Clap in Place of Missing Words

Materials

• Optional: four picture cards showing mountain, river, star and sea

How to play

1. Stand or sit in a semicircle away from the fire, where everyone can see the facilitator. Choose four words—“mountain, river, star, sea”—to say in that order, one per beat.
2. The facilitator counts four steady beats. Say the four words together twice. Use a slow enough tempo to fit each word within one beat; do not compete over how long you can say it.
3. Replace the first word, “mountain,” with one clap and no speech. Repeat “clap, river, star, sea” twice to check the sequence.
4. In turn, replace “river,” “star,” and “sea” with claps until all four beats are claps. Announce which word will disappear before each attempt.
5. Nobody is eliminated for mistakes; stop and check the order. After two matching four-clap sequences, restore all four words and say them once to finish. Invite a new facilitator if continuing.

Ways to adapt

Preschool children: begin with two words. Younger primary school children: point to picture cards. Older primary school children and adults: choose four words together. Play standing or seated without walking.

Sources and references

• The Scout Association Campfire songs ↗