One person stands in the centre of the circle. They challenge someone on the outside by making eye-contact and saying “Bibbidy bibbidy bop”. By the time they finish this phrase, the person they are talking to should have said “Bop” or that person will now be in the middle and resume as the challenger.
The challenger can also say “Bop” to which the outsider must not respond, or they go in the middle.
Layer up these rules one at a time. The next is “James Bond 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10” by which time the person they’re challenging must be looking cool and holding a gun while the two people flanking them are Bond Girls saying “Ooh, James” and lifting one leg behind themselves.
When people mess up or are too they go into the middle. This is a celebration not a punishment, and we cheer when things go wrong.
Other commands include “Little Mermaid [count to 10]”, the reply to which is them singing “A whole new world” while the people either side hold their arms and they lean forward.
The next is “Elephant [count to 10]”, the central person puts one arm under the other and holds their nose, forming a trunk, the supporters are their ears.
When you have a few of these, get the challenger to start making them up (still counting to 10 while they are formed). Once one is made up it stays for the rest of the course!
Purpose
- Play!
- Having fun with making mistakes. The mistakes are celebrated!
- Being alert and in the present moment.
Variations
- Toastie: the people either side of the target lift up their arms like toaster rails on either side of the target, and the target jumps in the air while saying "Toastie!"
- James Bond: the target poses like James Bond with a gun raised, while the two people either side act as Bond Girls and fawn over Mr Bond.
- Park Bench: the person to the left of the target crouches on all fours, the person of the right poses as a tree, and the target sits (carefully!) on the person as a bench and mimes reading a newspaper.
- Jucie Machine: the target raises their arms with fingers clawed facing down and makes a mechanical sound. The two people either side crouch under the hands and rotate like oranges being pressed.
- Rollercoaster: the person to the left bends in front of the target, and the person in the right crouches in front of them, and the target raises their arms. All shout in excitement as though riding a rollercoaster.
- Haunted House: the people either side would raise their arms like a roof over the target. The target person crouches and gestures in a creepy voice "Come in..."