I Have Who Has Kindergarten Cooperative Learning Game: How to Play + Free Alphabet Version

One of my favorite classroom cooperative learning games to use with my kindergartners is "I Have, Who Has." If you haven't tried it yet, you are going to love it! It is such a great way to reinforce or review skills and once you teach students how to play, you can use it for almost any content just by switching out the cards. Not only does it solidify skills, but it also keeps students excited and engaged the whole time. Let's dive into everything you need to know about this fun kindergarten game!

What Is the I Have Who Has Game?

"I Have, Who Has" is a whole-class card game where every single student gets a card and participates. One card says "I have START" and another says "END," and the chain of cards connects everyone in between. Students have to listen carefully so they know when it's their turn to respond which means the whole class stays engaged from beginning to end.

It sounds simple, and it is! That's part of what makes it so perfect for kindergarten.

How to Play I Have Who Has in Kindergarten

Playing "I Have, Who Has" with kindergartners is easier than you might think. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Hand out the cards.
Give each student one card. If you have more students than cards, pair students up as buddies. If you have more cards than students, some students can hold two cards.

Step 2: Find the START card.
The student holding the "I have START" card begins the game by reading their card aloud.

Step 3: Follow the chain.
Each card has two parts: "I have ___" and "Who has ___?" The student whose card answers the "Who has?" question reads next. The game continues until the student with the END card finishes.

Step 4: Try to beat the clock!
Once your students know how to play, add a timer to make it even more exciting. Kids love trying to beat their own record and it's a great way to build fluency and listening skills at the same time!

Why I Love This Game for Kindergarten

This isn't just a fun filler activity but it really does build important skills! Here's why I keep coming back to it all year long:

Active listening: Students have to stay tuned in because they never know exactly when their turn is coming. This naturally builds listening skills in a way that feels like a game, not a lesson.

Whole-class participation: Every single student has a role. There's no sitting on the sidelines, which is huge for keeping kindergartners engaged.

Easy to differentiate: If you have a student who needs extra support, simply partner them with a buddy. If a student is ready for more challenge, give them two cards to manage.

Flexible for any skill: That's the real magic of this game. Once your students know how to play, you can swap in new cards for any skill you're working on and they already know exactly what to do.

When to Use I Have Who Has in Kindergarten

This game works great in so many different parts of the day! Here are a few of my favorite times to use it:

Morning meeting — a quick, low-prep way to kick off the day with a skill review
Transition time — perfect for those few extra minutes before lunch or specials
Whole group review — great before an assessment or at the end of a unit
Small group — use just a portion of the cards for a focused small group activity

What Skills Are Included?

I put together an "I Have, Who Has" bundle specifically for kindergarten that covers both math and phonics skills your students are working on all year.

Math skills included:

• Identifying numbers 1–25
• Numbers on ten frames 1–20
• 2D shapes and 3D shapes

Phonics skills included:

• Beginning sounds
• CVC words
• CVCe words
• Rhyming
• Nonsense words

They are easy to print and laminate so you can have them ready to grab whenever you need a quick review or have a few extra minutes in your day.

Grab the Bundle or Try It Free!

Ready for the full set? The I Have, Who Has Kindergarten Bundle has everything you need for math and phonics reviews all year long.

👉 Check out the I Have Who Has Kindergarten Bundle here

If you want to try the game before committing to the full bundle, You can grab the FREE I Have Who Has Alphabet Freebie here to download and use right away! It's a great way to introduce the game to your students and see how much they love it.

I hope that you and your students enjoy playing this game!