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I'm looking for some ideas for warm ups to a kids show.

I have a 45 min kids show, and have been asked to do some quick games for 15 mins to start.

I need it to use no big props.

Ideas so far...
Throw and catch a ball in a circle to learn names.
Music games, cha cha slide / my fishing song.
Pat your head / rub your tummy - any other things like that, body tricks / body puzzles?

Any advice, or ideas, even small ideas are appreciated.
Lots of thanks.

We play a game with the Cub pack called 'Head it, Catch it'. You stand in the middle and the kids make a circle round you. With a soft, football-sized ball you throw it (gently!) at one child and say either 'Head it' or 'Catch it' and they have to do the opposite of what you say. If they do exactly what you say, then they're out until the next round. Continue round the circle until you have a winner.

There's also a game you can play with cards. Divide the kids into four teams, and scatter a pack of cards around the game area. Each time has to find an Ace. When a player finds an Ace he has to shout the suit to his team and then the rest of the team has to find the rest of the cards in that suit. Winning team is the first one back with a complete suit.

What age kids?

What age kids?

4 to 8 is what I get booked for mostly, I would say.

Jing wrote:

What age kids?

4 to 8 is what I get booked for mostly, I would say.

That's my 15 minute juggling workshop out the window then!
Totally pointless with kids under 10, that's not to say I don't refuse to teach kids under 10, I just think it's not going to be in any way productive!

Simon Says comes to mind -- popular with a broad age group, and you can make it more or less difficult.

For the very young, simple songs with actions or finger-plays are amazingly popular. ("Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "The Grand Old Duke of York", etc.)

For older ones, you might try standard "icebreaker" games that are used in company and teaching settings. Most icebreakers are easy and a bit silly, and the adult ones can often be adapted for children. Not that kids at a party need help to break the ice in the same way as delegates at a convention, but they're good warm-ups anyway.

Yeh, 'Simons Says...' is good.
THink I'll do heads, shoulders, knees and toes - because I'm going to do that game...
touch your head, touch your chest, touch your shoulder - but on shoulder you touch your elbow and see how many just follow - so I guess I can do heads, shoulders, knees and toes, but change the names of body parts - when I say heads, you have to touch your knees, for example! think that will be quite funny / confusing.

Thanks for your input.

HI,
I have the Music Man song and Superman Song. The kids copy me, even the little tots love it. I use these dances to fill time in while waiting for the late comers.

Naff as it is, you can't go far wrong with Black Lace stuff - don't forget the immortal Agaddo!

I just remind myself that alot of the little ones might not have even heard of Music Man/Superman before, so their eyes are glued to me trying to copy and, because the parents already know it they can sing along and do the actions too.

Mind You, I can't resist the amazing effect that happens when Gangnam Syle is played. It's like the kids turn into Gangnam programmed Robots. So funny )

as already said blak lace stuff is great, music man is usefull, I have a kid hold some a4 cards printed with the music instruments etc, gets them used to seeing the cards for later on and packs flat...ish.
then thers some site gags ie stiff rope with the kids calling out leviosar or for the adults vi..ag..ra.

My letter routine is probably the best. I have posted it all over the place. Seek and ye shall find.