Musical Chairs

Skill: Run, Skip
Time Required: 15
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs
Play area: Classroom (small indoor space), Gymnasium (large indoor space)
Safety Considerations: All participants are going in the same direction.
There is no pushing or pulling others to get to a chair.
Equipment: Chairs (1 less than the total number of participants)
Music
Objective:
All participants to be able to fit onto the number of designated chairs.
Set up:
Have the chairs set up in two rows, with the backs almost touching.
Step by Step:
1. When the music starts, the participants begin to walk (or skip, jog, walk backwards) around the chairs in a circle (all in the same direction)
2. When the music stops, players must get to a chair and sit on it.
3. More than one player can be on a chair.
4. After every round, a chair is taken away.
5. The goal is for the group to find room on the chairs for each player to be able to sit on one.
6. The game is over as soon as a player can not find a spot on a chair.
Variations:
Play so that there can only be one player sitting on a chair and the player who does not have a chair is out of that game.
Have participants on one half of the area doing an activity (running, skipping etc...), on the other side of the area are the chairs. When the music is playing the leader moves the chairs around, and when the music stops the participants must run to a chair.

Adaptations (Blindness/Visual Impairment):
Have another participant guide those who are blind or visually impaired.

Adaptations (Mobility Impairment):
Consider allowing a participant with a mobility impairment to control the music, given that the speed involved in this activity may make it difficult for them to participate.

Adaptations (Deafness/Hearing Impairment):
Adjust the lights or use hand signals to indicate to participants who are deaf or hard of hearing that the music has started, and when the music stops.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network