As the name implies, this is an idea for getting the children to be quiet.

Choose a child to be Captain Silence and walk around giving a thumbs up to children who are sitting in silence with arms folded. It is amazing how quickly they get the idea and usually on saying "Captain Silence is....", they sit down and fold their arms as they are eager to be chosen.

This way its the children themselves who help create a nice, quiet environment.

No words are spoken, only a thumbs up or down.

It's fun and it works for me. I hope it works for you too!