Whoosh, Whoa, Zap

Materials

None

Directions

Have everyone form a standing circle. Tell students you have a ball of energy that you will send around the circle. This ball of energy moves around the circle with the sound, "Whoosh!" Encourage students to engage their whole body as they say "Whoosh!" and send it to the person next to them. Send the energy around the circle once. When it comes back to you, introduce the next way it moves: If you say "Whoa!" and put your hands up, that reverses the direction of the energy. Play for a bit with "Whoosh" and "Whoa." Then add in "Zap" which sends the energy to someone across the circle while making eye contact and pointing to that person. Play with these three commands. 

Reflection

Describe: What did you notice during that activity?

Analyze: What was challenging about this? What skills did you have to use to be successful?

Relate: Where else might we use those skills?

Possible Side-Coaching

"Keep the energy moving around the circle as quickly as possible!"

"Use your WHOLE body to send the energy to the next person!"

"Remember you can't 'whoa' a 'zap'. You can only 'whoa' a 'woosh' when it comes to you."

Possible Variations/Applications

Add in Freakout: when the energy comes to you and you say "Freakout," everyone screams (or silent screams) and moves as quickly and safely as possible to a new place in the circle. When the circle is re-formed, the person who said "freakout" sends the energy one way or the other with a "whoosh."