Freeze Dance

Sometimes the simplest ideas work the best.  Yesterday we played freeze dance at ASP, and it was a huge hit. 

One thing I've learned is when I announce, "okay, everyone, we're going to play a game called freeze dance!" (or whatever the activity is), I get a lot of groans. No matter WHAT the activity is.  But if I just start it, with one or two kids, more are sure to join in if they want to. And if they don't, they are the ones missing out. That is how it worked yesterday with freeze dance. 

I turned on a Pandora Kidzbop station on my phone and plugged it into my loud speakers. I started the music, and grabbed the two kids who were buzzing around me with nothing to do, and we just started dancing. Within seconds, most of the group was dancing, too, including the middle schoolers and the boys.  One of the kids shouted, "what are we doing??" and I said, "Freeze dance!" and then I went and paused the music. During the pause I said "we're playing freeze dance! Anytime the music is on, dance! But when it stops, you have to freeze!"

You can call kids out if they move during the freeze time, but I didn't really, because I didn't feel the need for an elimination game. I would just say, "Ishrak, I see you moving!!" but the moving kids could keep dancing when the music came back on.

Honestly, they liked it so much, they asked if we could do it again today.  Freeze dance! The easiest thing!