Here is a brand new game (to me) that worked GREAT at all the summer camps I’ve spoken at so far this summer. You can play this in most any setting with kids and with any number of kids….
Name of the Game: Freeze Dance
Point of the Game: Dance when you hear the music. Freeze when it stops. Follow the caller’s instructions.
How to Play: Play music for the kids. I used a great remix version of the theme to Chariots of Fire by DJ Hush, which has the epoch slow part at the beginning and then a electronic dance-party remix sound to the rest of the song. Then pause the music whenever you like and tell the kids to freeze. They need to dance slow when there is slow music and fast when there is fast music. Each time they freeze, I tell them a command that they must perform on the next freeze (i.e. stand on one foot, touch a friend, etc.). They only need to do one command at a time (in other words, commands don’t “carry over” from one freeze frame to another).
Versions: You can play the elimination version (kids get kicked out when they move during the freeze time) or the “everybody plays” version, where there is no elimination. Honestly, I like the “everybody plays” version much better. The kids might not freeze as perfectly as they would otherwise if there were elimination, but they still play and participate enough for it to be a lot of fun. Besides, you don’t want too many kids sitting around waiting for the next game to start.
Ideas for Freeze Commands (each time they freeze, tell them they need to move in the direction of freezing in this next command while the music plays):
- stand on one foot
- touch a friend
- touch an adult
- touch a chair
- touch at least 3 chairs
- touch someone wearing blue
- strike a lawn care pose (lawnmower, sprinkler, etc.)
- strike a sporting pose (favorite sport or game)
- play dead (this one is hilarious)
- play roadkill (playing dead with arms and legs sticking straight up in the air)
- form a large circle
- make a conga line (and have them dance it when the music starts again)
- look happy
- look sad
- (the ideas are endless)
