Type: Ice Breaker and Circle Game
Age: 8 yrs and up Resources: None
Time: As long as it’s fun Group Size: 6 or more
Players stand in a circle. One person volunteers to be the change spotter and leaves the circle. Then another person is nominated to be the change maker. The change spotter is called back and stands in the centre of the circle.
The change maker then needs to start an action that everyone else copies without the change spotter seeing. Every few second the change maker has to change actions with everyone following. Standing in the centre, the change spotter has to try and guess who is the change maker. Once he catches the change maker, two new people are nominated and the game repeats.
FUNKY CHICKEN
Type: Ice Breaker and Energizer
Age: All Resources: None
Time: 5 mins Group Size: Any Size
Standing in a circle, the group shakes their right hand and arm 8 times while counting loudly “1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8”, then repeating with the left arm, right leg and then left leg.
Then repeat with the right arm, left arm, right leg and left leg, counting up to 6. Then 4, then 2, then 1. After the round of 1’s everyone shouts “FUNKY CHICKEN” while doing the silliest chicken dance they can!!
A GREAT WIND BLOWS
Type: Ice Breaker, Circle Game & Energizer
Age: All Resources: As many chairs as children
Time: 10 – 20 mins Group Size: More than 8
Arrange the chairs in a circle, facing the middle. All the children sit down. An adult stands outside the circle and calls out “A great wind blows for everyone who….”, fills in the blank with a statement that will affect some of the group. An example could be “A great wind blows for…everyone who has a bigger sister”.
Anyone who is affected must stand up and find another chair, which is at least 2 chairs away from their own. If a large group of children stand up, the adult should quickly remove one of the chairs from the circle as soon as the kids stand up and begin moving.
Any child who cannot find a chair moves outside the circle and helps the adult come up with ideas for the next “great wind blows”.
This is part of the “Seed Pack – Resources for facilitating holistic education and working” – a free guide offered by Earthchild, to support others in their journey connecting children to themselves, others and the environment. Support our work with Earth Children from under-resourced communities by donating.