Curiouser and Curiouser

G-1: A Most Ridiculous Game

Invent a new game. It could be the most nonsensical or sensical as long as two or more players can participate in it. It should come with rules and guidelines on how its to be played. (<1000 words)

Games don't need to be complicated. Any rhyme or song can be turned into an action song with a little imagination.

Choose a rhyme that the children know and like. This should be a rhyme that doesn't have actions included. “Humpty Dumpty” or “Row Row Row Your Boat” are good examples. (“Incy Wincy Spider” would be a bad example because there are actions already part of the rhyme)

Pick three or four beginning letters that are common in the rhyme. Each Letter should be associated with a different action. For example:

Hey Diddle Diddle
The Cat and the Fiddle
The Cow jumped over the Moon
The Little Dog laughed to see such sport
and the Dish ran away with the Spoon

The letters chosen are D, C, S

Every time a D word is said, and you are sitting down, stand up. If you are standing sit down. (choose a letter with an even number of repetitions for this so that you end up with sitting children)
Every time a C word is said, clap your hands
Every time an S word is said, stomp your feet

This will result in:
Hey, stand up, sit down,
the clap and the fiddle
the clap jumped over the moon
the little stand up laughed to stomp stomp stomp
and the sit down ran away with the stomp

Additional letter actions could be included if desired.

Be flexible. Don't be too complicated. Remember to do the actions with them (don't stand or sit with them, you're taller and you need to keep your eyes on theirs). Also, remember, you are the one in charge. You need to keep up with the rhyme while the children do the actions—don't let someone else call the rhyme. Otherwise you're losing to their strengths. You're always going to have less energy than they do.

Keep up the imagination. Use different actions for different songs but try to keep the actions consistent for the same song on different days so they learn the game, too. Children like consistency.

Note: This would be especially good with a tongue twister type rhyme like “Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater” because it has lots of words with the same beginning letter.

Word count: 368