K-12 Curriculum Guide for Rhythm & Dance Games: Ages 7+

Game Descriptions

 

Game design influenced by:

Game Variations derived from the RYBG System

Weight Changer

DESCRIPTION
This variation of RYBG is guided by moving the body around a square shape as opposed to having the rotation be on the body.  The body movement encourages a transfer of weight, which then triggers a mental signal of the color change. The variation is designed to build coordination between body movement and memory. The game can be played as a single player where the goal can be enhancing balance or as a dual player set up that can be used for mirroring skills.  Props were brought in for the playtest to present levels of difficulty and challenge memorization.

Hogwarts Houses

DESCRIPTION
The first color of RYBG for each rotation is replaced by the corresponding Hogwarts House (red - Gryffindor, yellow - Hufflepuff, blue - Ravenclaw, green - Slytherin)

Moving RYBG in Space

DESCRIPTION
4 people are needed for this RYBG variation. Everyone stands in a square formation, and each person is assigned a color. The starting position is as follow: Red/bottom right, Yellow/Bottom left, Blue/Top Right, Green/ Top Right. When the turn starts, each person yells their color name, always starting with the bottom right. After one round, people move in the square formation clockwise, and the person at the bottom right position starts again.

VIDEOS
  1. Demonstration
  2. Further development with fruit as props

Letters of the Alphabet  

DESCRIPTION
In this variation of RYBG, players do not play as much with the colors as they do with the dance motions. While the hands continue to move in a circular pattern along the body, crossing the hemispheres, the players sing the ABC's. In the first level, the alphabet is delayed to the second count of the melody, adding in the difficulty. The second level incorporates the movement, and the third level adds in the tag at the end of the song: "...now I know my ABC's...". For an even harder challenge, the players can switch up the song to one more difficult; Mary Had A Little Lamb, Row Your Boat, etc. This can be multi-player, or single player.

VIDEOS
  1. Demonstration
  2. Playtest

Act Out Words

DESCRIPTION
This specific exercise combines a verbal statement with a corresponding and complimentary physical action. For the Zombie demonstration, "Brains, heart, liver, kidneys" replaces RYBG; movement is changed to raising each arm zombie-style and then walking a step forward. The organs rotate position each time. Zombie-like movement and vocalizations.  In the playtest example, we combined the phrase “i love my friends” with the act of placing the hands on the hips and stomping the feet in place. This action exudes confidence, and when paired with the verbal phrase, can encourage children to affirm love for others with sincerity and conviction. This game can encompass a variety of statements and actions so long as the 'acting' can enable children to embody and empathize with specific experiences. This exercise can also help children 'rehearse' phrases they would like to master expressing if they struggle with conveying their thoughts with the proper emotion or with adequate confidence.

VIDEOS
  1. Demonstration of "Zombie"
  2. Playtest of "I Love My Friends"
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WORKING VERSION NOTES
Misc. Notes for Building Page's Content
Reformat the content from this page of the original book
Include video, directions, diagrams(?), link to printable 1-page guide/reference, difficulty level, checklist for needed materials

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