which one is lighter and to tell the group what 

he/she thinks. 

If there are weighing scales available, show the children how they 

work, and confi rm which object is heavier and which is lighter. 

Repeat this activity with different objects, giving different children 

the opportunity to answer and hold the objects. 


3 

HEAVY AND 

LIGHT 


89


90 

Duration: 20 -25 minutes 

4 

STORY TIME 

Aim: To develop listening, concentration, language and vocabulary skills 

Materials needed: 2 or 3 storybooks 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. Choose one or two of the following activities depending 


1 Describing the story 

Choose a book with only pictures and no text. Show the children the book, page by 

page; the children describe what they see and what they think is happening in 

each picture. 

2 Remembering the story 

Choose a book with a lot of pictures and a short and simple story. Read the children 

the story, showing them the pictures at the same time. Read the story a second time, 

but pause after each page and ask the children, “What’s going to happen next?” 

The children tell you what is going to happen next in their own words. 

3 Retelling the story 

Choose a book with a fun and interesting story. Read the children the story. 

When you have fi nished, the children re-tell the story in their own words.


Aim: To learn about danger and how to avoid dangerous things or take care around them 


Instructions: 


• "What do the words 'danger' and 'dangerous' mean?" (Something that can hurt 

you, something to avoid) 

• “Can you name some dangerous things?” (Trucks, cars, motorbikes, fi res, electricity 

cables, broken glass, chemicals, farming equipment, snakes, landmines, lakes/rivers) 

• “What dangerous things can you see around you” (Children point to any dangerous 

things they can see) 

• “What can we do so that these dangerous things don't hurt us?" (Not play near 

roads, stay away from open fi res, always wear shoes outside, be careful where you 

walk and what you touch) 

Explain to the children that next you will do some miming (acting without talking) to show 

a dangerous thing, and they must try to guess what you are miming. Mime one thing, for 

example, a landmine exploding, a snake slithering along, a motorbike going fast, and 

ask the children to guess the danger. When a child has guessed correctly, ask the 

children to tell you why that thing is dangerous. 

After discussion, ask the child who guessed the mime correctly if they would like to mime 

something dangerous for the group, continue in this way until everyone who wants to, has 

had a turn. 


5 

BEING CAREFUL 


91


92 


6 

CLEAN 

HANDS, 

HEALTHY BODY 

Aim: To understand the importance of clean hands and learn how to wash hands 

properly 

Materials needed: 3-4 sheets of white paper scrunched into a ball; waterbased 

paints (at least 4 colors); petroleum jelly (Vaseline); 2 buckets of clean water; 

1 bar of soap; 1 clean krama or towel 

Instructions: 


• “What are clean hands?” 

(Hands without dirt or germs on them, which are safe for eating with) 

• “How can we get our hands clean?” 

(By washing with soap and clean water) 

• “What are dirty hands?” 

(Hands which have touched many things such as the ground, animals and play things, 

and have dirt and germs on them) 

• “Why is it bad to have dirty hands?” 

(When our hands are dirty and have germs on them, the germs can make us sick)

• “What is one way of knowing if our hands are clean or dirty?” 

(By looking at them) 

• “Do your hands look clean to you?” 

(Some will say yes and some will say no) 

• “Sometimes we can know if our hands are clean or dirty by looking at them, 

but sometimes, the dirt is so small that we cannot see it, so our hands look clean 

but actually they have dirt and germs on them.” 

Explain that you will do an activity that will help the children to understand how their 

hands can be dirty even when they look clean. 

Ask the children to stand up in the circle and hold their hands out, palms facing upwards. 

Go around the circle putting petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on their hands and then adding 

a different colored paint onto one of each child’s hands (for example, put red paint on 

one child’s hand, blue paint on another child’s hand, green paint on another etc). Ask each 

child to rub their hands together so that the color is on both of their hands. 

Throw the paper ball to one of the children and ask them to throw it to another child, who 

should catch it and throw it to another child, until every child has caught and thrown the 

ball (if the group is small go around twice). 

Ask the last child to catch the ball, to show it to the whole group. Ask the group what they 

see (many different colors on the ball). Explain that the paint is like dirt, but unlike dirt we 

can see how much it spreads and travels around. Dirt spreads and travels around just as 

much but we can’t always see it. 

Lead another discussion using the following questions and answers: 

• “Can you imagine how much dirt a ball must have on it after a game between lots 

of people or how many germs a cup will have on it if it is shared around and many 

people drink out of it?” 

• “Can you think of other examples of how dirt spreads?” 

(By sharing toothbrushes/combs/towels and not cleaning them, by touching dirty 

things and not washing our hands before touching ourselves or someone else etc) 

• “Our hands touch many things that are not clean, so we need to wash our hands 

often to stop ourselves from getting sick.” 

• “When should we wash our hands?” 

