Fun Shark Games

Shark Fin Hunt

Make a shark fin for each player (less one) out of cardboard and gray paint. Hide the shark fins all over the play area. If you are in a classroom, have the children bury their heads in their arms at their desk while hiding the fins each time. If you are having a shark-themed party at home, have the children go into another room while hiding the shark fins. When you say "Hunt," everyone must go find a shark fin. The player who does not find a shark fin is out of the game. Remove another fin and hide them all again. Each time you will eliminate one fin and one player. The last player to find a shark fin wins the game.

Have all the children sit in a circle and give one child a small inflatable shark. You can find inflatable toy sharks at some party supply stores and online. Play a song from a shark-themed movie like "Jaws" and have the children toss the shark around the circle. When the music stops, that means the shark attacks and the player holding the shark is out of the game. The last player remaining wins the game and a prize.

Draw a shark's head with his mouth open on a large poster board. Tape the poster to the bottom of a cardboard box and cut out the shark's mouth. Lean the box up against a wall. Place a piece of tape on the ground to mark a standing line about 10 feet from the cardboard box. Give each player five beanbags to try to toss into the shark's mouth. For added decoration, paint the beanbags to resemble fish using acrylic paint. Award a small prize to each player who for each beanbag in the shark's mouth.

Select one child to be the shark and have him stand in the middle of the play area. Have all the other "fish" (players) stand on both sides of him. When he says, "Shark Attack!" the players must try to run to the opposite side from where they are standing. Fish can try to run around the shark rather than straight ahead, but they have to stay inside the play area and always run to the opposite side from where they started. Any fish caught by the shark is now a shark and must help him catch the other fish. The last fish caught wins the game and is the shark for the start of the next game.