Submitted by Carol Cantrell, North Carolina
Idea posted March 30, 2004
It's the Native American Indian Jumping Game! (Word as appropriate for the P.C. usage in your area.) On holidays, one of the games American Indian children play is the Jumping Game. Here's how it goes:
Everyone stands in a large circle. Everyone starts jumping up and down, to a group beat. I usually provide the beat on a hand drum while in a sitting position. Then you go around the circle, and each person has to jump into the middle of the circle and demonstrate a different kind of jump. The circle then has to follow the leader in the middle, and do that person's jump. Then the leader jumps back out, and everyone keeps jumping up and down. Then the next person comes into the middle and demonstrates another jump, and the whole group does THAT jump, and so on and so forth, around the circle. Between leadership demonstrations, everyone keeps jumping up and down.
Now, for a refreshing change, you can number them off around the circle and shout out the number of the person who is to be the next leader. Or the person who is the leader can shout out a number. But the important thing is to keep jumping up and down at all times. Usually, by one trip around the circle, it's time for a sit-down break. I never let that last too long - I start up again within half a minute or so. This is a game I usually reserve for the last day of school before a holiday (remember - it's a holiday game). I return the kids to their classroom teachers just falling-down exhausted. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's a sure-fire winner.