Whenever they are dirty; before and after eating; before and after touching babies 

and people who are old or sick; after coughing, sneezing or nose blowing; after going 

to the toilet; after touching garbage, animals or playing outside) 


93


94 

Use the buckets of water, soap, and clean krama or towel to show the children how to 

wash their hands correctly by following the fi ve simple steps (explain what you are doing 

at each step): 

1 WET hands 

2 LATHER hands with soap 

3 RUB hands together for 15 seconds (away from the water) – children can count 

slowly to 15, sing their favorite song or recite the Khmer alphabet 

4 RINSE hands with clean water 

5 DRY hands with a clean krama or towel 

When you have fi nished showing the children the fi ve steps, ask them to practice washing 

their hands in the same way. Help each child as they take their turn and praise and encourage 

them as they go. Remember to change the water in the two buckets, especially if it is a 

large group. 


Note: This activity can be done without paint. In this case, color the children’s hands with other 

things, such as pen ink, mangosteem skin, coal, ground dirt, or anything else that will show up 

and spread well.

1 2 3 

4 

5 


Aim: To develop counting skills and learn to read Khmer numbers 

7 

LEARNING 

NUMBERS 

Materials needed: Number cards from 1 – 10 written in Khmer; 1 sheet of 

fl ipchart paper with the Khmer numbers 1 – 10 written on it 

Instructions: 



1 Count out loud from 1 to 10, saying each number slowly and clearly and holding up 

the corresponding number card at the same time; the children repeat each number 

after you. When the children know the numbers and the cards well, you can make it 

more challenging by shuffl ing the cards and showing the cards in a different, random 

order. Don't say the numbers out loud, wait for the children to tell you. 

2 Shuffl e the number cards and give them out randomly to various children in the 

circle. As you count out loud slowly from 1 to 10 with the children, the child with 

the corresponding number card holds it up to show the others. After you have 

counted from 1 to 10, swap the cards around and start counting again so that all 

the children get the chance to hold a card up. 


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96 

3 Display the fl ipchart paper. Give out the number cards randomly among the children. 

Count out loud from 1 to 10, saying each number slowly and clearly while pointing to 

the corresponding number on the fl ipchart paper; the child with the same number 

as the one you are pointing to stands up and shows his/her card to the rest of the 

group. 

Note: 

• Do not expect the children to be able to read numbers after only one session! 

• If available, you can use ready-made posters of Khmer numbers and laminate them, or just 

laminate the ones you have to make the number cards thick


Aim: To learn about the earth and the sun, and day and night 

Materials needed: 1 big ball; 1 small ball 

Instructions: 

Lead a discussion using the following questions and answers: 

THE EARTH 

• “What are we sitting on?” (The Earth) 

• “What is the Earth made of?” (Soil and rocks) 

• “Is the Earth solid?” (Yes, you can’t fall through the Earth) 

8 

EARTH AND 

SUN PLAY 

• “Can the Earth support us?” (Yes, we can pound the Earth with our fi sts, jump up and 

down on the Earth, push hard with our hands against the Earth. It is a strong Earth) 

• “What are some other things that we can do on the Earth?” (Spin around, roll on the 

ground, lie fl at on our back, run etc) 

• “Do you know that the Earth is round like a ball?” (Some will say yes and some will 

say no. Show them the small ball and pretend that this is the Earth). 


97


98 

THE SUN 

• “Look up in the sky, what do you see?” (The sky, the clouds, the Sun) 

• “Do you know what the Sun is?” (A huge ball of fi re) Show them the big ball and pretend 

that this is the Sun. 

• “Do you know what brings light to the Earth?” (the Sun) Hold up the earth and the Sun 

to show the Sun’s light shining on the earth. 

• “Do you know why it is dark at night?” (Because the earth is always moving and 

sometimes our side of the earth is facing away from the Sun, and so the Sun’s light is 

shining on the other side of the earth) Turn the earth around so that the side that was 

facing the Sun is now facing away from the Sun. 

Choose one child to be the earth and give him/her the small ball to hold, say “He/she 

is the Earth”. Hold the big ball in front of the child and say, “I am the Sun” (see picture 

below). Use the instructions below to explain the concept of day and night to the children: 

During the day, the earth is facing the Sun - Ask the child who is the Earth if they can 

see the Sun, when they say yes confi rm that then it is daytime. 

The Sun stays in one place while the Earth 

moves - Ask the child who is the Earth to slowly 

turn around in front of the Sun. Tell the children 

that the Sun looks like it is setting in the 

sky when the Earth turns away from it. 

During the night, the Earth is facing 

away from the Sun - Stop the child 

who is the Earth when his/her back is 

to the Sun. Ask the child if he/she can 

see the Sun now, when they say no 

confi rm that then it is nighttime. 

The Earth moves around like this constantly. 

When our side of the Earth is having nighttime, 

the other side of the Earth is having daytime. The 

Sun is still shining, but we can not see it - Ask the child who is the Sun to continue 

to slowly turn around in the same direction as before. As he/she starts to see the 

Sun again tell the children that the Sun looks like it is rising in the sky when the Earth 

turns back towards it. 

