Les poissons et les pêcheurs (the fish and fishermen)

This is an idea for a counting game ideally played outside or in the hall.

You need to choose 4 or 5 children to be ‘les pêcheurs’ (the fishermen) the rest of the class are ‘les poissons’ (the fish).

The fishermen form a circle (the fishermen‘s net). They secretly agree on a number. The game starts and the fishermen start going round in a circle with their ‘net open’(arms up), they recite the rhyme : 

‘Petits poissons, venez , passez, 1, 2, 3, etc. 

The fish go in and out of the net, until the fishermen reach their secret number and close their ‘net’ (put their arms down). Whoever is caught in the net becomes part of the fishermen group. 

The games continue until there is no fish left !

Have a look at these two videos to see a demonstration of French children playing the game. 

Allez petits poissons!!