Warm-ups by

Clap clap rest

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:53:49 UTC

Starting with a wide circle on the floor, a number and a clapping game: clap clap rest.

1st clap: my number

2nd clap: my name

3rd rest: another’s number

The person whose number has been called continues the cycle.

(learned from Dave Camlin)

Footprints in the sand

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:54:18 UTC

Everyone closes their eyes and imagines they are standing on a beach while they move all their weight on to one leg while keeping the other one on the ground. They can then move their weight around the areas of the foot to imagine the perfect footprint. Progress on to the other foot.

Box Breath

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:54:36 UTC

Inhale for four counts, hold your breath for four counts, exhale for four counts, hold your breath for four counts. To help with the counting, draw a square shape with your finger, every side taking four counts.

Count to Ten

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:55:16 UTC

Count to ten as a group taking turns. No one is allowed to say a number at the same time as another person or you start back from one.

Feather in the palm of your hand

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:55:42 UTC

Imagine a feather in the palm of your hand and either use long controlled breathes to blow the feather across the room or short, stabbed breaths to keep the feather up in the air and just above the hand.

Pass the clap

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:56:06 UTC

Everybody sits in a circle. The facilitator claps first and the person next to him claps immediately after, followed by the person next to them, and so on, until the circle is complete. Can speed up and slow down the clapping.

Name Game

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:56:26 UTC

First, establish a rhythm, walking forwards and backwards on the count of four. Everyone says their name at the same time on the count of four. Then, take turns saying your name on the count of four. Then, say the name of the person on your left. Then, say the name of the person next to the person on your left. Speed up.

When I say 'I'

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:57:23 UTC

When the facilitator says ‘I’, the rest of the group says ‘you’. When the facilitator says ‘you’, the rest of the group says ‘I’. Can do this with other sound pairings and can have different participants take on the role of facilitator.

(learned from Thomas Johnston)

Spellcasting

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:57:44 UTC

Sh sh sh sh (over right shoulder)

Ss ss ss ss (over left shoulder)

Ftsh ftsh ftsh ftsh (into centre)

Repeat x3

Spot a cake on the floor- ‘ah!’

Pick it up and admire it – ‘mmmmmmmmmm’

Put it in your mouth – but it’s too hot! – pant to get more air in your mouth! (NB - only want to hear AIR not voice)

Swallow – the sound for swallowing here is a siren using the sound ‘ng’ to slide down through vocal range from high to low.

Uh-oh, the cake is coming back up… - siren with ‘ng’ back up through vocal range from low to high.

Freeze with tongues sticking out!

(learned from Dave Camlin)

Tense your toes

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:58:03 UTC

Everyone stands in a circle. Start by tensing your toes, then your shins, your knees, your thighs, your stomach, and your shoulders. Make a fist with both hands and scrunch up your face. Let go on three, two, one (big breath!).

Don't Clap This One Back

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:58:32 UTC

You demonstrate one specific rhythm that the children cannot clap back. All the other rhythms that are clapped they have to clap back to the person demonstrating the rhythm. Everyone takes turns clapping a rhythm, but when the ‘don’t clap this one back’ rhythm is clapped, everyone is quiet.

One to eight

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:58:57 UTC

Together, we count to eight while touching our heads, then while touching our shoulders, then while touching our knees, then while touching our toes. Then we count to four, to two, and to one. Once everybody gets the gist, the first beat can be replaced by a different sound, e.g. ‘woop’ (so you go: “woop, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight”), then the second beat can be replaced, etc.

Clap 5

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 19:59:26 UTC

Everybody sits down in a chair. You say a number, e.g. “clap 3”, and everybody claps three times. You keep going until you say “clap 5” – then nobody claps but instead changes seats quickly. The last person to find a seat can lead the next round.

(learned from Musicians without Borders)

Mirroring Claps

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-02 20:00:01 UTC

Everybody mirrors what the facilitator is doing. The facilitator pretends to clap or actually claps and the group has to follow, trying not to clap when the facilitator is not clapping.

A gentler version: mirror each other to some gentle music.

We Will Rock You

gatheringfutures — 2025-03-09 13:54:28 UTC

Stamp one foot, then another, then clap while singing the chorus to Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’. Then one person stamps right foot, another stamps left foot, and a third claps. Try to get a steady rhythm as a group.