End the session by teaching the children to say, “When I can see the Sun, it is daytime. 

When I can’t see the Sun, it is night time!”


9 

NUMBER 

HIERARCHY 

Aim: To learn to break down a three-digit number into hundreds, tens and units 


is dirt or concrete); 60 stones/pebbles/sticks (or anything that can be used as 

counters); at least 5 slips of paper with different three-digit numbers written on them 

Instructions: 

Divide the children into two teams and give each team 30 counters (stones/pebbles/sticks). 

On the ground in front of each team, draw a grid with three columns: hundreds, tens, and 

units (like the one below) using the stick or piece of chalk. 

HUNDREDS TENS UNITS 

Explain that the children can put a different number of counters in each column to make 

big numbers. Demonstrate how to do this (see example below) and allow the children to 

ask questions to help them to understand. 


99


100 

412 

HUNDREDS TENS UNITS 

**** * 

** 

Show one slip of paper with a three-digit number written on it to both teams. Each team 

must put down the right number of counters in each column in their grid to make that 

number. The fi rst team to fi nish wins a point if they are right. If they are wrong, the other 

team gets a chance to place their counters correctly and win a point. 

Repeat these steps with the other slips of paper and keep track of the score. At the end 

of the game (when there are no more slips of paper left), the team with the highest 

score wins. 

Note: Everyone in the team should get a chance to participate. They may not know hundreds, 

tens and units, but they probably all know how to count up to nine, so the older children can 

help the younger ones.


Aim: To learn about loving and caring behavior within a family or a community 

Materials needed: 1 doll 

Instructions: 

Lead a discussion using the following questions and answers (use the doll to act out what 

you are saying, encourage the children to use the doll to show what they mean too): 

• “Many people around you love you very much. 

Can you think of who these people are?” 

(Mother, father, sisters, brothers, grandparents, friends, teachers etc) 

• “Do you love them as well?” (Yes) 

10 

LOVING AND 

CARING FOR 

OTHERS 

• “What kinds of things do the people who love you do for you?” 

(Hug you, feed you, take care of you when you are sick, teach you new things etc) 

• “How do you show people that you love them?” 

(By behaving in a nice way, saying or doing nice things for them, hugging them, holding 

their hands etc) 


101


102 

• “What about pushing, hitting and hurting? Should you do that?" 

(No, of course not) 

“Should you do that to people you don’t like?” 

(No, you have to respect everyone’s body, even the people you don’t like, and even 

if you are angry with them) 

• “What does showing respect mean?" 

(Treating people nicely and valuing them) 

• “What kinds of things do you say to people you love?” 

(Nice and pleasant things) 

“What about the people you don’t like, should you say bad things to them?” 

(No, you have to respect everybody’s feelings, even those of the people you don’t 

like, even if you are angry with them) 

End the activity by summarizing what the children have learnt.


Aim: Learning how to deal with confl ict in a positive and peaceful manner 


Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and think about a confl ict that happened recently (it can be 

a confl ict that occurred amongst them, at home, or in the street). If they cannot think of one, 

ask them to make up an imaginary confl ict, or make one up for them. 

Take one of the suggested examples of a recent confl ict and lead a discussion using the 

following questions: 

• “Who was involved in the confl ict?” 

• “What was the confl ict about?” 

• “How was it solved?” 

• “Do you think that was the best solution?” 

• “Can you think of another solution?” 

Emphasize ways of dealing with confl icts that are positive and peaceful, for example: 

listening to what the other person has to say without interrupting; trying to see things from 

the other person’s point of view; if no solution can be found, asking a third person to mediate. 

End the activity by summarizing what the children have learnt. 

11 

CONFLICT 

RESOLUTION 

Note: Be careful not to intrude in the lives of the children. If it is better for the sake of the community, 

ask the children to use ‘pretend names’ instead of real ones when reporting a confl ict. 


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104 


Aim: To learn about health and hygiene 

Materials needed: 1 plastic doll (with hair and wearing clothes that can be 

taken off and put back on); 2 buckets of clean water; 1 bar of soap; 1 clean krama or 

towel; 1 toothbrush; 1 tube of toothpaste; shampoo (if available); hairbrush 

Instructions: 


General cleanliness 

12 

TAKE GOOD 

CARE OF YOUR 

BODY 

• “What should you do in order to keep clean?” 

(Wash your face and body with clean water and soap every day; change and wash 

your clothes daily; brush your teeth at least once a day; and wash and brush your 

hair regularly) 

• “What happens if you don’t wash your face and body with clean water and soap?” 

(You will be dirty and you may become ill) 

• “What happens if you wash yourself but don’t change and wash your clothes?” 

(You will become dirty again right away and your clothes will get dirty and smelly)

• “What happens if you don’t brush your teeth?” 

