Submitted by Becky, New Hampshire
Idea posted July 18, 2005
I'm sure most of you probably do something similar to this, but this is a freeze game that all my kids LOVE: I call it the dancing drum, but really, it's a freeze game.
When the sound of the drums stops, children must freeze in position. I have the rule that both feet must be flat on the ground when they freeze. I also require for second and third graders (although not for first grade, as some of them are still learning to skip) that the beat be in their feet.
Here are the signals I use:quarter notes: walking
eighth notes: tiptoe
dotted eighths/sixteenth: skipping
fingers drumming: sitting
hand rubbing on head of drum: lying down
very sharp tone in middle of any pattern: reverse direction
The first time we play, I don't eliminate (and actually, there are a LOT of days when I don't). After they're warmed up and the older they get, I start eliminating if they don't freeze or if the beat's not in their feet. I never go all the way down to just one person; when I've got about six or seven kids left, I just say, "Everybody back in," and we start over.
Sometimes, if I'm inside with access to instruments, those who are "out" play the drums with me. That got to be a bit chaotic with kids getting out on purpose, so I don't do that very often. I like to keep the game moving quickly so they're sorry they're not a part of it.
Also, they LOVE it when I change back and forth between two rhythms, especially lying down and skipping or sitting and tiptoeing, etc.