Submitted by Susan Ruple, North Olmsted, Ohio
Idea posted February 12, 2002
Form a circle and give each student a numbered card to place on the floor in front of their position. Keep the numbers in order with the teacher having the largest number. Begin a beat pattern - I begin in 4 using the foot stomp as one, knees on two, clap on three, and snap on four. Continue the pattern.
The teacher starts the round by saying her number on the first beat of the measure (foot stomp) and calling a student's number on the next downbeat of one. That student must answer with his/her own number on the next foot stomp (beat one) and call another student on the following downbeat. The game continues until someone misses the first beat by speaking too early or too late. The body percussion pattern stops and that person leaves the circle to sit in the middle. His/her card and number remain in the game and everyone who has a number larger moves down one number (those who are smaller remain where they were).
Continue to play similar rounds changing the beat pattern to 3 (stomp, clap, snap) and 2 (stomp, clap). They really fall fast when you change to 6/8 time with a stomp, slap, slap (knees), clap, snap, snap pattern!
The winner is the person in position number one at the end of the game.