(They will rot and go black and hurt very much. The dentist will have to pull your 

rotten teeth out, and when you’re old, you might not have enough teeth to chew with) 

• “What happens if you don’t wash and brush your hair?” 

(It will be dirty, and tiny bugs called lice might live in it and make your head itchy) 

Handwashing 

• “When should you wash your hands?” 

Whenever they are dirty; before and after eating; before and after touching babies 

and people who are old or sick; after coughing, sneezing or nose blowing; after going 

to the toilet; after touching garbage, animals or playing outside) 

• “What happens if you don’t wash your hands before eating?” 

(Germs from your hands may get into your mouth and make you ill) 

• “What happens if you don’t wash your hands before holding a baby or hugging 

an old or sick person?” 

(Germs from your hands may make the baby or other person ill) 

• “What happens if you don’t wash your hands after sneezing or going to the toilet?” 

(Germs from your sneeze or from your poo may get on to your hands and then get into 

your mouth or eyes when you touch your face and make you ill) 

• What are germs?” 

(Tiny living things that you cannot see, that live in many things such as water, food, in 

people or animal’s hair/fur, coughs, sneezes, poo etc. Germs can get into your body 

if you touch them and attack your body from the inside, and make you ill). 

Demonstrate general cleanliness to the children using a plastic doll: 

Face and body 

• “This is how you wash your face and body. You pour clean water on your body, 

and you wash yourself with soap, starting with the cleanest parts (the face), and 

fi nishing with the dirtiest parts (the feet). Then you rinse well with 

clean water and dry yourself with a clean krama or towel.” 

• “What happens if you rinse with the same water you used 

before?” (You will pour all the dirt that came off your body, 

back onto yourself) 


105


106 

• “What happens if you dry yourself with a dirty krama or towel?” The dirt from 

the krama or towel will make your body dirty 

Clothes 

• “This is how you change and wash your clothes. You take off 

the dirty clothes and wash them in clean water with soap. Then 

you rinse the clothes well with clean water and hang them 

out in the hot sun to dry.” 

Teeth 

Hair 

• “This is how you brush your teeth. You pour a little bit of clean 

water on your toothbrush and put toothpaste on top. You brush 

all the teeth, top and bottom, inside and out side, vertically (up 

and down, not side-to-side) for a few minutes. Then you rinse 

your mouth with clean water and spit it out (don't swallow it 

as toothpaste is not good for your stomach) and rinse your 

toothbrush with clean water before putting it away" 

• “This is how you wash and brush your hair. You pour clean 

water all over your hair and you rub it with shampoo 

or soap until all the hair is covered in bubbles. Then you 

rinse your hair well with clean water and dry your hair 

with a clean krama or towel before brushing it." 

• “What happens if you rinse with the same water you 

used before? (You will pour all the dirt that came out of 

you hair, back onto it). 

• “What happens if you dry your hair with a dirty krama or towel?" 

(The dirt from the krama or towel will get onto your hair). 

End the activity by asking two or three children to summarize what they have learned.


13 

MY FAVORITE 

ANIMAL 

Aim: To learn about different animals and develop self-awareness and self-confi dence 

Materials needed: Sheets of paper (1 per child); colored crayons or pencils 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the colored crayons or 

pencils in the middle of the circle. 

Give each child a sheet of paper and ask them to draw their 

favorite animal and color it in. 

When the children have fi nished, go around the circle asking them 

what they like about their animals. For example, “I like the lion because he is big and 

strong”, “I like the rabbit because he is soft and cute”. Congratulate the children on 

their work. 

Explain that all animals are special and have likeable things 

about them. Say that all people are also special, and have 

likeable things about them. 

Ask the children to think of one thing they like about themselves 

and one thing they like about one of their friends or family 

members. Give the children the opportunity to share their ideas 

with the group. 


107


108 


14 

WHERE DO 

ANIMALS LIVE? 

Aim: To learn about the different animals, where they live, and how they move 


Instructions: 



1 Say the word “land”; the children say all the 

animals they can think of that live on land. 

After each animal is suggested ask 

“Do they walk, swim or fl y?” Repeat 

these questions for ‘water’ and ‘air’ 

animals. 

2 Name an animal and ask the 

children where it lives (on the 

land/in the water/in the air), and 

how it moves about (walking/ 

swimming/fl ying).

3 Divide the children into two groups. One group says an animal, and the other says 

where it lives and how it moves about. For example, group one says “dog”, and 

group two says “It lives on land” and “It moves by walking”. Group two then 

calls out an animal and group one gives the answers etc. Alternate the calling out of 

animals and answering between the two groups. 

4 Divide the children into two groups. When you say “water” or “land” or “air” - 

each group takes it in turns to call out an animal they can think of that lives in the 

water, on land or in the air. For example, when you say “water”, group one says 

“fi sh” while group two says “turtles”. Then group one says “frogs” while group two 

says “dolphins” and so on. 

