Flip It!

How It Works:

As the students enter the classroom, there is an open blanket sitting in the middle of the room.  Once the students are settled, ask for a volunteer.  The volunteer must stand on the blanket.  Ask for a second volunteer, who joins the first volunteer on the blanket.  Continue getting volunteers until the blanket is quite full (the more volunteers, the harder the activity becomes).

At this point, you can make up a story about how the classroom floor is in fact...lava!  No student on the blanket may place a foot on the floor.  However, if the bottom of the blanket sits on the lava for too long it will disintegrate.  So, the students, working together, must flip the blanket over without ever stepping foot on the floor.

Add to the fun:

• If you have a big class, split them in to two groups and you can add a fun level of competition.  For example, have 12 students stand on the blanket and the remaining students watch.  Time the first group, and then have the second group try to beat that time.
• Add music (Mission: Impossibe; Pink Panther)