Picture this: it’s the first day of elementary school and there are loads of new students in the grade you’re teaching. The first days are the hardest for several reasons, primarily because of the awkwardness. Which is why most teachers look for icebreaker games to get the rhythm flowing.
Speaking of rhythm, a fun game like this would be Pass the Beat.
Features of the Pass the Beat Game
| ★ Game Name | Pass the Beat Game |
| ★ Group size | small and medium |
| ★ Age | any (8+) |
| ★ Type | stationary |
| ★ Skill | memory |
| ★ Place | indoor (gym) and outdoor |
| ★ Time | up to 5 – 15 min |
| ★ Preparation | no |
| ★ Materials | no |
Aim of the Game
The game in itself is fairly simple, but it’s played with varying levels of difficulty to make it more energizing and keeping kids on their toes throughout. Players have to pass the beat without interruption or they lose.
Remember, the entire aim of the game is to break the ice and raise the class’ energy levels. However, to achieve this you’ll have to vary of the game becoming too repetitive or even a little too easy for the last few students.
Group Size and Age
Ideally, this game is best played with a larger group, but not more than seven or eight students in one circle. If you have a classroom with more students, you can distribute them into smaller groups of seven.
This game is best played amongst children 8+ years old. However, adults may also find this game pretty challenging and fun.
Preparation and Materials Needed
You need nothing besides a group of kids who are bursting with energy and who know how to have a good time.
To play the game, make sure you explain the rules beforehand and specify all of the changes you intend to make with each level. Make sure you’re audible and clear to avoid confusion (any more than intended).
How to Play the Pass The Beat Game
Step 1: Explain the rules to them.
Step 2: Distribute the class into groups of not more than 7 or 8 students.
Step 3: Ask them to stand in a circle and the sentence ‘pass the beat around the room’ is chanted one word at a time by each student. At the last kid, you end things with an action, say a clap. The player after that starts the next round of the game faster than the last.
Step 4: You might want to kick things off to give the group the gist of the game.
Step 5: Specify the action they’ll have to make at the end of the sentence. Start the game off easy.
Step 6: After the first level, switch things up by replacing a word and asking the kids to go faster. For example, to make it exciting, you could direct kids to replace the word ‘round’ with a stomping action. Then, replace ‘Pass’ with a clap, etc.
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The game would then go like this: ‘Clap. The. Beat. Stomp. The. Room. Clap…’ |
Step 7: The first person to break the tempo or mess up sits down.
Step 8: The game continues until there’s only one kid left.
Sounds fairly simple, right? Wait until you play it!
The best thing about the Pass the Beat game is that you can switch up however you like to make it more exciting. The entire aim of the game is to have kids constantly alert and active.