Note: Make the last two activities competitive by giving points to the teams, one for each 

correct answer. 


109


110 


Aim: To learn about eating healthily 


Instructions: 

15 

EATING 

HEALTHILY 


• “Why do we eat food?” 

(To help us grow big and strong, to give us energy to do things, and to protect us 

from illness) Teach the children to do an action for each answer, for example, pump 

you muscles to show growing big and strong, run on the spot to show having energy 

to do things, and cross your arms in front of your chest to show being protected from 

illness. 

• “What are some foods we eat?” 

(Rice, noodles, chicken, beef, tomatoes, lettuce, bananas, oranges, cakes, candy etc) 

• “Do you know which foods help us to grow big and strong?” 

(Meat, fi sh, eggs, beans) 

• “Do you know which foods give us energy to do things?” 

(Rice, noodles, bread, sugar)

• “Do you know which foods protect us from illness?” 

(Fruits and vegetables, especially mango, pineapple, bananas, lemons, tomato, 

avocado, eggplant, carrots, onions, capsicum, and green leafy vegetables like 

spinach) 

• “We should eat all of these different kinds of foods and have a varied and colorful 

diet; it is not good to eat just one or two types of foods because this won’t give 

our bodies everything they need to grow, have energy and be protected from 

illness.” 

• “What will happen to our bodies if we don’t eat all of these different kinds of foods? ” 

(We will not grow big and strong, we will feel weak and tired and not have energy to 

go to school and play, we will get sick and feel ill) 

• “Which foods are not good for our bodies?” 

(Cakes, candy, fi zzy canned drinks etc – if we eat/drink too many of these our teeth 

will rot and go black and hurt very much. The dentist will have to pull the rotten teeth 

out, and when we are old we won’t have enough teeth to chew with) 

• “What other things aren’t good for our bodies?” 

(Cigarettes, alcohol, addictive drugs, motorbike/car fumes, chemicals, unclean water etc) 

End the activity by playing a short game. 

Explain that you will call out a food/drink 

or thing we put in/near our bodies and Some examples: 

the children must shout out “Good” 

• Candy - Bad • Mango - Good 

or “Bad” depending on whether 

the thing is good for our bodies or • Rice - Good • Chemicals - Bad 

bad for our bodies. For example, • Cigarettes - Bad • Soy bean milk - Good 

if you say, “Clean water”, all the • Bananas - Good • Tomatoes - Good 

children should shout out, “Good”, 

but if you say, “Candy”, all the children 

should shout out, “Bad”. 


111


112 


Aim: To learn about thunder, lightning, and safety during thunderstorms 

Materials needed: 1 sheet of cardboard cut into the shape of a lightning streak; 

1 pair of scissors; 1 spoon; 1 pot or pan; 1 chair 

Instructions: 


16 

THUNDER RUN 

Explain to them what a thunderstorm is: 

“In a storm cloud, tiny droplets of water bump against each other and make electricity. 

The electricity makes a huge spark. This is called lightning. The lightning heats the air 

so fast that the hot air rushes out of the cloud with a bang. This bang is called thunder. 

When the air rushes out of a broken balloon, it makes a loud noise, like thunder.” 

Talk about safety during a thunderstorm: 

“Where is the safest place to be in a thunderstorm? (Tall things like trees and metal 

poles attract lightning, and so does water. So during a thunderstorm, stay away from 

water, trees, metal poles and other tall things).”

Role-play the story of thunder and lightning: 

Choose one child to be thunder and give him/her a spoon and a pan. Choose another 

child to be lightning, give him/her a cardboard lightning streak and ask him/her to stand 

on something that is slightly higher than the ground, such as a chair. Tell the other children 

that they are tiny droplets of water that make up a storm cloud so they must stand very 

close together. 

Explain that to start the role-play the droplets of water must bump into each other to 

make electricity. Then when you say, “lightning”, the child who is lightning has to jump 

from the platform waving his/her lightning streak, and when you say “thunder”, the 

child who is thunder must run forward banging the spoon against the pan. When the 

thunder and lightning starts, all the other children must run to a safe place - away from 

water, trees, metal poles and other tall things. 

If there is time to do the role-play again, try to give different children the opportunity to 

be the thunder and lightning. 



113


114 


Aim: To learn that littering is bad for our community 


Instructions: 


• “What is litter?” (Things that must be thrown away because they are not of use any 

more) 

• “What litter can you see around you?” (Plastic; paper; cardboard; cans; old batteries; 

fruit and vegetable peels; coconut shells; leftover food; leaves, sticks and branches 

that have fallen from the trees) 

• “Do you think litter looks nice in your village?” (No) 

17 

LITTER 

BELONGS IN 

TRASHCANS 

• “Do you think the village would look nicer if there was no litter lying around?” 

