When you plan your family reunion, consider planning a few musical games and activities. “Musical Chairs” is a fun game if someone doesn’t have to go to the emergency room.  I’ve never played a “friendly” game of “Musical Chairs”. A calmer version of the game is “Musical Island”. To get the wiggles out, try a little “Dice Dancing”, and for a new twist on “Charades” try “Song Charades”. Make sure you plan for my favorite musical activity, “There’s a Spider On My…” it even works around the campfire.

Song Relay

This is a fun and simple game to play while you’re waiting for an activity or event to begin. Choose a familiar song that all the players know like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. Sit in a circle and determine the order of singers. The #1 singer sings the first line of the song and passes the song on to the #2 singer who continues with the second line of the song with NO break in the rhythm. Keep passing the song to each singer until the song is completed. As you get a little experience try more difficult songs or try singing each WORD individually.

For example: Singer #1: Row
#2: Row
#3: Row 
#4: Your 
#5: Boat 
#6: Gently
#7: Down 
#8: The
#9: Stream

Dice Dancing

You’ll need a dice for this game. Designate six spaces on your dance floor as space #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Put up simple signs for each area or use numbered hula hoops. While music is playing, have the kids dance around the dance floor. When the music stops, the kids should move to one of the six spaces. Roll the dice, and the kids at that number are out. (I have a large 3- inch die I like to use) Start the music again and continue until you have one or two children left- they are your winners.

Hint: When you get down to 10 dancers tell them that when the music stops there can only be two children on a number and when you get down to 5 dancers tell them they may only have 1 person on a number. (Sometimes I tell them that if I roll the number “1” EVERYONE is back in to start dancing again- they love that!)

Hint: You can also play this in a private swimming pool. Participants swim around until the music stops and then they have to quickly swim to a number.

Song Charades

Play song charades with your party guests. Divide the group into two teams. One person from one team is it and thinks of a song. He acts out that song, without using words, just as in normal charades play. If no one can guess what song he is trying to act out after one minute, he has the option of allowing the other team to guess and get a point or by humming the tune of the song, hoping to get his team to guess and receive the point. Play alternates back and forth until one team gets to a predetermined number of points.

Musical Island

Play this game like Musical Chairs. Put a carpet mat or piece of laminated poster board on the floor- that’s the island. All the players walk around in a circle, and as they go round, they must step on the mat. When the music stops, the player on the mat is out.

There’s a Spider on…

(Sung to “If You’re Happy and You Know It” Uses the chords F, B flat and C7)

This is my favorite group sing-a-long song. Give everyone a spider to sing with. Kids of all ages have fun with this music activity. Older groups will want to make up their own verses)

There’s a spider on the floor on the floor
There’s a spider on the floor on the floor
There’s a spider on the floor-
He just walked right through the door
There’s a spider on the floor on the floor

There’s a spider on my toes
And he’s wiggling his nose

There’s a spider on my knee
And he’s really scaring me

There’s a spider on my thigh
And I think I’m going to cry

There’s a spider on my belly
He’s eating strawberry jelly

There’s a spider on my neck on my neck 
I feel just like a wreck
(OH MY HECK)

There’s a spider on my ear
I’m afraid and I’m afear
(OH MY DEAR)

Now the spider’s on my face, on my face!
Oh, what a big disgrace

Now the spider’s on my head, on my head!
Oh, I wish that he were dead.

There’s a spider on my back on my back
I’m having an attack

There’s a spider on my toosh
He’s looking kind of sqooshed

Musically Yours,

Aunt MO
www.familyreunionhelper.com/

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” Angela Monet