Musical Statues | A Party Game With Hidden Benefits for Directing Excellent Preschool Shows

In the first week of Silly Fish Learning’s first birthday month, we first shared this classic party game. Musical Statues is a fan favorite at parties, but is also a useful classroom tool to burn energy and help children focus.

It has stood the test of time, and even during the global pandemic can be played while social distancing or teaching virtually.

COVID-19 Update!
To make this game safe for children while social distancing, mark a space on the floor for the children to dance in. By asking them to stay on their spot you can ensure they are socially distant!

Instructions

  • Have the children find a dance space in the room.
  • When the music plays, the children must dance.
  • When the music stops, they must freeze like a statue.
  • If you see a child moving when there is no music playing, they are eliminated.
  • Keep going until only one child remains.
  • For an extra challenge, pick a theme for the statues (e.g. animals) or ask the children to dance a certain way (e.g. ballet).

Musical Statues is a great way to introduce the idea of tableaus to children and get them thinking about the physical characteristics of their character.

I’ve even used this game to explore emotions before by asking the children to freeze in a way that expresses a certain emotion with their body.

If you’re a drama teacher, Musical Marks is a great directing tool developed from this game.

Need help keeping your students socially distant? Try marking a space using the following:

If you purchase any of these products, we may get a small commission. It doesn’t change the price for you but it helps us keep the lights on.

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Rebecca is the founder and chief executive officer of Silly Fish Learning Ltd. She is a children's playwright with a vast and varied career in education, primarily teaching drama and English.

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