(Yes) 

• “Do you think the river is a good place to put your litter?” (No. Animals living in 

the sea will become sick and die from it, and people will not be able to wash or swim 

in the river if it’s too dirty. If they do, they will become sick as well)

• “What can we do to avoid getting sick?” (Avoid touching 

litter or dirty things, but if we do, always wash our hands 

afterwards; always put litter in a special place or get 

rid of it completely by burning it to make the village 

cleaner and stop ourselves and others from getting sick) 

• “Do you know that some litter is natural (made of living 

things), and some is not natural (made of non-living 

things)?” (Some will say yes and some will say no) 

• “What natural litter can you see around you?” (fruit 

and vegetable peels; coconut shells; leftover food; 

leaves, sticks and branches) 

• “What litter can you see around you that is not 

natural?” (plastic bags and bottles; paper; cardboard; cans; old batteries) 

• “The natural litter, like food and plants, will decompose. This means that it will 

break apart and become part of the soil if buried or burned. Some natural litter, 

like food scraps, can also be given to the animals to eat.” 

• “The litter that is not natural, like plastic and batteries, will not decompose in the 

soil, and cannot be eaten by animals (animals may become sick and die). So 

we have to dispose of the non-natural litter in a special place, where it will be 

collected.” 

• “In each house, there should be a special place to store litter, like a bag , box or 

container. When the place is full of litter, the litter should be taken to a special place 

in the village for appropriate disposal”. 

Note: If the village doesn’t have a special place for non-natural litter, encourage the 

children to think of where one could be and discuss this with their parents 

• “What can we say to people to prevent littering in our community?” (We can 

tell everyone to put their litter in a special place like we do and not throw it on the 

ground or in the rivers) 



115


116 


Aim: To learn what a shadow is and how shadows are made 

Materials needed: Sticks or pieces of chalks (depending on whether the ground 

is dirt or concrete - 1 per pair) 

Instructions: 


• “Do you know what shadows are and how they are made?” (Shadows are 

dark shapes formed when light is blocked by an object. The shadow takes the form 

of the object that blocked the light) 

• “Are shadows the exact same shape and size as the object that blocked the light?” 

(No, shadows may be shorter, skinnier, taller, or fatter than the object that 

blocked the light) 

• “What can we tell by looking at shadows?” (We can tell what time of day it is 

because the length of the shadows are different depending on how high the Sun is in 

the sky) 

• “Without light, would we have shadows?” (No) 

18 

SHADOWS 

• “Where should we stand if we want to block light with our bodies and see our 

shadows?” (In the light - the sunlight or light from a bulb or candle)

Ask the children to observe their shadows as they move around in the sunlight. Let 

them describe their shadows. Do they look like them? Are they short or long, skinny 

or fat? Where is the light coming from? (The sun) 

Ask the children to fi nd a partner and in their pairs take it in turns to draw around each 

other’s shadows using the sticks or chalks. One child must stand still in a position which 

gives a nice shadow and the other child must draw around the outline of their partner's 

shadow with the chalk or the end of a stick. 

At the end of this activity, the children can admire all the shadow drawings and show 

them to the younger group. 

Note: If there is enough space outside, the children can play Shadow Tag – A game where 

one child is chosen to be ‘it’ and the rest of the children run around in the sunlight where they 

can see their shadows, trying to avoid the child who is ‘it’. The child who is ‘it’ tags a child by 

stepping on that child’s shadow. Then, the child whose shadow was stepped on becomes ‘it’ 

and they have to tag someone else. 


117


118 


Aim: To learn the importance of keeping a promise 

Materials needed: Paper plates (1 per child - if paper plates are not available 

see Note on next page); colored crayons or pencils; bits of paper or other decorations 

(candy wrappers, straws, newspaper etc); scissors; glue; stapler or sticky tape; hole 

puncher (if available); ball of wool or string 

Instructions: 

Lead a discussion using the following questions and answers: 

19 

KEEPING 

MY PROMISE 

• “Has anyone made a promise to you that they didn’t keep? How did you feel?” 

Encourage children to share some of their feelings and experiences. 

• “We all feel disappointed and upset if someone doesn’t keep their promise to 

us, don’t we? What about you, have you ever made a promise to someone that you 

didn’t keep?” 

Encourage children to share some of their feelings and experiences. 

• “We need to be careful about what promises we make to other people and mean 

what we say, because when we break our promises, we can hurt people's feelings. 

So what should you do when you break a promise?” 

Encourage answers from children. 

• “When we break a promise to someone, we need to let that person know that we 

are sorry and try not to break a promise again.”

• “We’re now going to make some promise reminders – 

something that you can see everyday to remind you 

about a promise.” 

Ask the children to sit in a circle and put the colored 

crayons or pencils, bits of paper or other decorations, 

scissors, glue, stapler or sticky tape in the middle 

of the circle. Give each child a paper plate. 

Ask the children to think about a promise that they 

have made or would like to make. This promise can be 

a promise to themselves or to someone else, for example: 

"I promise to be nice to my brother/sister"; "I promise to do my 

homework/chores everyday"; "I promise to brush my teeth everyday"etc. 

