The Game of Many Things:
Description:
This is another good warm up for physicalization and concentration. This game involves creating “circuits” or patterns of movements, gestures or vocalizations. Gather the students in a circle. The goal is to send a movement or combination of movement and sound around the circle in varying patterns. To start one student makes a sound or gesture while making eye-contact with someone across the circle. The student on the other side of the circle receives the pattern and passes it across to someone new. This is repeated until the pattern makes its way back to the original sender. Once everyone has received and sent the movement or gesture that completes the circuit. Students need to remember the movement or gesture and who sent it to them and who they sent it to in order to keep the circuit going continuously. Once the students have established the circuit they are to start a new circuit sending a different movement or gesture a different person across the circle. They follow the same steps to create a second circuit. Now the fun begins. The students can begin to do both circuits at the same time. Once the group can successfully complete both circuits at the same time we can introduce a third circuit. This can continue to develop as long as students can follow and complete as many circuits as possible at once. If someone fails to pick up the cue of one circuit the passer just keeps passing until the receiver realizes that it is their turn.
Application:
A great way to get the body up and moving and create energy within the group. This exercise also builds concentration and focus in a really fun way. The more circuits that are active the more it requires the student to block out the background noise and focus on sending and receiving their circuit. This game is a lot of fun and really helps to build teamwork and group camaraderie while developing verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
Variations:
Notes:
Will Whitten 