Once they have thought about their promises, help the children to write these on their 

plate and ask them to decorate their plate using the colored crayons/pencils and bits of 

paper or other decorations. The children can write promises and decorate both sides of 

the plate if they like. 

If a hole puncher is available, show the children how to punch a hole on the bottom of their 

plate and tie a piece of string through the hole like the string on a balloon. If you don't 

have a hole puncher help the children to cut a very small hole with scissors. 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to show their promise plates to 

the group if they want to. Congratulate the children on their work and encourage them to 

take their plates home and hang them somewhere where they will see them everyday. 

Note: Circles of paper can also be used instead of paper plates. Cut out circles the size of 

plates and give each child 2 circles. Once the circles have been decorated by the children, 

ask them to staple the 2 circles together around the edge, leaving a small gap at the top. 

Scrunch up some scrap paper and insert these into the stapled circles (like stuffi ng a pillow). 

Once done, staple shut the small gap at the top and attach a piece of string to their promise 

"plate". 


119


120 



20 

DIFFERENT 

WAYS OF 

DRAWING 

Materials needed: Colored crayons or pencils; sheets of paper (at least 1 per child) 

Instructions: 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. Choose one or two of the following 

activities depending on the age and ability of the children. 

1 Like and dislike 

Each child draws something that they like and 

something that they dislike. 

2 Blind drawing 

In pairs each child must draw something 

behind their back, without looking at 

their sheet of paper. When they are 

fi nished, they show their partner their 

drawing and their partner must guess 

what they were trying to draw.

3 Group drawing 

Divide the children into small groups and whisper to each group the name of something 

specifi c to draw (for example, a car, a motorbike, a cat, a house, a palm tree, the 

Sun etc). The fi rst child in each group draws one line only, the next child draws one 

more line, the next child draws one more line, and so on until the group considers 

their drawing fi nished. Then, each group shows their drawing to the other groups, 

who try to guess what it is. 

4 Guess what? 

Divide the children into small groups and ask each group to choose one child to be 

the illustrator. Ask all the illustrators to come close to you and whisper to them the 

name of something specifi c to draw (for example, a car, a motorbike, a cat, a house, 

a palm tree, the Sun etc). The illustrators must go back to their groups and begin 

drawing the thing they have been told while their group tries to guess what 

they are drawing by watching the picture. The fi rst group to guess correctly wins. 

Repeat this game to give different children the chance to be the illustrator. 

Note: The last activity can also be played all together without splitting into groups. In this case, 

the child who guesses right becomes the illustrator. 


121


122 


Aim: To develop creative skills and encourage children to refl ect on their past and 

think about what they want for their future 

Materials needed: Sheets of A4 paper (1 per child); colored crayons or pencils 

Instructions: 

21 

MY STORY 


the circle. 

Give each child a sheet of paper and show them how to fold it width-ways into three equal 

sections (see diagram below). 

Ask the children to draw what their life was like in the past 

(in the fi rst section), what their life is like now (in the middle 

section), and what they would like their life to be like in the future 

(in the last section). 

When the children have fi nished give them the opportunity to show 

their pictures to the group if they want to. Offer a lot of praise 

and encouragement and be sensitive to what the child is sharing as 

they may have some painful memories. Congratulate the children 

on their work.


Aim: To develop listening and role-play skills 


Instructions: 

22 

SOKHA’S 

ANIMALS 

Divide the children into fi ve groups and give each group one of the following names: 

frog, chicken, duck, pig, cow. 

Ask the children to practice acting out their group’s animal, by moving in the right way 

and making the right noises, for example, frogs jump up and down and go ‘ribbit ribbit’ 

and ducks waddle from side to side, fl ap their wings and go ‘quack quack’. 

Explain to the children that you will read them a story and that all of their animals will 

be mentioned so they must listen carefully and be ready to act out their group’s animal 

when they hear its name. When they hear the word ‘animal’ all the groups must act out 

their animal at the same time. 

Read the following story and pause briefl y after mentioning an animal name or the 

word ‘animal’ to give the different groups time to act it out. 


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124 

Example Story: 

There once was a woman called Sokha who really loved animals. She loved the birds in 

the sky, the mammals on the land, the fi sh in the sea, and she even loved the tiny tiny 

insects. Sokha already had a pet frog and two chickens but she wanted to buy some 

ducks. After she had saved enough money selling vegetables in the market, she was 

able to buy three ducks. Then, after saving some more money she bought a little pig. 

As the pig grew up, Sokha fed it so well that it got very big and fat. The pig got so 

big it could no longer fi t in the little wooden shelter Sokha had built for it. Sokha 

decided that she would have to sell the pig because she didn’t have enough space for it. So 

one day Sokha, her pet frog, and her big pig went to the market. At the market there were 

all kinds of animals for sale, such as, pigs, goats, cows, and chickens. Because Sokha’s pig 

was so big and fat she sold it for a lot of money and was able to buy a small cow. 

Sokha’s pet frog really liked the new cow, and so did her chickens and ducks, in fact 

all Sokha’s animals got on so well that they lived together like one big family - even 

though they all looked so different! Whenever people went past Sokha’s house they 

were amazed to see a little frog relaxing on the back of a cow; a cow helping a 

chicken to clean its golden feathers; and a chicken sleeping curled up next to a duck. 

Sokha was very happy with her new animal family and said to herself, “This is just 

perfect, now all I need are a few dogs…”. 

Note: Try making the story as lively as possible. You can also make up your own story, using 

different animal names often and repeating some of them several times.


Aim: To learn about primary colors and how to mix paint 

Materials needed: Paint (blue, red and yellow color); paintbrushes (1 per pair); 

cups of clean water (2 per group); sheets of thick paper (2 per child) 

Instructions: 


• “Can you tell me the names of some different colors?” (Red, green, blue, yellow, 

orange, brown, purple, gold, silver, black, pink etc) 

• “Do you know that most colors can be made by mixing together other colors?” 

(Some will say yes and some will say no) “For example, if I mix blue and 

yellow together it makes green, and if I mix blue and red together 

it makes purple.” 

• “Do you know that there are three special colors that cannot 

be made by mixing together other colors? These are called 

primary colors. Do you know what the three primary colors 

are?” (Blue, red and yellow) 

• Can you see anything around you that is blue, red or yellow? 

(Children point to blue, red or yellow things they can see) 

23 

PAINTING 


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126 

Divide the children into groups of fi ve or six and ask them to sit in small circles in their 

groups. Put the paint, paintbrushes, water and cups in the middle of each small circle and 

give each child a sheet of paper. 

Ask the children to mix two colors at a time on their sheets of paper, and ask them what 

happens when the colors are mixed together. After the children have all experimented 

with two colors at a time, they can try mixing all three primary colors at the same time, 

and seeing what happens. 

When the children have fi nished experimenting, give them each a new sheet of paper 

and ask them to make a color wheel by painting three circles, one blue, one red, and one 

yellow, that all overlap (see diagram below). 

Explain that where the circles overlap, we can see what colors the primary colors make 

when mixed together. Blue and yellow mixed together creates green; blue and red 

mixed together creates purple; and red and yellow mixed together creates orange. 

When the paint is dry, the children can write the names of the colors in the different 

parts of the circles.


Aim: To develop role-play and improvisation skills 


Instructions: 

24 

IMPROVISATION 

THEATER 

Divide the children into groups of three or four and ask them to sit in their groups 

facing you. 

Explain that you will be doing some drama and role-plays during this activity and that 

each group needs to choose a topic for a role play. Ask the children to brainstorm some 

ideas, such as being at school, in the hospital, at a wedding, at a party etc. 

Allow each group about fi ve minutes to discuss among themselves who their characters 

will be. For example, if the topic is school, the characters might be: teacher, student, 

parent, headmaster. 

While one group performs, the rest of the children are to be the audience. Each group 

will take it in turns to perform. 

After each group performs, the audience has to try and guess who all the different 

characters are in the role-play. Congratulate the group on their performance. 


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Aim: To encourage children to think about what they want for their future 

Materials needed: Sheets of colored A4 paper (1 per pair); template of a person; 

colored crayons or pencils; string; scissors; stapler 

Preparation: Cut all the sheets of colored A4 paper lengthways to make two 

long pieces out of each sheet. 

Instructions: 

19 

A LINE OF 

DREAMS 

Ask the children to sit in a circle. Lead a discussion using the following questions: 

• “What do you want to be when you grow up?” 

• “What would you like to study?” 

• “Where would you like to live?” 

• “Would you like to have a family, with a wife/husband and children?” 

Explain that you are going to make a line of dreamers (little people made out of paper) 

and that each dreamer will represent a different child and what their dreams are. 

Ask each child to choose a strip of paper, fold it in half width-ways and draw the outline of 

a person on it so that the head touches the fold in the paper (they can use the template or 

ask for help if they fi nd the drawing tricky). Ask the children to cut out the person (without

cutting through the fold line) and decorate it with colored crayons or pencils. Help the 

children to write their name and their dream(s) on the other side of the dreamer. 

When the children have fi nished, staple all the dreamers to a long piece of string or yarn, 

and display it where everyone can see it. Give the children the opportunity to talk about 

their dreams to the group if they want to. Congratulate the children on their work. 


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FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL CAMBODIA 

#11, Street 302, Boeung Keng Kang I, Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 

Tel: (855) 23-212-565/211-914 Fax: (855) 23-211-913 Email: info@fhi.org.kh 

Postal Address: P.O. Box 2586, Phnom Penh III (Post Boeung Pralit)

Playgroup Resource Book - FHI 360

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